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SPN State Fiscal Policy Exchange – Volume 4, Issue 27

Published on Monday, July 21, 2008
FISCAL POLICY

SPN State Fiscal Policy Exchange - Volume 4, Issue 27

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

SPN 16^th Annual Meeting

Register today for the SPN 16^th Annual Meeting, September 11-12, 2008 in Scottsdale, Arizona. This is the premier event for the free market state think tank community. The agenda features expert panels, training workshops and strategy discussions on free market policy issues as well as unparalleled networking opportunities for the over 300 public policy professionals from 150+ organizations in attendance. Find more information at www.spn.org/events.

Studies/Policy Updates

Budget and Tax Reform

Alabama Policy Institute:

Allegheny Institute for Public Policy:

Americans For Prosperity:

Americans For Tax Reform:

Arizona Free Enterprise Club:

Citizens Against Government Waste:

Evergreen Freedom Foundation:

FreedomWorks:

Free State Foundation:

Georgia Public Policy Foundation: Time For a New Lease on Government Facilities

Heartland Institute: Reoccurring Budget Deficits Need Comprehensive Fix - by John Nothdurft - The Heartland Institute

Heritage Foundation: Government Is Costing You a Bundle

National Taxpayers Union:

Nevada Policy Research Institute: It's the spending, stupid

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility:

The Tax Foundation: Local Income Taxes Clustered in States with Poor Business Tax Climates

Washington Policy Center:

Education

Americans For Tax Reform: School Choice -- since it works, use it.

Evergreen Freedom Foundation: Education, lies and videotape

Goldwater Institute: Mixed Reviews for Legislature's Education Actions

Transparency

Buckeye Institute: Transparency and good government - Times-Gazette Op-Ed

Evergreen Freedom Foundation:

Washington Policy Center: State soliciting help with website transparency

State News Updates

Alabama

Sales tax holiday set for weekend, Mobile Register, July 21, 2008
Alabama expects to pay $2.27 billion next year for pensions and health insurance for public employees, Birmingham News, July 19, 2008

Arizona

AZ might get $210M a year from traffic eyes, Arizona Daily Star, July 19, 2008

Arkansas

Ark. lottery supporters raise more than $470K, Daily Citizen, July 16, 2008
Possible higher truck weight limits concern state officials, Arkansas News Bureau, July 16, 2008

California

Budget compromise remains elusive, Union Tribune, July 21, 2008
Some see taxing more services as way to ease California budget crunch, Sacramento Bee, July 20, 2008
Bush vows not to leave California stranded as firefighting costs strain budget, Sacramento Bee, July 18, 2008
California budget fix could raise sales taxes, Los Angeles Times, July 18, 2008
Assembly goes on vacation amid California budget deadlock, Sacramento Bee, July 16, 2008
Governor frustrated by state's late budget, San Francisco Chronicle, July 16, 2008
California port fee would fight pollution, congestion, Los Angeles Times, July 16, 2008
No accord on high-speed rail, Sacramento Bee, July 15, 2008

Florida

Florida could spend a buck on prevention to save $7 in health costs, Orlando Sentinel, July 18, 2008
Florida job losses fuel gloomy forecast, Miami Herald, July 17, 2008

Hawaii

Schools facing $9M in cuts, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, July 16, 2008

Idaho

Idaho gas tax revenue down as driving declines, Idaho Statesman, July 18, 2008

Illinois

Illinois budget cuts to have broad impact, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 20, 2008
The $20,000 question, Chicago Tribune, July 19, 2008
Budget deflates Lincoln's big bash, State Journal-Register, July 18, 2008
Scaled-down road building plan advances in Illinois House, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 16, 2008
Ill. House may boost spending without new money, Chicago Tribune, July 15, 2008
Senators avoiding Statehouse to protect post-election pay raises, Chicago Tribune, July 15, 2008
Budget cuts cause outcry, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 15, 2008

Indiana

Will state's financial picture remain sound?, Indianapolis Star, July 21, 2008
Daniels won't lift gas sales tax by himself, Indianapolis Star, July 19, 2008

