When the pandemic began a year ago, states braced for sharp budget cuts and skyrocketing needs for public assistance. Though hardship has been immense and the loss of life unfathomable, federal relief efforts and better-than-expected state revenues have mitigated the economic recession. Federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act provides much-needed relief, but states’ fiscal positions vary and considerable uncertainty remains. Safety net programs, like Medicaid and public health programs and assistance with food, housing, child care, and cash, can significantly reduce hardship, but they involve state policy and practice choices that often have implications for racial equity. States also are now grappling with how best to direct both state and federal funds.
Please join the Urban Institute for a virtual discussion exploring the tough questions now facing state legislatures and program administrators. How can states most effectively and equitably target federal dollars? How can states address economic inequality and racial and ethnic disparities that have worsened during the pandemic? What policies, practices, and investments that changed in response to the crisis should continue after the pandemic? We will start with a moderated panel discussion among a state Medicaid director, a state health and human services administrator, and a state budget analyst. A second moderated panel discussion will follow, during which representatives from state government associations will provide a national perspective on these issues.