August 4, 2023
Week in Review: August 4, 2023
Alaska Policy Forum held a webinar informing Anchorage families about three of their many school choice options for the upcoming school year.
Institute for Reforming Government released Wisconsin’s “Finances: Debt and Borrowing”, an overview of the public debt of the State of Wisconsin.
John Locke Foundation highlighted a recent poll which shows that legislation that would provide a North Carolina Parents’ Bill of Rights has garnered 62% of support in the state. The Foundation’s Bethany Tortenson also examined the legislation, which gives parents the authority and influence to direct their children’s educational journey.
Kansas Policy Institute broke a news story which found that state school districts diverted $71 million to increase special education cash reserves over the last three years.
Mississippi Center for Public Policy released a video interviewing author Samuel Gregg to discuss his new book, “The Next American Economy”.
Sutherland Institute announced the addition of Beth Akers as a feature contributor to the Sutherland podcast, “Defending Ideas.”
Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty called upon the City of Madison to reform its BizReady Program, which is a new initiative aimed at supporting only BIPOC entrepreneurs. BIPOC is a racially exclusive term, referring to “Black, Indigenous, People of Color” populations.
A coalition of free market groups including the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, Institute for Justice, Badger Institute, MacIver Institute, National Taxpayers Union, Americans for Tax Reform, and the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association issued a new memo to lawmakers highlighting problems with certain provisions in a bill relating to the regulation of Wisconsin’s “wedding barn” industry.
The Buckeye Institute filed Krizon v. Ohio Association of Public School Employees on behalf of David Krizon, a bus driver with Minerva Local Schools, to return money illegally taken out of Mr. Krizon’s paycheck and to stop future wage theft by the government union.
Liberty Justice Center filed a federal First Amendment lawsuit on behalf of Students for Life Action against the Attorney General of South Dakota, challenging a state law that forces nonprofits to name their top donors in all of their communications with the public about elected officials, candidates, or ballot issues.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit heard oral arguments in the Mackinac Center’s case challenging Michigan’s anti-school aid amendment.
Idaho: The Medicaid budget, which had not failed in at least 30 years, did fail, and required several rewrites saving taxpayers $150 million. In 2023, no budget bill passed without at least some debate or discussion, with analyses from the Idaho Freedom Foundation forming the basis of much of the discussion on the floor.
Minnesota: After 2,300+ Minnesotans wrote to the state’s Sentencing Guidelines Commission over the last two weeks, the commission elevated the penalty for carjacking beyond that of a standard robbery. It was a complete reversal of their initial position, and a big win for the Twin Cities — an example of an unelected commission listening to citizen feedback (Center of the American Experiment).
Oregon: Gov. Kotek signed legislation that will ease state-level restrictions on taking the GED, making a meaningful difference to many students looking for a way to move forward more quickly toward college or a career (Cascade Policy Institute).
Beacon Center of Tennessee’s Olivia Michiels examined data that exposed the unintended consequences of the war on inflation.
Empower Mississippi released a brief which breaks down the education options that parents have in the state of Mississipi.
Illinois Policy Institute’s Bryce Hill wrote a brief examining the dire straits of Illinois’ pension problem which drove state lawmakers to ask the federal government for $40 billion in aid three years ago.
John Lock Foundation’s Kaitlyn Shepherd examined both the positives and missed opportunities to North Carolina’s new K-12 science teaching standards, and Brian Balfour discussed the idea of “mini budgets” as a “transparent and timely way to eliminate uncertainty.”.
Mountain States Policy Center’s Chris Cargill penned a brief with examined the trend of states eliminating their state income taxes.
Nevada Policy Research Institute released parts one and two of a series of briefs that examined the most important vetoes issued by Gov. Lombardo.
Texas Public Policy Foundation’s John Bonura and James Quintero examined how a local government glut is calling for a property tax diet in the state of Texas.
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy’s Stephen D. Haner released a brief examining Virginia Senators’ claim of “voodoo estimating” in a battle over tax cuts in the state.
Washington Policy Center’s Liv Finne breaks down a report that finds that since 2021, public schools have lost 25% of their students in Washington state and analyzes the policies that are driving the exodus.
An amendment was introduced in the U.S. House that would prohibit agencies from deducting labor organization dues from the pay of Federal employees — important legislation would make unions more accountable to their members and give federal workers greater control over their financial relationship with unions (Freedom Foundation).
Topics:
Big Uptick in Americans Saying K-12 Education Is on the Wrong Track
Center of the American Experiment
Restoring School Discipline
Ethan Allen Institute
Charter Schools Outshine the Traditional Public School Model, Stanford University Report Finds
Georgia Center for Opportunity
Demand for UT Fits All Scholarships Likely to Outpace Supply
Libertas Institute
Is Louisiana’s New Public School Choice Law Working?
Pelican Institute for Public Policy
Offshore Wind Lulls Threaten NY Energy Reliability
Empire Center
Unlikely Pair Tries to Blow Open Secret Wind Deal
Empire Center
Regulations Keep Coming, Algae Keep Blooming
Mackinac Center
Pollution from Canadian Wildfires Shows Just How Clean America’s Air Is
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Mercy Hospital System Shows Dangers of Health Care Monopolies
The Buckeye Institute
The Data on Men’s Health
Indiana Policy Review Foundation
An Expensive Mistake: Iowa’s Certificate of Need Law
Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation
As Rents Fall Nationwide, They Rise in New Hampshire, Where Construction Lags
Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy
Who to Blame for Utah’s Housing Crisis?
Libertas Institute
New Minimum Lot Size is No Small Victory
Texas Public Policy Foundation
How Could CNBC’s “Best Places to Live and Work” List Be So Wrong?
