February 2, 2024
Week in Review: February 2, 2024
Alabama Policy Institute released the findings of a recent poll which shows that the planned expansion of statewide gambling is not a primary concern for Republican voters ahead of the 2024 legislative session.
Americans for Fair Treatment released new research with revealed that the National Education Association and the Oregon Education Association donated a combined $575,000 of membership dues to support four constitution-amending ballot measures related to healthcare, criminal justice, quorum requirements, and firearms – raising questions about union transparency. The Americans for Fair Treatment also provided exclusive analysis to the Washington Examiner which showed that the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers spent millions of dollars for political purposes instead of supporting teachers and students.
The Buckeye Institute and National Association of Scholars hosted a luncheon discussing the future of higher education in Ohio. The event’s featured speakers included Dr. Richard Vedder, distinguished professor of economics at Ohio University and senior fellow at the Independent Institute.
Goldwater Institute released a report examining the use of telehealth which shows that more than 20% of households in the Phoenix area, of which 40% are earning less than $50,000 per year, are taking advantage of the service – thanks to a reform passed in 2021.
Mountain States Policy Center released a set of fact checks about claims made about the latest Idaho education choice proposal, debunking often heard slogans such as, “This will hurt rural communities,” or “This will only help the wealthy.” The Center’s Chris Cargill also discussed the Center’s recent call for a 3-day public notice for bill hearings.
Pelican Institute for Public Policy released a new report examining Louisiana’s Course Choice program and offering recommendations on making the program more responsive to students’ needs. Pelican also released the Citizen’s Guide to the FY 24 Louisiana Budget, which offers an overview and history of Louisiana’s operating and capital budgets, and Louisiana’s 2024-2025 Responsible Budget, which presents solutions to rein in the extraordinary growth of the budget in order to give the state a competitive advantage.
Pioneer Institute released a statement calling for a renewed emphasis on fiscal discipline and pro-growth policies to make Massachusetts economically competitive again in the wake of a report from the State Department of Revenue showing a hard decline in revenues.
Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, following the release of open enrollment data in the state, released a statement pointing out that Wisconsin’s largest school choice program continues to flourish. More students than ever are taking advantage of the opportunity to attend school in a district that works better for them.
The Buckeye Institute filed a lawsuit to overturn the federal government’s ban on the home distilling of spirit beverages, arguing that this ban exceeds Congressional authority under Article I of the U.S. Constitution and violates the 10th Amendment. Ream v. U.S. Department of Treasury was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division.
Goldwater Institute sent a letter threatening to sue the city of Tucson for its illegal and hurtful to local business “prevailing wage” mandate.
Liberty Justice Center partnered with Americans for Prosperity, American Federation for Children, Manhattan Institute, and Reason Foundation to jointly file an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of South Carolina, urging the Court to dismiss a lawsuit that would eliminate the state’s new education savings account (ESA) program. The Center also challenged unconstitutional limits on parents’ free speech by issuing a demand letter on behalf of an Oregon mother, who alleges that a local school district’s social media and public comment policies have violated her First Amendment rights.
Mackinac Center announced that the Michigan Court of Appeals will decide the Mackinac Center for Public Policy’s lawsuit challenging the wrongfully increased income tax rate by March 11 – a significant step toward clarity for Michigan’s 4.9 million taxpayers.
Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty filed a motion to intervene in defense of Act 10—a monumental collective bargaining reform that impacts the freedom and compelled political participation of public-school employees.
Freedom Foundation announced that more than 35,000 individuals chose to leave their government employee unions in 2023, representing a 17 percent increase in opt-outs compared to 2022.
Wisconsin: Governor Evers signed legislation that allows dental therapists, mid-level providers who perform preventive and restorative procedures, to practice in the state – a move which potentially helps hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites (Badger Institute).
California Policy Center issued a brief examining California’s energy policies, presenting data that shows that 84% of the state’s energy comes from crude oil imported from around the world.
