News release: “The recent expansion of state Medicaid programs pushed the nation’s public welfare expenditures up 4.9 percent, from $519.2 billion in 2013 to $544.6 billion in 2014, according to statistics released today from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State Government Finances. Hawaii (23.2 percent), Oregon (22.1 percent), Kentucky (17.9 percent) and Washington (16.7 percent) led all states. Each of these states, along with several others, expanded their Medicaid programs in 2014, contributing greatly to the overall national increase. Overall, general state government revenues rose 1.8 percent, from $1.71 trillion in 2013 to $1.74 trillion in 2014, while general expenditures rose 2.6 percent, from $1.68 trillion to $1.73 trillion. The findings show revenues, expenditures, debt, and cash and security holdings for each state, as well as a national summary of state government finances. The major source of these public finance statistics are the states’ own accounting systems or through intermediate reporting systems. The largest increase in general revenues came from general sales taxes and other taxes (such as severance, inheritance and stock transfer taxes), both of which were up 6.5 percent. Overall, tax revenue totaled $865.8 billion, up 2.2 percent from the 2013 total of $847.1 billion and 8.4 percent from 2012, when it totaled $798.6 billion. Additionally, federal grants accounted for nearly one-third (30.8 percent) of all state government general revenue in 2014, up from 30.0 percent in 2013…”