Next week, the House will vote on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, working from priorities shared with President Barack Obama.  

The plan will create and save 3 to 4 million jobs, jumpstart our economy, and transform it for the 21st century.  

Unprecedented accountability and transparency measures are built in to help ensure tax dollars are spent wisely. $550 billion is strategically targeted to priority investments; $275 billion in targeted tax cuts will also help spur economic recovery.

Yesterday, Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com, released an analysis of the House economic recovery package. He concluded that aid to state and local governments and funding for infrastructure projects are key components of a successful recovery package:

“Because most state constitutions require their governments to eliminate deficits quickly, most have drawn down their reserve funds and have already begun to cut programs from healthcare to education…Additional federal aid to state governments will fund existing payrolls and programs, providing a relatively quick boost. States that receive checks from the federal government will quickly pass the money to workers, vendors and program beneficiaries.” [page 10]

“Increased infrastructure spending is also a particularly effective way to stimulate the economy included I the House stimulus plan…The boost to GDP from every dollar spent on public infrastructure is large – an estimated $1.59 – and there is little doubt that the nation has underinvested in infrastructure for some time, to the increasing detriment of the nation’s long-term growth prospects.” [page 11]

Below are clips from some states highlighting the benefits of the economic recovery package in their states:

COLORADO
CBS 4/AP: Colo. Could Get Over $500M From Federal Stimulus

Colorado could get more than $500 million from the stimulus package now being considered in Congress…

Heather Copp, the chief financial officer for the state Department of Transportation, told state lawmakers Tuesday that Colorado would be in line to get about $422 million to pay for highway construction and another $100 million for transit projects under the current version of the bill…

Under the proposal, any money Colorado gets would have to be spent quickly and must create visible jobs…[1/20/09]

CONNECTICUT
The Day: Stimulus funding could bolster schools

The education stimulus package - worked on by congressional leaders and President Obama's transition team in December - would send $18.7 million over the next two federal fiscal years directly to local school districts in and around New London County, with Norwich's proposed grant of $3.8 million topping the list…

And there's a second $39.5 billion federal state fiscal stabilization fund proposed for education through the states. Connecticut would receive $359 million under that program to be distributed to cities and towns based on the education cost sharing grant formula used to tabulate state grants…

A third grant would total $58 million for higher education funding for Connecticut… [1/22/09]

FLORIDA
Sarasota Herald Tribune: State gets details on share of stimulus funds

Many of the painful spending cuts made by the Florida Legislature in recent months could be offset by stimulus funds coming from the federal government. Florida and other beleaguered states Tuesday got their best look yet at how much might be in store as Congressional Democrats unveiled an $825 billion stimulus plan.

Florida's share is unclear, but is likely to be several billion dollars, which could offset many of the recent budget decisions Florida lawmakers have had to make, ranging from cutting nearly $500 million from public schools to raiding a tobacco settlement fund for $700 million. [1/16/09]

GEORGIA
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: State hopes for stimulus funds

Lawmakers in Georgia aren’t counting on federal stimulus funds to save the state from its dire economic situation. But that doesn’t mean they’re not hoping…

Georgia could use it. State lawmakers face more than $2 billion in budget cuts. Gov. Sonny Perdue this week proposed a budget that has generated bipartisan opposition over key money-saving methods…

Details so far are few. But the first bill, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, would include direct aid to states for “ready to go” infrastructure projects, with pots of money for transportation, energy, environment and schools. It’s expected that additional funds will be added for increasing the federal match for Medicaid and other health care programs…[1/17/09]

IDAHO
Idaho Statesman: Medicaid cuts might be avoided under new stimulus package

The proposed federal economic stimulus package might help the state avoid cutting about $40 million from Medicaid insurance benefits for the poor and disabled, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare leaders say…

Without stimulus money, Idaho could be forced to eliminate optional treatments such as hearing and eye care, chiropractic treatment and other services for those covered by the state's basic Medicaid plan, she said.  [1/21/09]


INDIANA
Courier-Journal: Ind. could get $3 billion under federal stimulus plan

Indiana would receive an estimated $3 billion in federal stimulus money if a plan proposed this week by Democrats in the U.S. House became law, Gov. Mitch Daniels said today.

The money would be earmarked for education, Medicaid and highway projects…

“For states that are dead broke, for states that need all the money just to keep the lights on, maybe in a way they have a simpler set of decisions,” Daniels said. “But we wouldn’t want to trade places. We will have here an opportunity to invest … printed money for our state’s future.”… [1/16/09]

IOWA
Des Moines Register: Stimulus package includes wind power tax credit extension

Iowa's wind industry could get a jolt from the huge economic stimulus package being put together by House Democrats…

The energy measures also are seen as a first step in the incoming administration's plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions… [1/17/09]

KENTUCKY
Bowling Green Daily News: Stimulus package may have funding for state, Warren County projects

The huge stimulus package presented Thursday in the U.S. House of Representatives includes perhaps $50 billion that could come in part to Bowling Green and Warren County, creating local jobs quickly through infrastructure and improvements requested by state and local governments…[1/16/09]

MICHIGAN
Detroit Free Press: $825-billion House stimulus provisions are helpful to Michigan

The House released details today of an $825-billion economic stimulus plan that represents many of the proposals put forth by President-elect Barack Obama, including billions of dollars for tax cuts, an extension of unemployment benefits, funding for bridges and roads and investment to support creation of advanced batteries that will power the cars of the future…

Much of it should be particularly helpful in hard-hit Michigan, which has been struggling with the worst economy in the nation and, as of November, had the highest unemployment rate of any state at 9.6%. [1/15/09]

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Keene Sentinel: N.H. tries to tailor projects for stimulus

…Manning said New Hampshire’s emphasis remains on highway and bridge construction projects for which design and engineering work has already been done. Department of Transportation Commissioner George Campbell has drafted a list of projects with a total cost of $535 million, including $166 million for highways and bridges. … [1/19/09]

TEXAS
Dallas Morning News: House Democrats' stimulus plan features energy efforts that could help Texas

House Democrats unveiled an $825 billion stimulus package Thursday that aims to save millions of jobs while jump-starting party priorities such as expansion of renewable energy and health insurance for the poor…

Texas would get $2.3 billion for highways, $370 million for transit, and $277 million for clean-water projects, based on federal funding formulas… [1/16/09]

WISCONSIN
The Capital Times: Federal stimulus could bring $2.5 billion to Wisconsin

The federal economic stimulus package making its way through Congress could provide about $2.5 billion to help pay for health care and education in Wisconsin, Gov. Jim Doyle's budget director said Tuesday…

Any amount received by the state will help it close a projected $5.4 billion state budget shortfall projected for mid-2011… [1/20/09]