Podcasts about state budgets

Read more from VPM News:  State budget would eliminate Child Care Subsidy Program waitlist  New regulations beef up data centers' required water use reporting    Other links:  An exodus at the US Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia (The Roanoke Times)*  Va. budget bill would allocate $7 million towards homeless services in Charlottesville (29News)  Henrico 'keeping an eye on' low James River levels amid statewide drought warning (Henrico Citizen)  Background checks for private firearm sales to resume July 1 (Cardinal News)  Measles outbreak expands to include Cumberland (WRIC)  *This outlet uses a paywall.  Our award-winning work is made possible with your donations. Visit vpm.org/donate to support local journalism. 

A recently released audit of Missouri's finances shows the state is on the brink of a budget crisis. Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick discusses what his office found and how he wants elected officials to respond.

June 22, 2026- New York State Budget Director Blake Washington talks about the state's recently adopted budget and the Empire State's financial shape.

With a new state government fiscal year set to commence on July first, North Carolina state legislators have still yet to pass a budget for the year that's coming to an end on June 30th. We're the only state in the union in which this is the case. While the state has continued to function at a basic level, the lack of funding certainty, and even minimal raises for teachers and other state employees, has caused enormous hardship. Meanwhile, even as the budget and the negotiations around it remain shrouded in secrecy, other important proposals – including more changes to how the state conducts elections – continue to advance. This past week, Newsline caught up with Wake County state Senator Lisa Grafstein to learn what Republican legislative leaders are telling rank and file members, and why from her perspective, average North Carolinians should be deeply concerned. We also discussed legislation that would place new burdens on local government by capping property taxes and limiting their options for dealing with homeless populations, and yet another new effort to alter coastal policy without first hearing from and listening to the science experts. Click here to listen to the full interview with Senator Lisa Grafstein.

A new report from Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick says Missouri is facing a budget cliff. Gov. Mike Kehoe says he thinks the state's budget needs to shrink as a result, and suggests some nonprofits or local municipalities could fund some programs instead.

Former Gov. Jim Gilmore talks to Rich about the current Virginia state budget problems and if anything will get done before a government shutdown.

VA Senator Louise Lucas is on a listening tour around the state. Is she holding up the budget talks?

Read more from VPM News:  Bluntly: Virginia legislators, Spanberger add retail weed to state budget  Spanberger sides with House in Virginia budget dispute WATCH: Protecting RVA's Historic Black Cemeteries (YouTube)   Other links:  Joe Morrissey announces run for office, three years after saying he was done with politics (WTVR)  DPU suspends water cutoffs as billing glitches continue (The Richmonder)  Swords into Plowshares reaches out to Black residents, unhoused community for input on recasting Robert E. Lee statue into new public art (Charlottesville Tomorrow)  Baby giraffes found safe after disappearing from Natural Bridge Zoo (WDBJ)  Petersburg casino revenue bounces back in May (The Progress-Index)*  *This outlet uses a paywall.  Our award-winning work is made possible with your donations. Visit vpm.org/donate to support local journalism.

June 17, 2026 - New York City's business interests spent millions lobbying on the state budget. We discuss the final outcomes with Steven Fulop, president and CEO for the Partnership for New York City.

Your Nebraska Update headlines for today, June 17, include: Omaha man is accused of helping plan attack tied to White House UFC event, Omaha City Council heard from public Tuesday on proposed ordinance that would keep minimum wage in city at $15 per hour for all workers, Fort Robinson State Park is gradually reopening after South Fork Fire, horse trainer David Anderson has been suspended for four years, Nebraska permanently expands eligibility for child care subsidies under LB 304, new federal SNAP retailer requirements could create challenges for rural stores, Nebraska has faced significant budget deficits forcing lawmakers to fill $471.5 million gap this year.

Democrats still can't come to an agreement on a new state budget.

Delegate Tom Garrett stops by for his weekly visit and he has a lot to say about the Virginia state budget.

