June 28, 2024
Week in Review: June 28, 2024
Alabama Policy Institute launched Education Freedom Alabama, an online resource for families looking for information about the implementation of the state’s recently passed universal school choice bill, the CHOOSE Act.
Common Sense Institute released new research on the effects of the fentanyl epidemic, quantifying the cost of the problem and reporting the latest statistics on seizures and deaths.
Idaho Freedom Foundation released analyses exposing how increased K-12 education spending conflicts with declining student enrollment trends. The reports call for more school choice and against unnecessary spending on education infrastructure.
Institute for Reforming Government released a new economic report explaining how the arrival of migrants has drained resources in a small Wisconsin city, most acutely in the areas of education and public safety.
Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation released its inaugural Hendrickson Report. In this issue, John Hendrickson breaks down polling data that show that Iowans understand inflation.
Mountain States Policy Center announced the upcoming release of their first Mountain States Policy Manual, a 200-page guide filled with facts, figures, research and more than 80 recommendations that will be an invaluable tool for current and future lawmakers, media and the general public. The Center’s Sebastian Griffin also published highlights from his participation at The James Madison Institute’s 2024 Florida Tech and Innovation Summit.
Opportunity Arkansas (OA) announced a new weekly segment with OA’s Nic Horton and Newsradio 102.9 KARN ‘s Toby Howell. In each week’s segment, Horton and Howell will address news impacting Arkansans while offering insights and solutions. Newsradio 102.9 KARN is the largest conservative talk radio station in Arkansas and its signal reaches roughly 20 percent of the population. This is a tremendous accomplishment for OA as it seeks to build its brand as a household name across Arkansas.
Palmetto Promise and South Carolina Policy Council hosted an education training event as a part of their joint initiative, Carolinas Academic Leadership Network.
Pioneer Institute launched a new online tool which tracks revenue to Massachusetts hospitals from public payer sources. The tool shows that revenue from public payers has gradually increased relative to revenue from commercial payers.
The Buckeye Institute filed amicus briefs in three cases to protect Americans from government overreach and the power of the administrative state. In Iowa v. SEC, Buckeye called on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit to protect American farmers and families from the SEC’s extreme climate-control rule. In Powell v. SEC, Buckeye called on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to overturn the SEC’s unconstitutional gag rule that silences Americans. In Frisard’s Transportation v. U.S. Department of Labor, Buckeye called on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to protect independent contractors.
Goldwater Institute sued the city of Scottsdale, AZ, to stop a measure from being placed on the 2024 general election ballot. The proposed measure is currently described to be a tax reduction when it is actually a tax increase.
Liberty Justice Center and the Pelican Institute’s battle to defend independent contractors has drawn national support following their opening brief. The Buckeye Institute, Americans for Fair Treatment, the Manhattan Institute, and the Institute for the American Worker joined to file amicus briefs in support of the legal challenge, urging the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to strike down a Department of Labor rule that threatens millions of Americans’ livelihoods by reclassifying independent contractors as employees. The Center also filed a motion for summary judgment urging a California court to rule in favor of the Chino Valley Unified School District and against Attorney General Bonta’s challenge to the District’s parental notification policy and filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, arguing that the Securities and Exchange Commission’s “gag rule”—which forces people to agree not to criticize the SEC to avoid being investigated—violates the First Amendment and should be struck down.
Upper Midwest Law Center filed an amicus brief in support of the Freedom Foundation’s latest petition to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of public-sector employees whose signatures were forged on a dues-authorization form to prevent them from exercising their First Amendment right to opt-out of union participation.
Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty received a temporary injunction for their client, Captains Cottage LLC, that will allow the business to continue to operate while the court considers the company’s appeal. The Institute also prepared a legal action against the Marinette School District for unlawfully wasting taxpayer dollars on an unused, vacant school building that is no longer operational.
Arizona: A state trial judge ruled that the cities of Phoenix and Tucson violated state law by adopting “prevailing wage” ordinances that force businesses competing for taxpayer-funded public-works projects to pay employees above-market wages – a victory for hardworking Arizonans (Goldwater Institute).
Louisiana: The state instituted its first ever Education Savings Account program, the “Giving All True Opportunity to Rise” (GATOR) Scholarship Program – a huge victory for educational freedom for all children in the state (Pelican Institute). In addition, patients with rare diseases can now seek cutting-edge medical treatments designed just for them thanks to the Hope for Louisiana Patients Law, an innovative new reform signed into law by Governor Jeff Landry (Goldwater Institute).