Louisiana

1,250 N.O. families sign up for private school vouchers, Times-Picayune, July 20, 2008
Jindal asks more time, fairness on levee costs, The Advocate, July 19, 2008
State lawmakers ponder session to cancel vetoes, News Star, July 16, 2008
City attorney opposes call for contract transparency, New Orleans City Business, July 14, 2008

Maine

Beverage tax foes likely gain vote, Kennebec Journal, July 16, 2008

Maryland

State rules against sidewalk fee, Baltimore Sun, July 16, 2008

Massachusetts

Big Dig's red ink engulfs state, Boston Globe, July 17, 2008
State tries to rescue Pike from huge debt, Boston Globe, July 16, 2008
Schools feel crunch on lunch programs, Boston Globe, July 16, 2008

Michigan

Report: Michigan must double spending on roads, Detroit Free Press, July 21, 2008
Granholm uses veto on parts of budget, Detroit News, July 19, 2008
State announces tax breaks for 10 projects, Crain's Detroit Business, July 15, 2008

Missouri

Tuition increases near maximum allowed in Missouri, Jefferson City News Tribune, July 15, 2008

Montana

Educators urge lawmakers, candidates to hike school funding, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, July 14, 2008

New York

Nuclear Operator Seeks to End Revenue Deal With State, New York Times, July 21, 2008
Skelos Presses Tax Cap at First Meeting With Silver and Paterson, New York Times, July 21, 2008
Poll: Circuit breaker gets support, Newsday, July 14, 2008

North Carolina

Easley nearing deadline to take action on proposed '09 budget, Winston-Salem Journal, July 16, 2008
Film, TV brought $160 million to state, Winston-Salem Journal, July 15, 2008
Mosquito-control money sucked out of state budget, Star-News, July 15, 2008

Ohio

Strickland: It's too soon to predict budget cuts for '09, Columbus Dispatch, July 15, 2008
Summit in top 5 in public spending, Akron Beacon Journal, July 14, 2008

Oklahoma

State court to decide whether it will block tardy tax amnesty, Oklahoman, July 16, 2008
Tax collections finish strong, Shawnee News-Star, July 16, 2008

Pennsylvania

Districts must account for how they spend, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, July 21, 2008
Rendell, lawmakers spar over property tax appeals, Morning Call, July 20, 2008
Rendell vetoes bans on real-estate tax appeals, Philadelphia Inquirer, July 15, 2008
State hopes $2.5 billion plan will win approval to toll I-80, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, July 15, 2008

Rhode Island

Budget savings plan not detailed, Providence Journal, July 21, 2008
Are you ready for toll booths on Route 95?, Pawtucket Times, July 19, 2008

South Dakota

Lawmakers told highway funding crisis looms, Rapid City Journal, July 16, 2008

Tennessee

Lottery sales topped $1B in latest year, Tennessean, July 21, 2008
Tennessee: State tax revenues continued falling in June, Chattanooga Times Free Press, July 15, 2008

Utah

State forecasts $112M shortfall, Daily Herald, July 19, 2008

Vermont

Sales tax holiday may become annual event, Times Argus, July 16, 2008
Douglas supports repeat of tax-free weekend, Burlington Free Press, July 16, 2008

Virginia

Virginia Ceases Spending, Hiring, Washington Post, July 18, 2008

Washington

Data pit budget against income, The Olympian, July 21, 2008
How state spending rose $8 billion under Gregoire, Seattle Times, July 21, 2008
Wash. universities to ask state for more money, Spokesman Review, July 16, 2008
Gasoline prices cost state tax revenue, The Olympian, July 15, 2008
Signatures counted to see if initiatives qualify for vote, News Tribune, July 15, 2008
Rossi Hopes to Make Looming Budget Deficit a Major Issue in WA Gov's Race, Northwest Public Radio, July 14, 2008

West Virginia

More than $40 million aimed at W.Va. road improvement, Charleston Daily Mail, July 15, 2008

U.S.

U.S. highway trust fund veers toward crisis, Los Angeles Times, July 21, 2008
States' hottest laws take on new threats, Stateline.org, July 18, 2008
States avoid slashing higher ed money, Stateline.org, July 17, 2008
Govs turn to fixing infrastructure, Stateline.org, July 15, 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

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