Budget Blog

Governors' Budgets for FY2020: Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resource Proposals

By Leah Wavrunek posted 03-25-2019 01:42 PM

  
As of March 20, 2019, all governors have released their budget recommendations for fiscal 2020. Many of these budgets include proposals addressing some aspect of environmental protection, agriculture or natural resources. The proposals in these issue areas are unlike other program areas in state budgets in that they are funded from a myriad of sources. Special funds are often a primary resource, with the general fund a secondary source used to support environment, agriculture and natural resource program areas. Proposals may also be funded in operating and capital budgets. In NASBO’s State Expenditure Report, these areas fall under the “All Other” category, which in fiscal 2018 encompassed 28.3 percent of state expenditures. Also unique to these program areas are the regional differences, with budget proposals shaped by geography or other shared interests.

This issue brief highlights some of the most common themes for investment in proposed fiscal 2020 budgets, based on governors’ budgets released to date. The state examples are meant to be illustrative but not exhaustive.