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Scott D. Pattison

The Impact of Federal “Crisis Budgeting” and Uncertainty on States
March 13, 2013

Today I am testifying before Congress on behalf of the states’ budget officers raising our concerns about the impact of federal uncertainty. Years of short-term federal budgeting through continuing resolutions (CRs) and crises like the fiscal cliff cost money and make it difficult for programs to reach their goals’ full potential. You can read my full testimony here.

Outlook for Sequestration
January 31, 2013

With the sequester date set for March 1st, there is still some uncertainty as to what further actions – if any – Congress will take regarding the process of sequestration. At this time, most DC insiders are assuming that Congress will allow the automatic budget cuts to take effect March 1.

Health Insurance Exchange Update: State Decisions and Next Steps
December 20, 2012

Health insurance exchanges, as part of the Affordable Care Act, will be providing individuals and small businesses a mechanism to obtain and compare health insurance beginning January 1, 2014.  Health insurance exchanges will be operating in each state and are an integral mechanism for health coverage expansion under the Affordable Care Act.  States currently have the option of setting up their own exchanges, partnering with the federal government, or having the federal government operate a federally facilitated exchange. 

State Fiscal Outlook
December 10, 2012

Later this week, NASBO will release the Fall 2012 edition of the Fiscal Survey of States. Whatever the results, budget decisions will still be difficult for states due to a number of structural factors.

With the looming fiscal cliff being debated by Congress, it’s important for those at the federal level to realize the realities of the fiscal situation in the states. Although most fiscal data indicates that trends are positive, many states may not be able to provide funding for increased Medicaid and K-12 costs – and also fill in for federal budget cuts.

The Fiscal Cliff: Some Basics
November 9, 2012

Since Election Day, there has been a lot of media coverage about the so-called "fiscal cliff," and state budget officers, like many others, are closely watching Congress and the Administration to see what will happen and how it will affect states. The "fiscal cliff" includes a number of tax and spending policies set to take effect under current law, including:

ABFM Conference Summary: Academic Trends and Perspectives
October 25, 2012

Members of the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM) convened in New York City October 11-13 for the organization’s annual conference. ABFM, made up mostly of academics but also practitioners, advances the science of public administration and public finance by linking scholarly research with practitioner perspectives. The organization is also responsible for editing and publishing Public Budgeting & Finance, the primary academic journal in the field of government finance.

Impact of Federal Sequestration on State Budgets
September 17, 2012

Last Friday, September 14, the White House officially released a report prepared by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) detailing how the federal government would implement sequestration under the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA; PL 112-25). The administration was required to submit this report to Congress under the Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012 (STA) (PL 112-155).

Convening on Higher Education Finance: Performance Improvement of Post-Secondary Education Through the Budget Process
September 11, 2012
State Funding for Higher Education
Performance Information – Impacts on State Budgets and Government Management
March 1, 2012

Many state government officials have been thinking about and dealing with the use of performance information for a long time now.  Terminology for this topic differs – some call it performance budgeting, performance management, results based budgeting, zero base budgeting, performance informed budgets or evidence-based decision making. State budget officers have recently come together, through the support of the Annie E.

Unending Tough Budget Choices: What to do with the “Small Things”?
February 13, 2012

Last summer out west I saw a state park on the map and decided to drive out and hike there, only to arrive and find it was closed.  While state parks make up less than one percent of most state budgets, their treatment in budgets is symbolic of the very tough decisions state officials will have to make as they continue to develop their state budgets this year.  As state monies increasingly go to large parts of the state budget like K-12 education and health care, state officials have to decide how to deal with the smaller discretionary parts of their budgets.

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