The National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) and the National Governors Association (NGA) have released their Spring 2013 Fiscal Survey of States.

According to NASBO:

The report’s findings show that fiscal distress is beginning to subside for most states as the economy improves after several years of slow recovery following the Great Recession. Forty-two governors recommended higher spending levels in fiscal 2014 compared to fiscal 2013, with aggregate general fund expenditures projected to increase 4.1 percent in fiscal 2014.

At the same time, the economic recovery is still weak compared to other post-recessionary periods, and state revenues continue to grow more slowly than historical average growth rates. While overall state spending levels in fiscal 2013 surpassed the fiscal 2008 pre-recession peak for the first time in nominal dollars, state spending and revenues in fiscal 2013 remain below fiscal 2008 levels after accounting for inflation.