Ben Szalinski of Capitol News Illinois joins Patrick to discuss the new state budget, Governor Pritzker's political messaging, and the Bears stadium mess. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More from VPM News:  Virginia House drops $74B budget draft ahead of June 30 deadline  Virginia has the blue catfish blues  ICYMI: Sailing vessels travel upriver to Richmond as part of 250th anniversary  On the agenda: Richmond zoning refresh, Petersburg casino revenue    Other links:  Virginia law does not make it easy for a renter to force a landlord to improve conditions — even hazardous ones (Charlottesville Tomorrow)  Goochland to weigh 900-megawatt data center campus under new tech zone (Richmond Times-Dispatch)*  Justice Department sues Virginia over mask ban, limits to federal agents (The Washington Post)*  *This outlet uses a paywall.  Our award-winning work is made possible with your donations. Visit vpm.org/donate to support local journalism. 

(Jun 15, 2026) The state budget passed, but many are still figuring out how these policies will play out; New York's Department of Environmental Conservation wants to learn more about the harmful algae blooms that are fouling lakes around the state; and we have a preview of the Ottawa Jazz Festival that kicks off Thursday.

(Jun 15, 2026) On today's Story of the Day, the state budget is $9 billion more than previously advertised. We hear from our state reporters about the now $277 billion spending plan. Also, a new state program aims to help combat algae blooms.

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Virginia still doesn't have an approved budget. Why can't the Democrats agree on anything?

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June 10, 2026- New York Conference of Mayors Executive Director Barbara Van Epps discusses how the state budget impacted cities and villages, including additional aid and new pension costs.

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Attorney John Richmond on new changes to car insurance laws as part of the new state budget full 383 Wed, 10 Jun 2026 07:47:00 +0000 bCIQ75QANYlcvnA2ABNjSIy7tqgs8KiF news & politics,news WBEN Extras news & politics,news Attorney John Richmond on new changes to car insurance laws as part of the new state budget Archive of various reports and news events 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. News & Politics News htt

June 9, 2026- New York policymakers on both sides of the aisle got behind budget language that sweetens public sector pensions and comes with an estimated price tag of more than half a billion dollars. We consider why this is a good public policy with Joshua Terry, legislative and political director for CSEA, the state's second largest public sector union.

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While guest hosting Mundo in the Morning on KCMO Talk Radio, Patrick Tuohey is joined by Elias Tsapelas, Director of State Budget and Fiscal Policy at the Show-Me Institute, to discuss the Missouri legislature's effort to begin the process of eliminating the income tax. They break down why Missouri's tax climate is holding back economic and population growth, how a gradual phase-out could work, and why concerns about sales tax rates may be overblown. Listen to the full show: https://www.kcmotalkradio.com/shows/mundo-in-the-morning-2/

We unpack what is and isn't in the State Budget for the state's ag sector, Treasury Wine Estates plans to move away from around half of its wine labels, and police warn farmers to be vigilant over fuel thefts amid high diesel prices.

June 4, 2026- Politico New York reporter Katelyn Cordero talks about the health care funding that made it into the state budget and what got left out of the final deal.

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Member of the Virginia House of Delegates Tom Garrett stops by the show to talk about not having approved a state budget.

June 2, 2026- Assemblymember Jen Lunsford, a Rochester-area Democrat, discusses language in the state budget - championed by Gov. Kathy Hochul - that is supposed to bring down car insurance costs.

(Jun 2, 2026) State Senator Dan Stec says the budget doesn't do enough to address rising costs for New Yorkers; we step onto the streets of Lake George, where tens of thousands of motorcyclists gathered for a block party and a motorcycle stunt show; and we have a conversation about an exhibit at an art gallery in Bloomingdale that celebrates the stuffed animals we used to love as children.

