Virus Surge Hits Budgets of States Most Vulnerable to Shutdowns

Florida and Texas are facing arguably the most pressure to scale back their economic openings thanks to recent surges in Covid-19 cases. They also stand out as the top two states with budgets most vulnerable to any shutdown.

Both states rely more than any others in percent of funding that comes from sales taxes, a source that’s been hit particularly hard by the closure of restaurants, stores, and theme parks.

As the two states have each surpassed nearly 600,000 confirmed cases combined, with daily new cases in the tens of thousands, governors in Florida and Texas are considering scaling back ...