James Madison Institute released a brief examining the effects to innovation stemming from the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, a bipartisan bill that was introduced in the U.S. House.
John Locke Foundation issued a brief examining the controversial topic of North Carolina’s hog farming industry, showing how it is in need of regulatory healing.
MacIver Institute published a brief examining zoning in Wisconsin, showing how single family zoning has become a an outdated burden from yesteryear and comparing American cities to the beauty of those found in Europe.
Pacific Research Institute authored a brief examining the destructive policies of urbanists who would do away with gasoline and diesel-powered engines.
Pioneer Institute issued a brief examining data that shows that Massachusetts state government employees have seen a staggering jump in overtime pay while employment numbers also increased.
Platte Institute released a brief analyzing Nebraska Governor Pillen’s property tax plans and showing how legislators could pursue a massive property tax cut without raising other taxes.
Washington Policy Center released a set of briefs, one which reviews a bill crafted to create an Artificial Intelligence (AI) task force in Washington state, another which outlines a proposal to create a regulatory accelerator for salmon recovery projects, and one which highlights bills that would address Gray Wolf populations in Washington state.
Georgia: The state’s legislature is considering multiple bills that could break down barriers facing poor and disadvantaged communities, including a bill that would expand education opportunity in the state (Georgia Center for Opportunity).
Iowa: The state House and Senate introduced a tax plan to eliminate the state income tax – a big development for all Iowans (Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation).
Oklahoma: A bill which would cut the state’s top personal income tax rate to 4.5% passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives and now awaits a vote in the state Senate (Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs).
Washington: State lawmakers are considering an initiative which would establish a parents’ bill of rights – a strong first step towards restoring parental rights and public confidence in public education (Washington Policy Center).
Topics:
What You’re Not Being Told About Standardized Tests
Bluegrass Institute
Newsom’s Education Budget Lacks Tangible Targets
California Policy Center
School Choice Strengthens Families Against Government Interference
Center of the American Experiment
More State Dollars Won’t Create Better Scholars
Commonwealth Foundation
Giving Students Options Is Already Working in Georgia, but the Need Is Greater.
Georgia Public Policy Foundation
Gov. Hobbs to AZ Families: Your Kids Don’t Matter
Goldwater Institute
Proclamation and Its Timing Leave No Doubt About Cooper’s Views on School Choice
John Locke Foundation
Michigan Students Need Options
Mackinac Center
Oklahoma Groups Want School Board Elections on Election Day
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Oklahoma Parents Resort to Desperate Measures to Save Their Children
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
South Carolina Education Scholarships Open
Palmetto Promise Institute
Louisiana Celebrates National School Choice Week
Pelican Institute for Public Policy
BC’s Dr. Matthias von Davier on TIMSS & K-12 Global STEM
Pioneer Institute
The State of Home-Based Education
Sutherland Institute
Xcel Encounters More Resistance to Controversial Power Line
Center of the American Experiment
Report Finds Vast Disparity Between Computer Models’ Predictions of Climate Change and Actual Observations
John Locke Foundation
Governors and Members of Congress Tell the President Not to Restrict Consumer Choice of Vehicles
Mountain States Policy Center
Proposed State Water Regulations Would Add Bureaucracy, Not Water Supply
Pacific Research Institute
General Assembly Fills SCC Vacancies but Doubles Down on Bad Energy Laws
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy
Car Tax Not Going Away Anytime Soon
Yankee Institute
How Eliminating the Medicaid ‘Gap’ Would Perpetuate Inequity in Hospital Funding
Empire Center
ThinkNY: Medicaid
Empire Center
The Trouble with Minimum Parking Requirements
Center of the American Experiment
Property Tax Hikes Show the Problems of Wealth Taxation
Center of the American Experiment
Housing Innovation, Part 2: What Could the Future Look Like?
Libertas Institute
Go West Young Delaware Techie…
Caesar Rodney Institute
Why Are Coloradans Paid 30% More Than Montanans?