New Hampshire: Governor Sununu signed a bill into law which forbids municipalities from banning manufactured housing – this, along with four other housing reform bills awaiting his signature, represent an important first step in expanding private property rights throughout New Hampshire and reducing regulatory roadblocks to housing development (Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy).
New York: There has been a recent surge of public employees cancelling their union dues in the state – proof that the fear tactics employed by union bosses have backfired spectacularly (Freedom Foundation).
Empire Center released a brief which reveals how the $4.3 million pandemic review commissioned by Governor Hochul falls short of expectations, as it lacks thorough research, contains errors, and omits key issues, making it ineffective for future crisis preparedness.
John Locke Foundation issued briefs that argue for why North Carolina needs fairer rules governing campaign finance to ensure real transparency, examine the new healthful living standards released by the NC Board of Education, and take a deep dive into why the state’s longstanding franchise tax is still causing problems for businesses.
Mountain States Policy Center, taking Dr. Condoleezza Rice’s recent argument in favor of school choice as a starting point, published a brief examining data from 190 studies on the impact of school choice which show an overwhelming positive effect.
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs issued a brief that presents data showing that marriage is crucial to society thriving and then exposes how certain public policies might be actively decreasing marriage rates.
Pioneer Institute released a brief that looks into the side-effects of unemployment insurance, showing how granting claimants generous benefits comes at a high cost to employers operating in the state.
Hawaii: A proposed amendment would eliminate the need for a building permit to use shipping containers to store construction materials on industrial- or agricultural-zoned land in Maui County – a positive step that would alleviate the severe permitting backlog in the county (Grassroot Institute of Hawaii).
North Carolina: The legislature barred the federal government from executing a central bank digital currency in the state after The John Locke Foundation, NC Blockchain Association, and Satoshi Action Fund co-hosted a luncheon for lawmakers to learn more about this issue. The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk for signing. In addition, the Senate moved forward with a bill that would put two constitutional amendments on that ballot that would set in place an income tax cap amendment and a citizens-only voting amendment (John Locke Foundation).
South Carolina: The state’s Conference Committee agreed to accelerate the income tax cut, bringing it down to 6.2 percent – a welcome move for all state taxpayers (Palmetto Promise).
Wyoming: An engineering firm recently broke ground for innovative nuclear project that could be the first of its kind in the United States and a free-market solution towards reliable energy that lowers carbon emissions (Mountain States Policy Center).
Topics:
Universal School Choice Comes to Louisiana
Cascade Policy Institute
Schools Face Deadline to Set Cellphone Policy
Center of the American Experiment
Scientific American’s Unscientific Call for Federal Homeschooling Standards
Center of the American Experiment
A Pennsylvania Pastor Leads His Community’s Fight for Educational Freedom
Commonwealth Foundation
What is the Georgia Promise Scholarship?
Georgia Public Policy Foundation
Coming Education Revolution as Enrollment Declines in Idaho
Idaho Freedom Foundation
The K-12 Achievement Gap in Illinois Holds Low-Income Students Back
Illinois Policy
Enrollment Decline + More Staff = Budget Deficits
Kansas Policy Institute
Micro-Education Entity Model Ordinance
Libertas Institute
Home-Based Microschool Model Ordinance
Libertas Institute
When Will Mississippi See School Choice?
Mississippi Center for Public Policy
Empowering Single Parents: The Case for Expanding School Choice in Nevada
Nevada Policy
Watchdog Report: No Shortage of Funds in Oklahoma Schools
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Oklahoma Supreme Court Blocks Religious Charter School, But Reinforces Private-School-Choice Legality
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
School Choice Big Winner in Oklahoma Primary Elections
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Phonics Key to Reversing Bad Oklahoma Trends
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
BESE Adopts Improved K-12 Education Accountability System; New “Study Group” Aims to Dismantle It
Pelican Institute
Making Sense of Post-COVID Student Attendance Data in Massachusetts
Pioneer Institute
Who’s in Charge Here?