(Jun 2, 2026) Republicans are largely shut out of state budget talks in Albany. State Senator Dan Stec has a lot of criticisms of the new $268 billion package, but he praises a delay for schools to transition to all-electric buses. Also: Tens of thousands of motorcyclists gathered in the Adirondacks this weekend for Americade. We get a slice of the rumble of motors at a motorcycle stunt show.

June 1, 2026- We break down what the state budget means for schools, including education aid to districts and delaying a transition to zero-emission school buses. Our guest is Brian Fessler, chief advocacy officer for the New York State School Boards Association.

(May 28, 2026) Kitty O'Neil breaks down how North Country farmers are coping with rising costs due to the war in Iran; the North Country's newest assemblyman says the delayed budget will mean a less productive year for Albany; and we visit a small dairy in Keeseville. North Country Creamery has become one of the Champlain Valley's leaders in environmentally-conscious farming. 

Ryan talks to Southeast Politics publisher Janelle Irwin-Taylor about Florida lawmakers completing a $115 billion budget deal, including what's in the agreement and the upcoming vote expected Friday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rural news and events from Tasmania and the nation.

This Memorial Weekend we open with Robert's tick report, which finds the nation experiencing a surge in tick bites and news that half of deer ticks tested in Sconie carry Lyme disease. After touching on the spectacular crash and burn of the Evers/Vos budget surplus debacle, we dig in with State Representative Christian Phelps, one of the most knowledgeable lawmakers on public education funding. We discuss what he sees as the necessary funding for public schools in the 2027-28 state budget to start fixing the damage done by nearly two decades of under-investment. We debrief the GOP State convention where the party got 100% behind election denier Tom Tiffany and decided it was smart to attack the successful and prosperous state of Minnesota. And more data center backlash, as Milwaukee Common Council votes to ban large data centers and regulate smaller ones, and Wrightsville residents fight potential data centers in their village.

Rural Health News is a weekly segment of Rural Health Today, a podcast by Hillsdale Hospital. News sources for this episode: National Conference of State Legislators, “FY 2027 State Budget Status,” May 7, 2026, https://www.ncsl.org/fiscal/fy-2027-state-budget-status. Robert Tann, “Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signs state budget, with Medicaid taking brunt of cuts to close $1 billion gap,” May 8, 2026, https://www.aspentimes.com/news/colorado-new-budget-cuts-medicaid/, The Aspen Times. Liese Klein, “Connecticut hospitals get funding boost as federal Medicaid cuts loom,” May 9, 2026, https://www.ctinsider.com/business/article/connecticut-hospitals-budget-provider-tax-medicaid-22244864.php, CT Insider. Clark Corbin, “Idaho Senate passes rewritten health and welfare budget with additional budget cuts,” March 26, 2026, https://idahocapitalsun.com/2026/03/26/idaho-senate-passes-rewritten-health-and-welfare-budget-with-additional-budget-cuts/, Idaho Capital Sun. Jason Bailey, “Budget Agreement Cuts and Freezes Funding for Most Services, Continues to Underfund Medicaid,” April 15, 2026, https://kypolicy.org/budget-agreement-cuts-and-freezes-funding-for-most-services-continues-to-underfund-medicaid/, Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. Roz Brown, “NM's Medicaid program gets state funding boost after federal cuts,” March 26, 2026, https://www.krwg.org/regional/2026-03-26/nms-medicaid-program-gets-state-funding-boost-after-federal-cuts, KRWG Public Media. Hayley DeSilva, “Layoffs, closures tracker: Providence to cut 40 positions,” May 12, 2026, https://www.modernhealthcare.com/providers/staffing/mh-layoffs-closures-healthcare-live-updates/, Modern Healthcare. Rural Health Today is a production of Hillsdale Hospital in Hillsdale, Michigan and a member of the Health Podcast Network. Our host is JJ Hodshire, our producer is Kyrsten Newlon, and our audio engineer is Kenji Ulmer. Special thanks to our special guests for sharing their expertise on the show, and also to the Hillsdale Hospital marketing team. If you want to submit a question for us to answer on the podcast or learn more about Rural Health Today, visit ruralhealthtoday.com.

