• Events
• Publications
• Directory
• separator
• Members
• separator
• Think Tank Resources
• separator
• Blog

SPN State Fiscal Policy Exchange – Volume 4, Issue 17

Published on Thursday, May 08, 2008
FISCAL POLICY

 

SPN State Fiscal Policy Exchange - Volume 4, Issue 17

 

Please send any suggestions or news updates (include web link) to Brian Zapotocky at bzapotocky@effwa.org.

---

 

Studies/Policy Updates

 

Budget and Tax Reform

• Americans For Prosperity:
• Tanker Earmark Won't Fly
• State General Fund budget grows by 5.2 percent
• Arizona's high-stakes fiscal-policy poker game
• Voters Soundly Defeat Numerous Local Tax Hikes on Ballot
• National "Earmarks Don't Fly" Campaign Launched to Oppose Largest Earmark in History

• Americans For Tax Reform:
• Ear to the Ground- State News Roundup
• Ear to the Ground- State News Roundup
• ATR Supports H.R. 1843, the "Save Our Small and Seasonal Business Act of 2007"
• Maine GOP Platform Includes Taxpayer Protection Pledge

• Citizens Against Government Waste:
• CCAGW to Meddlesome Members of Congress: Hands Off the Tanker Procurement!
• CCAGW: Protect Internet from Net Neutrality

• Empire Center: Albany's pork spending should be ended, not mended - The Post Standard

• Evergreen Freedom Foundation:
• ‘Big Foot' Is Alive And Well, And His Name Is State Government
• May 2008, Living Liberty
• Same 'ole, same 'ole at Port of Seattle
• Be sure to read...
• California Crazies? Not So Fast...

• FreedomWorks:
• Cavuto and Armey on AngryRenter.com and the Mortgage Bailout
• The Revolt of the Renters
• FreedomWorks Victorious Against Land Transfer Taxes!
• The Solution to Expensive Gas: Make it More Expensive!
• New Hamshire Legislative Update

• Free State Foundation: Straight Talk on Net Neutrality Straitjackets

• Goldwater Institute:
• Clean Elections-Or Incumbent Protection?
• When government picks winners, it creates losers
• Sales tax proposal won't fix traffic

• Heartland Institute:
• Chicago Region Sales Taxes Surge By Nearly $1 Billion
• Village Looks to Secede Because of High Taxes
• Va. Court Strikes Down $300M Tax Hike
• NJ Governor Proposes Cuts in Spending, Jobs
• Wisc. County Saves Money with HSAs

• John Locke Foundation: Voters overwhelmingly reject local tax hikes

• National Taxpayer Union:
• Taxpayers Reject Bloated Farm Bill, Urge Presidential Veto
• Taxpayers Oppose the "Billion-Dollar Fish Fry" Project

• Nevada Policy Research Institute: The continuing campaign for a gross-receipts tax

• Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs: Superintendents Wrong About School-Choice Bill

• Texans for Fiscal Responsibility:
• Give It Back
• Sanity Check

• Texas Public Policy Foundation:
• The Condition of Our Nation: The Press is Always Wrong (Lesson 4)
• Work Release: Con Job or Big Payoff for Texas?

• The Tax Foundation:
• Tax Foundation Research Helps Clarify the Gas Tax Debate
• The Distributional Impact of Windfall Profits Taxes and a Gas Tax Holiday

• Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy: Getting Transportation Back on Track

• Washington Policy Center:
• Didn't we cancel that project?
• Smart budget doesn't need tax hike - The News Tribune
• Stop the discriminatory tax exemption madness!
• Learning from the Past and Creating our Future
• Note to Seattle....Britain's reversal on congestion pricing and pollution fees

Education

 

• Alabama Policy Institute: Civic Literacy: A Nation Still At Risk

• Buckeye Institute:
• Accountability and School Choice
• Buckeye Voices: Study finds special ed vouchers improve public schools

• Cato Institute:
• Florida Education Tax Credit Cap Raised
• I Thought the Schools Were Starving?

• Evergreen Freedom Foundation:
• "Why can't learning pay off?"
• Getting Exactly What They Pay For

• Goldwater Institute: Grab a Brew, Don't Cost Nothin'

• Mackinac Center for Public Policy: Michigan Education Digest

• Nevada Policy Research Institute:
• Quality & Quantity
• The solutions Nevada needs are right next door

Transparency

• Americans For Prosperity: A Message from Rep Mike Tryon to Americans for Prosperity

• Evergreen Freedom Foundation: Does the WEA finally want more transparency?

