Health Care

At least 19 states have cut or are considering cutting health care programs for low-income children and families. For example:

  • Nevada has capped enrollment in the state health insurance program for low-income children (SCHIP) and is raising premiums.
  • Utah has eliminated certain Medicaid-covered physical therapy, vision and hearing services.
  • Hospitalization and other medical services are going to be cut for 30,000 to 40,000 seriously ill Tennesseans.
  • Rhode Island cut 1,000 parents from its Medicaid program and is raising Medicaid premiums for 7,800 low-income families.
  • In California, state health care services may be eliminated for 162,000 children.

Resources

Education

At least 20 states have cut or are considering cuts in K-12 and early education programs, and at least 26 states have cut or are considering cuts in funding for public

  • Washington may slash $1 billion in school funding over the next two years.
  • Nevada is considering a 25 percent increase in fees for state colleges.
  • Funding for California schools and community colleges will be cut by as much as $2.5 billion through June 2010. The state also could run out of funds for reduced price school lunches for low-income children.

Report: Most States Are Cutting Education (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities).

 

Public Safety

  • Minnesota is considering cutting state aid to local governments to close its budget gap. The loss of this aid would result in serious cuts in services for cities and could result in cuts in public safety services such as police and fire protection.
  • The federal government has cut funding for state and local preparedness for health emergencies by 25 percent since FY 2005. Eleven states and the District of Columbia had to cut their public health budgets in FY 2007. Additional cuts "could lead to a disaster for the nation's disaster preparedness."
  • Atlanta is planning to cut an additional fire station in the city to help address the city's budget gap. Another fire station was closed in July to balance the city's budget.
  • 87 sheriff's deputies are being laid off in Hamilton County, Ohio, as part of an effort to close the county's budget gap.
  • To address New York City's growing budget gap, the city's fire department is cutting by two-thirds the number of fire fighters it is scheduled to hire. The city is also eliminating overnight shifts (from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.) for fire fighters at four fire houses--meaning they will not operate during this time--and closing one fire station.

 

Resources