(May 18, 2026) New York State wants to see sweeping reforms after the Salmon River School District admitted to putting children in wooden boxes as discipline; state budget talks are still ongoing, and Republican lawmakers say they're fed up; and we have a conversation about an ongoing exhibition in Plattsburgh that combines art and mental health.

What is or is not in New York State's roughly $265 billion annual budget affects every facet of life—education, health care, public transit, parks, public safety, the budgets of cities and towns large and small and so much more. By law, the budget was supposed to be completed by April 1. Six weeks later, negotiations between Gov. Kathy Hochul, State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and State Senate President Andrea Stewart-Cousins continues to drag on. We spoke with Assembly member Emily Gallagher, a democratic socialist from Brooklyn first elected to the State Assembly in 2020, about how Gov. Hochul has used her disproportionate power to break the budget process to push regressive legislation that has nothing to do with the budget and how this mess can be fixed if the legislature can find the courage to take on the governor.

Emily Gallagher, a democratic socialist from Brooklyn first elected to the State Assembly in 2020, discusses how Gov. Hochul has used her disproportionate power to break the legislative process for deciding on the states roughly $265 billion annual budget to push regressive legislation that has nothing to do with the budget and how this mess can be fixed if the legislature can find the courage to take on the governor. Reneé Feltz discusses her epic cover story for the May print edition of The Indypendent titled “Trash Revolution: NYC Dumps Throwaway Culture for Sanitation Overhaul. Will It Succeed?”

Legislative leaders break the impasse on the budget. That means state employees and teachers may finally get a raise. In the race to replace Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, calls have come for a Black person to fill that slot. Charlotte City Council withdraws its support for the I-77 toll lanes, and the CMS board approves its $2.1 billion budget.

Governor Newsom presented his May state budget revision today...touting a balanced budget for the next two fiscal years. That's a drastic turnaround from the 2-point-9 billion dollar deficit in January's budget proposal.

We discuss the failed State Budget surplus deal that left few happy, under cut the next Governor, and left most wondering who asked for it? What does the deal say about Evers' relationship with fellow Democrats? Is the divide really just a crystallization of what is at stake in this November's election? New education research underscores the importance of resources for our public schools to succeed. Wisconsin slid to 33rd in math and 30th in reading (out of 38 states evaluated) in sobering new research. Most importantly, the Education Scorecard found post-pandemic recovery achievement in the highest-poverty districts was largely driven by the federal pandemic relief funding. Without that relief, according to the study, the average high-poverty district would have remained at its 2022 level of achievement. In other news, ultra-MAGA Congressman Derrick Van Ordin again loudly denies cutting Medicaid, making him a Liar's liar. We close with speculations on what kind of gerrymandering Wisconsin will undertake in 2027, if there is a trifecta, to counter the outright theft of Congressional seats by Trump, SCOTUS, and red state governors. We encourage our listeners to attend a $20 Living Wage Town Hall May 21, 6pm, in Racine at the Racine Education Association. (We recorded the podcast before the 18-15 failed vote in the Senate.)

On the May 12 edition: A new report looks at how caregivers are impacted by their work; rising gas prices are hurting Georgia business owners; and advocates in Atlanta try to help families using housing vouchers become self-sufficient.  

(May 12, 2026) We dig into the details of New York State's budget process with one of our New York Public News Network reporters; an educational center in the Champlain Valley wants to expand its campus to meet the rising demand for vocational training; and we have a conversation with a man who's graduating from college this weekend, 33 years after starting his studies.

Jimmy Vielkind, New York State Issues reporter for WNYC, digs into the details of the new, though still not final, $268 billion dollar New York State budget. Photo: The New York State Senate. (Credit: The New York State Senate) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 8, 2026- Dan Clark, author of the Capitol Confidential newsletter, fills in some of the details on the proposed state budget, which is finally taking shape, despite the protestations from state lawmakers that there are still many unresolved questions.