…An April Headwaters Economics Report [said] North Dakota’s fiscal policy is “unprepared” for the oil boom and that the state “stands out among its peers for providing the least direct funding for oil-impacted communities,” according to summary findings within the report.
Local governments in Colorado receive 63 percent directly; in Montana, 39 percent; and in Wyoming, 35 percent, the report found.
“Leaving impact assistance to the discretion of state legislatures is not a responsible approach to managing an energy boom,” the report summarized. Headwaters Economics is an independent, nonpartisan research group based in Bozeman, Mont.…