NCSL stands with you.

• Author: Pound, William T.
• Position: National Conference of State Legislatures

During the coming months, you will face some of the toughest challenges and greatest uncertainty in decades. The initiatives from the new Trump administration are likely to change the course and direction of our country, and many of them will have a great impact on how the states do business.

The Medicaid program could change significantly if block grants are substituted for direct federal funding. This may give states great latitude for innovation, but will also require thoughtful deliberation on the best approach for each state. If the Affordable Care Act is dismantled and replaced, what form that takes will have a huge impact on how states deliver health care. Tax reform for corporations and individuals will affect state revenues and require adjustments in state tax laws. The federal government's role in education--both in funding and in mandates--may change significantly. Investing in our infrastructure, one of President Trump's key campaign issues, could potentially create jobs, but where all the funding will come from is still unclear.

Federal action in these and other areas will present both uncertainty and opportunity to state legislatures and to state finances. More than ever, state legislatures will be the key architects of American domestic policy.

As with any new administration, the promises made during the campaign may be more difficult to keep when the proposals go to Congress. But it is...