State budget stallers and laggards

Story from The Takeaway. Use audio player above to listen to entire report.

New York has balanced its budget, and California finally shed its reputation as a fiscal laggard, reaching its budget on time for the first time in years. But other states are not on similar paths.

In Minnesota, if the Democratic governor and Republican-led legislature cannot agree on a budget by midnight tonight, all nonessential services will shut down, including state parks — dire news, ahead of the July 4 weekend.

So why is it taking so long? And what can we learn from states that have already settled their books?

Matthew Mitchell, a research fellow on State and Local Policy at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center helps answer some of these questions on The Takeaway.

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“The Takeaway” is a national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what’s ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.