How would you spend $1.1 billion? The question sounds like something that most of us only dream about, but it’s a very real question with real implications that Rhode Island faces as leaders decide how to spend the $1.1 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. Guest co-hosts Jonathan Womer and Lisa Vura-Weis spoke with Michael DiBiase, President and CEO of the RI Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) and Linda Katz, Co-Founder and Policy Director of the Economic Progress Institute, who helped author a Rhode Island Foundation report called “Make it Happen: Investing for Rhode Island’s Future”. This episode dives into the report, which is a combination of policy analysis and public stakeholder input, and presents a set of spending recommendations including housing, behavioral health, workforce development, and more. About our guest co-hosts: Jonathan Womer is a Senior Advisor and Head of Budgeting at The Policy Lab, and Lisa Vura-Weis is a Partner and Associate Director at Boston Consulting Group. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.