Program Session
2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
National and Regional Economic Trends
A growing number of economists believe that the economy is teetering on the brink of a recession or in one already. This session includes a near- to mid-term forecast on the possible direction of the national economy, with references to the state of the housing and energy sectors along with details on how globally interconnected our financial system has become. It also includes an Oklahoma-specific economic forecast and information on how the state is dealing with a deteriorating national and regional economy even though the state’s energy sector continues to perform well.
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Chad Wilkerson, Assistant Vice President and Oklahoma City Branch Executive for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City |
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Dr. Mark Snead, Oklahoma State University |
Fiscal Dimensions of Enhancing Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
How are states dealing with the challenge of dwindling federal funds for homeland security and emergency management at a time when the demand for these funds remains very high? This session features a presentation on this topic from the Oklahoma City-based Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT), an organization created in the aftermath of the 1995 Murrah Federal building terrorist attack to engage in research and study, prepare programs and reports which allow policymakers to have access to the best and most complete information to avert terrorism and/or lessen the impact of a terror event or a natural disaster.
Donald Hamilton, Executive Director, Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT), Oklahoma City, OK
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Business Lunch
Noon - 2:00 p.m.
Impact of Federal Budget Decisions on State Finances
Federal budget decisions have enormous implications for state finances and this presentation enumerates developments at the federal budget level; the impact of rising federal budget deficits on state economies; a glimpse into how states, particularly the SLC states, are faring vis-a-vis each other in terms of access to federal funds; and specifics on the Bush Administration’s fiscal year 2009 budget and how it will impact states.
Elizabeth McNichol, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), Washington, DC
Rating Agency Perspective on States Finances
The work of the credit rating agencies remains critically important to state finances, and this session communicates how an agency like Standard & Poor’s devises state debt rating levels; calculates the impact of state action in complying with the GASB 45/OPEB requirement for calculating state ratings; assesses the level of debt that states seem to be accumulating in recent years; and measures how the financial woes of the bond insurance industry impact state and local government finances.
James Breeding, Standard & Poor's, Dallas, TX
State Legislative Updates
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