The National Governors Association recently released their annual analysis of governors’ State of the State Addresses. The addresses focused on the bleak fiscal outlook most states have for 2009, and several governors proposed safety net programs to help their residents through the coming tough times.

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter outlined efforts to leverage federal funding to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure
Nearly all of the governors’ expressed concerns over their dwindling state budget. Hawaii Governor, Linda Lingle stated that “Today’s struggling economy has created a deep hole in our budget.”

Despite the grim state of state economies, governors are optimistic that economic recovery plans will give their states the push they need in the right direction. Ninety-one percent of governors described initiatives to spur their economies – often focusing on job creation. Popular priorities for economic development included: leveraging the federal stimulus package, particularly for infrastructure development; research and development; building a green economy; and workforce development.

Other common topics in the State of the State Addresses were education, health care, energy and the environment.

For more information about this analysis, visit the National Governors Association website at http://www.nga.org.

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