• National Taxpayer Union: An Open Letter to the Pennsylvania State Senate: Taxpayers Support Spending Transparency Website (SB 1350)

 

State News Updates

Alabama

• Senate blocks grocery tax bill, Montgomery Advertiser, May 9, 2008
• House OKs tax exemption for rebate checks, Montgomery Advertiser, May 7, 2008
• Natural gas tax bill dies, Montgomery Advertiser, May 7, 2008

 

Alaska

• Palin paves way for pay boost, Juneau Empire, May 8, 2008

 

Arizona

• Governor calls for boost of 1 cent in state sales tax, Arizona Daily Star, May 8, 2008
• Group seeks to get sales-tax hike for transportation on ballot, Arizona Republic, May 7, 2008

 

Arkansas

• Ark. surplus to grow to $164M, officials tell lawmakers, Daily Citizen, May 8, 2008

 

California

• California deficit still anyone's guess, San Jose Mercury News, May 8, 2008
• Scrutiny of state contracts urged, San Jose Mercury News, May 8, 2008
• Vegetable oil fuels cars -- and tax bills, Los Angeles Times, May 6, 2008
• California may run out of cash by August, Sacramento Bee, May 6, 2008

 

Connecticut

• GOP Pushes Budget Spending, The Day, May 7, 2008
• Rell looks for savings as deficit looms, Hartford Courant, May 7, 2008

 

Florida

• Crist has a $2.4-billion change of heart, St. Petersburg Times, May 9, 2008
• Florida universities raise tuition, cap enrollment, freeze jobs, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, May 7, 2008
• Fewer students will learn less at UF after cuts, St. Petersburg Times, May 6, 2008

Hawaii

• Hawaii taps tourism emergency fund, Honolulu Advertiser, May 8, 2008
• Big Isle election funding plan criticized, Honolulu Advertiser, May 7, 2008
• Isle schools must absorb $7.7 million budget cut, Star Bulletin, May 7, 2008

Illinois

• House votes down pay raise for lawmakers, Chicago Tribune, May 7, 2008
• Lawmakers brainstorm on construction funds, Chicago Tribune, May 7, 2008
• IDOT move could cost $1 million, State Journal-Register, May 7, 2008
• Gov to unveil $150 million anti-violence plan today, Chicago Sun-Times, May 6, 2008

Iowa

• Proposal eases property taxes by adding fees, Des Moines Register, May 8, 2008
• 'Sunshine bill' failed to rise, Des Moines Register, May 7, 2008
• Culver signs tax bill for schools, Des Moines Register, May 7, 2008

Kansas

• Final spending bill approved, Lawrence Journal-World, May 8, 2008
• Vehicle registration fees likely to go up, Wichita Eagle, May 8, 2008

Kentucky

• KCTCS tuition hike bid takes a hit, Lexington Herald-Leader, May 8, 2008
• Despite fix-ups, fewer show up, Lexington Herald-Leader, May 8, 2008

Louisiana

• Momentum grows in House to support income tax repeal, News Star, May 8, 2008
• Jindal sets tone for projected surplus, Advocate, May 8, 2008

 

Maine

• Four repeal efforts target Dirigo taxes, driver's license rules, Portland Press Herald, May 7, 2008

Massachusetts

• If pols' tax on smokes passes, prices may fall, Boston Herald, May 8, 2008
• Bill would tax rich colleges' endowments, Boston Globe, May 8, 2008
• Senate passes $1-a-pack hike on cigarettes, Boston Herald, May 7, 2008

Michigan

• Is it time to scrap gas taxes in Michigan?, Detroit Free Press, May 8, 2008

Minnesota

• Tax bill passes House, Minnesota Public Radio, May 6, 2008
• Lawmakers say budget deal near, Pioneer Press, May 6, 2008

 

Mississippi

• Congress to hear from Miss. about use of housing funds, Clarion-Ledger, May 7, 2008

Missouri

• Canadian aircraft maker gets tax credit deal, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 8, 2008
• Mo. lawmakers approve $22.4 billion budget, Columbia Missourian, May 7, 2008
• Higher fees for Missouri motor vehicle and driver records anger insurance companies, Kansas City Star, May 6, 2008

Montana

• State will buy mall site if $13M is raised, Billings Gazette, May 8, 2008
• Roy Brown criticizes Schweitzer spending requests for 2009, Helena Independent Record, May 7, 2008

