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By Committee
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By Topic
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Featured Publications
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 While the coda to the economic turmoil precipitated by the collapse of the housing sector and the eventual damage wreaked on every aspect of the U.S. economy still remains a great unknown, there is no doubt that the adverse consequences stemming from this recession have not been experienced for at least a generation. A major contributory factor in the economic recovery from the 2001 recession was the impressive performance of the housing and construction sectors in practically every state in the country. An assortment of revenues related to these twin sectors began to play an increasingly important role in state revenue inflows. The latest Special Series Report from the SLC hones in on the extent to which the 16 SLC state revenue inflows were reliant on the housing and construction sectors between fiscal years 2002 and 2008, key economic indices related to the slowing economy (both nationally and in the SLC states), the origins of the crisis and how our economy lurched toward its current undesirable position and details on the remedial measures enacted in the SLC states in response to this growing crisis. (Read the full report here) |
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The Black Belt is a string of counties that stretches from east Texas, through the deep South, and up into eastern Virginia. It is the largest, poorest, most rural region in the country. Educational attainment is lower in the Black Belt as well, particularly among the black population, and there is an exceptionally high number of female-headed households. Financial institution penetration in the region is low, even when compared to other rural communities. Each of these factors contributes to the next and creates a circle of interdependence that is confounding in its complexity. Extending access to capital throughout the Black Belt is seen as key to breaking cycles of poverty and underdevelopment in the region. This Regional Resource explores the steps states and private organizations have taken to build capital and capital readiness in rural communities, with a particular focus on the Black Belt and the challenges specific to this part of the South. (Read the full report here) |
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Historically, state governments have not been directly involved in school construction, which has been funded primarily out of local obligation bonds and tax revenues. However, this is not universally the case. A handful of states have made investments in school facilities, particularly recently. These investments have mostly addressed what are seen as discrepancies in the quality or capacity of school facilities among districts. State funding for facilities may be either one-time investments designed to clear a building backlog or ongoing funds to encourage planning, measured construction or ongoing maintenance. (Read the full report here) |
Regional Resources
Issued periodically throughout the year, SLC's Regional Resources series provides background and status information on a wide array of public policy issues currently being addressed by the Conference's standing committees and by state legislatures across the South. Recent publications in this series have dealt with the U.S. farm bill; No Child Left Behind Act; landfill gas as a fuel source; and aging inmate populations.
Comparative Data Reports
These reports are prepared annually by select SLC states' fiscal research departments. Because the reports track a multitude of revenue sources and appropriations levels in Southern states, they provide a useful tool to legislators and legislative staff alike as they determine their own state spending. The reports are presented each fall and analyze state tax structures and revenue forecasts, adult correctional systems, K-12 educational systems, state transportation programs and Medicaid spending. These reports are prepared under the auspices of the Conference's Fiscal Affairs and Government Operations Committee.
SLC Special Series Reports
Prepared several times annually, these reports are designed to give in-depth treatment to a key issue or governmental problem with which Southern states are grappling. Recent reports in this series include Innovative Programs in Funding State Homeland Security Needs, Doing the Math: Southern State School Finance Systems, and From Blues to Benton to Bluegrass: The Economic Impact of the Arts in SLC States. Earlier Special Series Reports have addressed the implications of the trade relationship between Latin America and the South; telecommunications; redistricting; aging inmate populations; legislative committee structure and staffing patterns; and language diversity in Southern schools.
