Understanding What’s Next in Cash Assistance: State-Level Expansions Through the Tax System

Monday, October 17, 2022 | 3:00 PM to 5 PM EST

View the recording here.

The Cash Consortium and the Urban Institute’s State and Local Finance Initiative invite you to join a virtual discussion on recent changes in state cash assistance to families.

Over the past two years state governments had unprecedented strong revenues while it became increasingly clear that the Pandemic had disproportionate impact across different households. While some states cut tax rates, others used these funds to expand support for children and families. This event will explore how income tax systems have changed and specifically tax credit design in 3 states (VT, NJ, CO) as viewed from policymaker, recipient, and advocate perspectives.

Panelists will explore the following questions:

• How do these states provide relief for families?
• Why was reform a priority and are they sustainable into the future?
• How were changes enacted and were families part of the design process?
• What are the outcomes for beneficiaries? Are all families being reached?
• Are there lessons for other states and the Federal Government?

The Cash Consortium is an informal project of the Urban Institute and the Jain Family Institute (JFI) with collaborative support from the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program (Aspen FSP), and is focused particularly on a people-centered approach to cash policy analysis.

The State and Local Finance Initiative is an Urban Institute project in the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center that equips policymakers, citizens, and the media with tools to understand and address the fiscal challenges and opportunities facing state and local governments.

Speakers include:

• Representative Janet Ancel, Vermont State Legislature Chair of the house Committee on Ways and Means
• Stephen Nuñez, Lead Researcher on Guaranteed Income, Jain Family Institute
• Richard C. Auxier, Senior Policy Associate, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
• Marjorie Sims, Managing Director, Ascend at the Aspen Institute
• Isabel Dickson, Director, Tax Outreach Program, Colorado Public Health Department
• Kevin Amirehsani, Senior Tax Policy Analyst, State of Colorado
• Mary Bogle, Principal Research Associate, Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center, Urban Institute (co-moderator)
• Peter Chen, Senior Policy Analyst, New Jersey Policy Perspectives (NJPP)
• Kim Rueben, Sol Price Fellow Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and Director, State and Local Finance Initiative

Support for this event is provided by the Gates Foundation. For more information on the Urban Institute’s funding principles, go to urban.org/fundingprinciples.

Send any inquiries regarding this event to events@urban.org.