Stimulus checks for inflation: Here are the states planning to send money to residents

Roughly a dozen states are proposing sending tax rebate checks to their residents to offset the highest inflation in four decades, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pointing to high gas and food prices as prompting their actions. 

Among them is Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, who on Wednesday signed a law to send checks of up to $500 to state residents. The reason, he said in a statement, is to soften the impact of inflation on household budgets — and also return some of money amid a record state budget surplus. 

Two years ago, the pandemic was forecast to decimate state budgets — but instead, many states are enjoying a rebound in tax revenue due to the economic recovery. Workers are regaining jobs, bolstering income taxes, while strong retail sales are boosting sales taxes. From April 2021 to January 2022, total state tax revenue, adjusted for inflation, increased more than 19% compared to the same period a year earlier, according to a recent Urban Institute report.