Georgia Public Policy Foundation
Whitmer Hypes Biz Subsidies as State Economy Stagnates
Mackinac Center
Send Michigan Your Licensed Masses
Mackinac Center
Enforcement: Letting Markets Work without Empowering Government
Pelican Institute for Public Policy
Recession: To Be or Not To Be, That Is the Question
Show-Me Institute
Bringing Consistency to Small Business
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Even for Mayor Carter, A New Tax Hike to Fund Childcare Is One Too Many, And It Is
Center of the American Experiment
Forget I-95, Gov. Shapiro Should Slash the Bureaucracy for Everybody
Commonwealth Foundation
In Move that Could Cost State Millions, House Overrides Stitt
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Don’t Bank on This Financially Illiterate Idea Going Away
Pacific Research Institute
Here’s One Good Idea from Sacramento: Cut Red Tape for Farmers Markets
Pacific Research Institute
So, What Exactly Should Missouri Do about Property Taxes and Assessments?
Show-Me Institute
Unions, If You Are Sick of ‘Free Riders,’ Do Something About It
Center of the American Experiment
New York: CSEA Article a Case Study in Union Deceit
Freedom Foundation
Big Labor Is Getting an Assist from Far-Left Activists
Yankee Institute
2023 Mid-Year Campaign Finances: North Carolina Statewide Candidates
John Locke Foundation
Anecdotes Are Not Data
Show-Me Institute
A History of Massachusetts’ Peculiar Beach Access Laws
Pioneer Institute
At RealClearPolicy, The Buckeye Institute calls for a collaborative state-federal effort to allow states to tailor a state-based visa program to fit their local labor markets.
In the Bay to Bay News notes the Caesar Rodney Institute’s Charlie Copeland ‘Off-budget’ funding bills hide spending increases.
In The Center Square, the Cardinal Institute’s Aaron Cobb notes West Virginia is wasting money on school districts.
At Fox News Online, Center of the American Experiment’s David Zimmerman highlights a new report that challenges the myth of a racially biased criminal justice system.
At Broad + Liberty, the Commonwealth Foundation’s Guy Ciarrocchi considers the debate over Lifeline Scholarships.
At Broad + Liberty, the Commonwealth Foundation’s Guy Ciarrocchi notes free speech and the laws protecting it were once seen as part of the American tradition—they should be again.
In the Vermont Daily Chronicle, the Ethan Allen Institute’s John McClaughry considers the debate over income inequality.
In The Hill, the Foundation for Government Accountability’s Tarren Bragdon highlights how we can close loopholes that encourage waste and fraud.
In The Federalist Society, the Free State Foundation’s Randolph May looks to the First Amendment as a bulwark against a Ministry of truth.
In RedState, the Freedom Foundation argues to get government out of the business of collecting dues on behalf of unions.
In The Daily Caller, the Illinois Policy Institute’s Brad Weisenstein highlights the Illinois Governor’s new deal with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31.
In his recent column, the Independence Institute’s Jon Caldara considers the death of the Colorado GOP.
In the San Francisco Chronicle, the Independent Institute’s Christopher Calton examines why corruption so easily festers in San Francisco City Hall.
In Fortune.com, the Independent Institute’s Alvaro Vargas Llosa lends a critical eye to Biden’s economic posturing on misleading economic data.
In the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Independent Institute’s Benjamin Powell argues for cutting the pork in the farm bill.
In The Center Square, Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation’s John Hendrickson points out Iowa is the gold standard leader in state tax reform.
In his recent column, the John Locke Foundation’s John Hood argues gas pipelines will help North Carolinians.
In his recent column, the John Locke Foundation’s John Hood reviews North Carolina’s occupational licensing laws.
In the New Hampshire Journal, the Josiah Bartlett Center’s Andrew Cline points out how rents have risen in New Hampshire.
In the Washington Examiner, the Kansas Policy Institute’s Ganon Evans highlights the opaque revolving door behind the SEC’s ESG policymaking.
In The Times, Mississippi Center for Public Policy’s Douglas Carswell highlights how despite Mississippi being America’s poorest state, it is economically ahead of England.
In the Idaho Capital Sun, the Mountain States Policy Center’s Madi Clark argues that officials should spark prescribed burns on federal lands to mitigate extreme fire seasons.
In Nevada Business, the Nevada Policy Research Institute’s Ron Knecht considers solutions for some of our biggest public policy problems.
In his recent column, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs’ Jonathan Small highlights how some people can evade payment of turnpike tolls.
In the Washington Examiner, the Pacific Research Institute’s Sally Pipes points out hospitals are still neglecting transparency rules.
At Townhall, the Pacific Research Institute’s Sally Pipes notes Medicare and Medicaid’s midlife crisis should be a wake-up call for reform.
In the Albuquerque Journal, the Rio Grande Foundation’s Paul Gessing notes New Mexico could learn a lot from Texas about governance.
At Utah Policy, Sutherland Institute’s Christine Cooke Fairbanks outlines how members of Congress should approach education policy.
In The Salt Lake Tribune, Sutherland Institute’s Christine Cooke Fairbanks explains why Utah students would benefit from the ‘success sequence.’
At Fox News Online, the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Chuck DeVore highlights how California is about to let race shockingly tip the scales of justice.
In the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Thomas Jefferson Institute’s Chris Braunlich considers Virginia’s education funding formula.
In The Center Square, the Washington Policy Center’s Donald Kimball gives an overview of the deception the Inslee administration has engaged in over their cap and trade policy.
In the Seattle Times, the Washington Policy Center’s Pam Lewison makes the case that farmers in Washington are indeed privileged, but not in a bad way.
