State Spending Hits New High

Spending for the 50 state governments exceeded $1 trillion for the first time, with nearly one-third of the money in 2000 going for education.

The annual Census Bureau report on state government finances found that states spent nearly $1.1 trillion that year. They took in $1.3 trillion, with 43 percent coming from tax collections.

California, the most populous state, led the nation in both giving and taking: The state spent nearly $149.8 billion and collected $172.5 billion.

The data, the latest available, comes from a survey separate from the 2000 census and does not account for last year's recession. Since then, many governors have said their states are facing rising expenditures and declining revenues.

Alaska led the country in 2000 in both per capita revenues ($13,691) and spending ($10,544). Florida was last in both categories ($3,320 per capita revenue and $2,829 per capita spending).