Frontier Institute
Successful Red Tape Relief Means a Brighter Future
Frontier Institute
Chicago’s Poverty Paradox
Illinois Policy
Corporate Tax Cut Study: A Warning for North Carolina or an Incomplete Story?
John Locke Foundation
NP Stands with Coalition Against Credit Card Fee Cap
Nevada Policy
Could Milk and Juice Cartons Soon Be History in California? New Regulations Suggest Yes
Pacific Research Institute
Employment Declines for the 7th Straight Month: Louisiana Economic Situation January 2024
Pelican Institute for Public Policy
Skill-Based Immigration Could Ease Labor Shortage
Pioneer Institute
U.S. Manufacturing Health: Does the U.S. Need an Industrial Policy?
Pioneer Institute
Keep Prices Low and Businesses Competitive by Avoiding Taxation on Business Purchases
Platte Institute
The ‘Success Sequence’ Is a Bipartisan Vision for Upward Mobility – Policymakers Should Embrace It
Sutherland Institute
Harris County’s Universal Basic Income Program
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Rent Control, Collective Bargaining, Class Action Lawsuits, Virginia’s Business Climate in the Crosshairs
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy
When California Hiked Taxes on the Rich, Revenues Were Half of Forecasts
Center of the American Experiment
More NY Pensions Hit $200K
Empire Center
Free Ride: How Idaho Tax Dollars Support Teachers Unions
Freedom Foundation
The Government Shell Game
Indiana Policy Review Foundation
Funneling State Dollars to Local Governments Isn’t the Answer
Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation
Paying for the Right to Know
Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy
Governments Cite Debunked ALICE Study to Justify Welfare Spending
Mackinac Center
Oklahoma Tax-Cut Session Proceeds, Despite Senate
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Louisiana Should Follow the Sustainable Budget Revolution
Pelican Institute for Public Policy
No, Missouri Is Not Running a Budget Surplus
Show-Me Institute
Connecticut Lawmakers Should Keep the Fiscal Guardrails Intact
Yankee Institute
UFT Lawsuit Against MTA Over Congestion Pricing Opens Discussions Over Membership-Wide Voting
Americans for Fair Treatment
NYC Teachers, Migrant Students, and the Clash of Two Titans
Americans for Fair Treatment
UAW Endorses Biden Without Member Support
Americans for Fair Treatment
Construction Unions Beg to Get Into SUNY
Empire Center
Supreme Court May End ‘Chevron Deference’: Here’s What That Means
Sutherland Institute
The Great Raid – Freeing American POWs in WWII
Yankee Institute
At National Review, the California Policy Center’s Will Swaim examines a destructive California idea restricting independent contractors that Biden is taking national.
At RealClearPennsylvania, the Commonwealth Foundation’s Nathan Benefield points out that when ranked to other state economies, Pennsylvania is losing ground.
In his recent column, the Georgia Public Policy Foundation‘s Kyle Wingfield notes giving students options is working—and should be expanded.
In The Epoch Times, the Independence Institute‘s Rob Natelson explains why Gov. DeSantis could never be President Trump’s running mate.
In MSN News, the Independent Institute’s Christopher Calton points out that housing alone cannot solve homelessness.
At The American Spectator, the Independent Institute’s Lloyd Billingsley notes how the California Exodus has been given a gag order.
At USA Today, the Mackinac Center‘s Jason Hayes points out wind and solar power too often leave Americans out in the cold when severe weather hits.
In the Washington Examiner, the Pacific Research Institute‘s Sally Pipes notes short-term health plans belong on Trump’s to-do list if he’s elected.
In her Newsmax column, the Pacific Research Institute‘s Sally Pipes notes Florida’s drug importation plan only creates more problems.
At Townhall, the Texas Public Policy Foundation‘s Selene Rodriguez points out that under President Biden, we don’t know who’s coming into the US.
