Public pension are a hot topic around the country.  California just delayed a $527 million pension payment, and courts are weighing in from Arizona to New Hampshire. SBS just examined what state constitutions say about pensions. Stay up to date with the latest information on our Pensions Section and read Frank Keegan's latest commentary on the issue.

The ink was barely dry yesterday on a Merrimack County Superior Court decision making it illegal to withdraw more from paychecks of veteran public employees to support their pensions before talk of a possible appeal began.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge has ruled that a law changing the contribution that state employees make to their pension funds is unconstitutional.

Georgia would spend about $18.6 billion in state money this year -- an increase of nearly $255 million over what was originally planned -- under a midyear budget House members passed Friday.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Friday expanding the state's ability to borrow from dedicated funds to cover day-to-day expenses.

The California Public Employees' Retirement System, the largest public pension in the U.S. with $230 billion of assets, agreed last month to allow the state to delay making a $527 million payment until April to cover state worker benefits.

There are multiple proposals onthe table in Tennessee to lower the state's sales tax.

Washington state House Republicans on Thursday released a proposed education budget they say would preserve the 180-day school year while cutting efforts to combat bullying and enforce civil rights.

Illinois currently has an $85 billion long-term public pension shortfall and a roughly $500 million operating budget deficit, despite last year's 67 percent income tax hike.

Texas' health and education commissioners warn of problems ahead for Medicaid and school funding.

Before the ink dried on Gov. Mitch Daniels' signature making Indiana the 23rd "right to work" state in the nation, advocates on both sides were looking ahead to how the new law will affect Hoosiers.

The lack of specifics and a looming election for lawmakers led Republicans to rip Quinn as a big spender and Democrats who might otherwise support their governor to remain skeptical at best.

he public offering will dominate not only the business blogs, but discussions among budget wonks in the state Capitol in coming weeks. Rough estimates place the expected windfall of state tax revenue from the IPO in the $500-million range.

Last year, the Legislature approved a two-year general fund budget of $15 billion. Since then, state revenue estimates have fallen by about $300 million, forcing a new run at squaring state expenses with income.

State lawmakers launched a broad attack today against public unions, including an absolute ban on state and local governments and school districts from bargaining with organizations that represent public workers.

Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by state, 2010-2011 annual averages

California will run out of cash by early March if the state does not borrow more money and delay some payments, the state's cash manager warned.

Most departments feel decline from last year in $5.49B state budget plan.

Gov. Rick Scott and his fellow Republican lawmakers are poised for a budget battle over raising college tuition by 8 percent. Scott opposes the move.

Businesses in 20 states must make the first payment on about $35 billion that these states have borrowed from the federal government in recent years to help pay unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.