Nonpartisan think tank advises Illinois to look to the future with federal funds – Center Square

Pew Charitable Trusts points to the Great Recession when states plowed through federal aid without looking to the future. In 2009, with state finances in distress, Congress offered them money through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA). The funds provided critical relief, but when most of the money ran out at the end of 2011, states suddenly lacked the funds to support ongoing programs and services.