Nevada

• Senate wants state agencies and public authorities to release spending reports, Nevada Appeal, May 8, 2008
• Poll: Nevada businesses say no new taxes, Las Vegas Review-Journal, May 7, 2008
• Nevada law would raise state gas tax if federal tax is cut, Nevada Appeal, May 6, 2008

New Hampshire

• Cigarette tax likely to stay flat, Concord Monitor, May 9, 2008
• Plan to erase revenue shortfall draws fire, Telegraph, May 7, 2008

New Jersey

• Senate panel backs a school voucher plan, Star-Ledger, May 9, 2008
• Water tax floated for open space, Star-Ledger, May 7, 2008
• Lawmakers probe costs of overtime, Philadelphia Inquirer, May 7, 2008
• Governor pushes his post-budget agenda, Star-Ledger, May 7, 2008

New York

• Senate wants state agencies and public authorities to release spending reports, Syracuse Post-Standard, May 9, 2008
• Tax hike a big reason N.Y. smokers may quit, Democrat and Chronicle, May 7, 2008
• New York's pork barrel not equally shared, Democrat and Chronicle, May 7, 2008
• State pension abuse issue draws legislation, Times Union, May 7, 2008

Ohio

• Ohio legislators dismantle tobacco prevention agency, Toledo Blade, May 7, 2008

Oklahoma

• Lawmaker encourages disaster funding, Oklahoman, May 8, 2008

Oregon

• Oregon task force looks to stabilize county budgets, Oregonian, May 7, 2008

South Carolina

• SC House approves budget, bill heads to conference committee, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, May 9, 2008
• Senate adopts amendment to raise cigarette tax by 50 cents, Greenville News, May 7, 2008
• House takes up $7 billion budget amendment, Herald-Journal, May 7, 2008

 

South Dakota

• Tax break would bring no relief, Capital Journal, May 9, 2008

Tennessee

• Bredesen focuses on schools but tightens belt, Tennessean, May 9, 2008
• State of Tennessee will shed 2,000 jobs, Tennessean, May 8, 2008
• Nashville: State spending goes on as revenue drops, Chattanooga Times Free Press, May 7, 2008

Texas

• Hard times for U.S. giving Texas an economic cushion, San Antonio Express-News, May 7, 2008

Virginia

• Poorest Would Be Hurt by Tax Hikes, Washington Post, May 9, 2008
• Across the board, Va. colleges are increasing tuition and fees, Virginia Pilot, May 7, 2008

Washington

• WA Invests $25 Million in Biofuels WSU Lab, Northwest Public Radio, May 8, 2008
• WA Lawmakers On the Road to Discuss Property Taxes, Northwest Public Radio, May 8, 2008

West Virginia

• College tuition rises as much as 8 percent at W.Va. schools, Herald-Dispatch, May 6, 2008

 

Wisconsin

• Closing tax loophole could fix state budget, Wisconsin Radio Network, May 9, 2008
• Democrats may derail budget fix, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 7, 2008

 

U.S.

• States Get In on Calls for a Gas Tax Holiday, New York Times, May 6, 2008

 

SPN Research Forum listserv: The research forum listserv is an email-based conversation hosted by the John Locke Foundation. Post messages and get responses to issues of importance in your state and across the country. With participants from other SPN think tanks and associate SPN member organizations, the Forum can help with background for your papers or ideas on what's worked in other states. Learn from other think tanks. Share your research ideas. Discuss timely issues. To join the conversation, email Daren Bakst dbakst@johnlocke.org.

---

Links of Interest

• Alliance for Workers Freedom
• American Legislative Exchange Council
• American Shareholders Association
• Americans for Limited Government
• Americans for Prosperity
• Americans for Prosperity Texas Blog
• Americans for Tax Reform
• BNA State Tax Highlights
• Budget and Tax News

• BusinessNevada

• Carolina Journal
• Citizens Against Government Waste
• COST Tax Updates
• EFF Updates
• EFF Blog
• FreedomWorks
• Foundation for Economic Education
• Independence Institute Updates
• Insider Online
• Media Freedom Project
• National Tax Limitation Committee
• National Taxpayers Union
• PolicyBot
• Property Rights Alliance
• Ronald Reagan Legacy Project
• SPN blog
• State Tax Updates (ATR)
• Tax Bytes (Institute for Policy Innovation)
• Tax Foundation
• Townhall
• Washington Policy Center Blog
• Young America's Foundation

Top

Copyright © 2008
State Policy Network

Privacy Policy