The economy in many states is weakening, and the overall state-budget outlook for the next several years is gloomy, according to a report released on Thursday by the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers.
Budget conditions vary among the states, according to the report, “The Fiscal Survey of the States.” But overall growth in state spending has slowed significantly, it says, and an increasing number of states face revenue shortfalls. Tighter state budgets often signal bad news for college officials and students, who face cuts in operating budgets and increases in tuition as legislatures struggle to make ends meet.