Western Governors expressed concerns about provisions in the American Rescue Plan to restrict how states use the federal aid and encouraged Secretary Janet Yellen of the U.S. Department of the Treasury to ensure that states have “the flexibility to use funding on the wide array of different needs that exist within our states.” The Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund provides an important resource for states to address funding shortfalls and provide essential government services, but the Governors asserted that due to a wide variety of response strategies, “statutory restrictions on the use of funds can lead to delays and inefficiencies in the use of recovery monies, or worse, the inability to use those funds at all.” The outreach of April 9, 2021, signed by WGA Chair Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Vice Chair Idaho Gov. Brad Little, also noted that “states should not be punished for their responsible efforts to address the challenges arising from the pandemic if those actions meet statutory requirements.” Read, download the letter.