Some of the veteran legislators in the State House called this the most difficult legislative session in memory, primarily in reference to this year’s budget challenges. While it’s little consolation if a program you depend on has been cut or a tax you pay has been increased, states around the country are facing similar budgetary challenges to Vermont’s and are reaching for similar mechanisms to get their budgets in-line. Red states like Kansas and Alabama are pushing through record tax increases while blue states like Illinois and Washington are cutting state pensions. As federal aid to states is withdrawn in the wake of the Great Recession, and as economic growth continues to limp along