Governors Back House on Stimulus

With the House and Senate reconciling their competing stimulus bills, governors are pushing for the House version to prevail, the Washington Post reports. States would receive billions in aid if that version goes through—or next to nothing if the Senate's legislation passes. "If the Senate version holds, there will be very deep cuts," said Wisconsin governor Jim Doyle.

Ohio, for example, could save 300 youth services jobs, provide dozens of positions for Alzheimer's patients, and keep 8,000 children in child care if the House prevails. Under the Senate version, nada. Gov. Ted Strickland said he struggled to convince senators of the severity of state budget shortfalls. "To hear this referred to as a 'slush fund' causes me to think that there's a failure to understand what's going on in the states," he said.
(More US states stories.)