Capitol Comments

Where Americans are Moving

Immigration may be getting the big headlines, but probably more impactful for cities and states is the migration within the United States - both of people and of wealth. Forbes.com has a new interactive map detailing county-to-county migration patterns across the country...in many cases down to the person. How many poeple moved into or out of your community? Where did they come from or where did they go?

In April I wrote about offshore drilling and how, politically, it wasn’t about the oil, given that the estimated recoverable reserves were unlikely to substantially impact our reliance on foreign sources of petroleum (the EIA Annual Energy Outlook 2010 assumes import reliance will remain near 50% through 2035, down from 57% in 2008); it was about securing votes for climate change legislation. 

Illinois, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee are each one step closer to joining to Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.  In each state legislators overwhelming passed the compact, which attempts to ease educational issues associated with the frequent moves of military families.  To find out more about the compact or to learn if your state is already a member please click here.

Worst case scenarios abound if Congress fails to extend for another six months the enhanced Medicaid match begun by the 2009 stimulus. CSG’s recent survey found that over half the states have already counted on the extension, from January 1 until June 30, 2011, in their budget deliberations for FY 2011. The Senate appears poised to put the extension back in the so-called “tax extender” bill next week.