29,800

As Congress considers appropriations bills for FY 2024, current proposals would require states to turn away hundreds of thousands of postpartum adults and young children receiving assistance through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

In Nebraska, it’s estimated that 4,200 people would be turned away based on the Senate’s proposal. The House plan would cut food assistance for, or take it away altogether, from 29,800 people in Nebraska. For decades, research has shown that WIC participation leads to healthier births, better infant-feeding practices and improved development and academic achievement.

16

Nebraska is one of 16 states which cut taxes in all three years from 2021 to 2023, a time when federal pandemic-related spending helped to spike economic growth across the country. Escalating income tax cuts in LB 754 this year are projected to decrease state revenues in Nebraska by $87.7 million this year, growing to $905 million by FY 2029. That $905 million revenue loss represents 14% of all General Fund tax receipts reported in Nebraska in the last fiscal year.

70,000

With $405 million in federal grants available to improve internet speeds across Nebraska, the state’s new Broadband Office is focused on 70,000 red dots on a new coverage map, each identified as an underserved business or residence. Broadband is increasingly important for telehealth, education, work, entertainment and ag applications. Access is a concern not only in rural areas, but also for low-wage families and those learning English as a second language.

29 cents

The Georgia Department of Transportation hopes to sign up 150 drivers to gather information on how to apply a user-based system to fund road work. Georgia, like most states, currently charges a fuel tax on how much gas you purchase.

In Nebraska, the gas tax is currently 29 cents per gallon, which generates about $30 million a month in taxes. But as automakers roll out more fuel-efficient vehicles and demand for electric vehicles grows, changes will likely be necessary to fairly and adequately fund road projects. Three states, Washington, Oregon, and Utah, already have adopted mileage-based user fees.

$900 million

In Iowa, the cost of taxpayer-funded vouchers for students to attend private school is expected to soar beyond an initial $107 million projection as the number of applicants has more than doubled what the state anticipated. There are similar budget concerns in Arizona, where an expanded voucher program grew out of the nation’s first tax credits for private school scholarships awarded in 1997. The Arizona program is estimated to cost $900 million this year.

Read more from Iowa News Service and the Arizona Republic

OpenSkyLIGHTS: Focus on Nebraska fiscal policy (7/28/23)

29,800

16

70,000

29 cents

$900 million