Be careful what you wish for. Idaho (where I live) has a balanced budget rule: https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-fi

Be careful what you wish for. Idaho (where I live) has a balanced budget rule: https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-finance-initiative/projects/state-fiscal-briefs/idaho https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiative... The legislature must pass a balanced budget, but it can carry a deficit over into the following year. In practice, they use that to deny nearly all discretionary spending, and even spending that other states consider crucial: https://www.idahoednews.org/news/nea-idaho-ranks-last-in-per-pupil-spending-again/ https://www.idahoednews.org/news/nea-idaho-ranks-last-in-per... And then do odd things like raise education funding while cutting corporate taxes: https://apnews.com/article/education-tax-reform-legislature-brad-little-4b31a0e2414733efcb0ec9039d3282dd https://apnews.com/article/education-tax-reform-legislature-... Which would seem fine and dandy, but if there's an economic downturn and we no longer have a budget surplus, that tax burden will fall on the backs of working people and they'll just cut education/social services/environmental protections again like they always do.