Gov Bev Perdue's veto Friday of the proposed $20.2 billion state budget leaves schools, courts and college students on scholarships facing an uncertainty they haven't experienced in years.

Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to approve the state budget this morning, using savings from prison closures to make up for a deep budget cut targeting the state agency whose job is protecting abused and neglected children.

As he approved the budget, Mr. Christie cut $361 million in spending proposed by the Democratic-controlled Legislature on programs such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, elderly medical services and higher-education programs. That money will instead go the state's reserves.

The governor uses line-item vetoes to eliminate 14,000 children from a care program, reduce Cal Grants college scholarships and trim state park funding.

The Pennsylvania State Senate is poised to vote today on the nearly $27.7 billion spending plan that the House approved 120-81 on Thursday.

With the new fiscal year set to begin Sunday, Massachusetts lawmakers have approved a final version of a $32.5 billion state budget proposal.

Christie expects revenue will jump by more than 7 percent for the fiscal year that begins Sunday - the most aggressive estimate of any governor.

The weeks-long stalemate on the budget broke within days of a state government shutdown.

"Here in Louisiana we have not applied for the grants, we have not accepted many of these dollars, we're not implementing the exchanges," Jindal said. "We don't think it makes any sense to implement Obamacare in Louisiana. We're going to do what we can to fight it."

A synopsis of the most bewildering portion of the decision detailing how the Court validated the mandate by labeling it a tax and then taking it back.