“Now I am confused. I thought the states were required by their constitutions to balance the budget each year.”
Where did you get that idea? Even the handful of states with “balanced budget” requirements tend to allow deficit spending if approved by something greater than a simple majority. And there are states that use dubious “projections” to “plan” a “required” balanced budget, and then act surprised with reality doesn’t match the plan.
Can you point to even one state with a rigorous requirement in the constitution that the budget is balanced? I can’t think of any off the top of my head.
I hear it on TV news all the time. Every time a politician claims he balanced x number of budgets some pundit comes along and discounts it because “every state is required to balance their budget”.
Every state except Vermont has either a statutory or constitutional requirement for a balanced budget.
Indiana has a balanced budget now. Financially and socially, Indiana is doing great. Right to work might fix our schools too. Then we'd be smart and good looking for new business to settle. We need jobs in IN.