Show-Me Institute
A Milestone Reached
Show-Me Institute
A Look at the Love Notes Curriculum
Sutherland Institute
Overspending Is What Hinders Texas Public Education
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Amid Financial Scandals, MPS to Delay Carmen Charter Eviction
Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty
Salmon Restoration Must Address Bass Predators
California Policy Center
Consumers Faltering on EVs Despite Widespread Availability
Center of the American Experiment
Michigan’s Electricity Forecast Looks Grim
Mackinac Center
Attorney General Nessel Smears Fossil Fuel Companies
Mackinac Center
Maine’s Attorney General Responds to Environmental Groups’ EV Lawsuit
Maine Policy Institute
Why Aren’t Biofuels Part of Discussion in Maine Energy Policy?
Maine Policy Institute
California’s No-Car Salesman
Pacific Research Institute
Clean Economy Act’s Future Challenged by Land Use, Cost, Energy Reliability Concerns
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy
Unveiling Nevada’s Pandemic Legacy: Insights from DHHS Report
Nevada Policy
New Online Tool Tracks MA Hospital Revenue from Commercial Sources
Pioneer Institute
Forgiving, Forgetting Medical Debt Could Hurt Consumers More Than Help
Washington Policy Center
Property Taxes are a Big-Ticket Item in Everyone’s Budget
Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation
On Housing, New Hampshire’s No. 1 Issue, 2024 Offers Few Big Reforms
Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy
Unlocking Affordable Housing: Sources and Solutions for Cost Crisis
Pioneer Institute
Cargill Just Became the Latest Minnesota Company to Expand in Another State
Center of the American Experiment
Marriage Rates in Georgia Are Down. But Marriage Still Matters For Quality of Life and Upward Mobility
Georgia Center for Opportunity
What’s Next for Airbnb Regulation in Utah?
Libertas Institute
Minimum Wage Mandates Bad for the Economy
Mackinac Center
Is It a Government or a Business?
Mackinac Center
Ask Questions When Job Promises Disappear
Mackinac Center
Nevada’s Rural Counties Left Behind in Economic Recovery from Shutdowns
Nevada Policy
Research Shows Marriage Crucial to Societal Thriving
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Louisiana Welcomes Innovations in Insurance
Pelican Institute
Cape Cod Restricts Fourth of July Parties: What’s the Economic Impact?
Pioneer Institute
Part II: Push and Pull Factors for Massachusetts Businesses
Pioneer Institute
Research Note: Florida’s REINS Act
Platte Institute
Lawmakers Eye a Statewide Delivery Fee on Every Package Delivered
Washington Policy Center
CT Achieves All-Time High for Private Sector Jobs, New Report
Yankee Institute
California Supreme Court Removes Taxpayer-Protection Measure from November Ballot
California Policy Center
Illinois Fourth of July Drivers Face 2nd-Highest Gas Taxes in Nation
Illinois Policy
Film Credits, SOAR Earmarks Wrong for Michigan
Mackinac Center
House Budget Jeopardizes Quality Preschool
Mackinac Center
A Look at Oklahoma DHS Spending
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
The Louisiana Legislature’s Use of Extra Funds and Capital Outlay
Pelican Institute
Property Tax Reform Policy Vision
Platte Institute
The Border War Is Bad Because It Hurts Us
Show-Me Institute
Kudos, Tarrant County
Texas Public Policy Foundation
PA Dems Education Plans, Spending Explosion Nod to Teachers Unions, Special Interests
Commonwealth Foundation
Freedom Foundation Helps Teachers Take a Stand Against Union Corruption in Florida
Freedom Foundation
State Fails to Protect First Amendment Freedoms Six Years after Janus Court Ruling
Washington Policy Center
Reagan’s Unmatched Moxie
Indiana Policy Review Foundation
Prof. Joel Richard Paul on Daniel Webster, U.S. Senate, & “Liberty and Union”
Pioneer Institute
At RealClear Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth Foundation’s Nathan Benefield points out that Pennsylvania’s budget battle feels oddly familiar.
At the Flathead Beacon, the Frontier Institute’s Trish Schreiber proclaims that ending address discrimination is the best way forward for Montana’s families.
In Fortune, the Independent Institute’s Alvaro Vargas sounds the alarm on the current trajectory of federal finances.
In The Washington Times, the Independent Institute’s Raymond March points out that the best way to control prices is by encouraging competition and consumer choice.
In The American Spectator, the Independent Institute’s Lloyd Billingsley calls attention to the many historical examples of those in power causing terrible suffering in the name of keeping people safe.
In Idaho EdNews, the Mountain States Policy Center’s Chris Cargill and the Invest in Education Coalition’s Peter Murphy examine how Congress could expand education choice options.
