Announcements

• In Wisconsin, the Institute for Reforming Government is leading a tax reform coalition, including Americans for Prosperity and Americans for Tax Reform, that developed the first major policy proposal to eliminate Wisconsin’s individual income tax. According to the plan and an accompanying study from University of Wisconsin, eliminating the income tax and increasing the sales tax by 3% (while keeping exemptions on everyday items like groceries and rent) would lead to a projected net $3.5 billion statewide tax cut, which is $1,700 per household. 
• Kansas Policy Institute released the 2021 A-F Grading report card for 1,273 Kansas public and 122 Kansas private schools. KPI began this school report card system—based on state assessment scores—in 2017 and followed with report cards in 2018 and 2019.

This Week on SPN.org

Arizona Passes First-In-The-Nation Release Time Law

Race and equality in the classroom

Success Stories 

• The Kentucky General Assembly override the Kentucky Governor’s veto of House Bill 9, which provides funding for public charter schools and will result in the opening of at least two of these schools in the commonwealth—one in Jefferson County and the other in Northern Kentucky. The Bluegrass Institute noted Kentucky’s parents will now have access to these innovative public schools just like families in 44 other states.

• The Buckeye Institute-inspired Ohio Afterschool Child Enrichment (Ohio ACE) program has launched, and eligible families may now apply for a $500 account for each of their K-12 children. Ohio’s first education savings account program has arrived just in time to help families pay for a variety of necessary educational services.

• The Georgia General Assembly passed a bill, which increases the cap on Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program. HB517 also doubles the amount individuals, LLCs, and S Corporations may contribute and removes the automatic sunset of the program. The Georgia Center for Opportunity noted the real beneficiaries of this legislation are the thousands of Georgia kids who will benefit from expanded access to a great education

• The Missouri House of Representatives gave initial approval to a Parents’ Bill of Rights bill. The Show-Me Institute noted the legislation is one that parents and reformers can get behind.

Solutions from the states: This week’s policy briefs

While Kentucky’s Education System Was Sleeping…
A new report by the Bluegrass Institute considers if Kentucky’s public education system is significantly improving.

The Impact of Right-to-Work Laws: A Spatial Analysis of Border Counties
A study by the Mackinac Center finds that counties in states with right-to-work laws had higher employment levels in several industries as a percentage of total private employment in 2018. 

Policy News from the States

Checking in on Legislative Sessions

A Mixed-Bag Legislative Session, With More Changes to Come
Georgia Public Policy Foundation

Legislative Session Nears End And So Far It’s Not Totally Terrible
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

Education

Building Moral Character
Badger Institute

Biden Admin New Guidance Would Harm Charter Schools
Center of the American Experiment

How The Mississippi School Finder Can Help You Make School Decisions This Year
Empower Mississippi

The Attack On Tuition Choice
Ethan Allen Institute

AZ State Polling, Policymakers Affirm Parents’ Call for Academic Transparency
Goldwater Institute

How the Education Establishment Botched COVID-19 and Boosted the School Choice Movement
Goldwater Institute

Greater Transparency Is Needed Between Parents, Michigan Schools
Mackinac Center

Nevada Parents Strongly Favor Education Opportunity
Nevada Policy Research Institute

Competition Drives Improvement In Public Schools
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

Just When You Thought The Biden Administration Had Bottomed Out, Now They Are Coming After Charter Schools
Pioneer Institute

Governor Evers: It’s Time To Recognize Parental Rights In Education
Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty

Energy and Environment

Natural Gas Hookup Ban Will Harm Lower Income Homeowners
Empire Center

Government Accountability

Still Critical That We Rein In State’s Emergency Powers
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

4 Of Illinois’ Past 10 Governors Went To Prison
Illinois Policy Institute

Cooper Can’t Part With Emergency
John Locke Foundation

Healthcare

It’s Time To Take Aim At Scope-Of-Practice Laws
Pacific Research Institute

Inflation

Inflation Rate Hits 41 Year High
Center of the American Experiment

The U.S Reaches Highest Unadjusted Monthly Rate Of Inflation Since March 1980
Georgia Center for Opportunity

Jobs And State Economies

America’s Secret Sauce: Its Innovative Edge
Beacon Center of Tennessee

High Demand For Workers Increases Wages, Look At Walmart
Center of the American Experiment

Mississippi On Verge Of Regaining All Jobs Lost
Empower Mississippi

The Growth Of Occupational Licensing
Empower Mississippi

Let’s Make Montana A Destination State For Innovation
Frontier Institute

Gsi Analysis: March ’22 Jobs Report: New Jersey Jobs Recovery Continues, But Labor Force Still Lagging
Garden State Initiative

Arizona Bucks Government’s Heavy Hand—and Americans Are Moving There in Droves
Goldwater Institute

4 Years Of Pritzker Leaves Average Illinois Family Paying $2,165 More In Taxes
Illinois Policy Institute

March Jobs Report
John Locke Foundation

New Record for Business Creation in North Carolina
John Locke Foundation

A New Report Confirms That Restrictive COVID Lockdowns Don’t Work
Washington Policy Center

State Budgets and Spending

Roads Are Infrastructure Worthy of Investment
Cascade Policy Institute

KSTP Poll Shows “Minnesotans Want Budget Surplus Back”
Center of the American Experiment

New York Will Spend $6,987 Per Second in 2023 Budget
Empire Center

Hochul’s first budget rewards unions at taxpayers’ expense — and sets the state on the road to insolvency
Empire Center

Hawaii Taxpayers Deserve A Rebate — A Big One
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

Illinois Cities Take On More Debt To Cope With Pensions
Illinois Policy Institute

Benefiting the Few With Resources From the Many
Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation

Did Iowa Spark A Tax Reform Movement?
Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation

Kentucky’s Opportunity for Fundamental Tax Transformation
Pegasus Institute

Workplace Freedom

Over 23,000 Illinois Public School Employees Leave Unions
Illinois Policy Institute

Think Tanks in the News

Not All Superintendents Oppose School Choice; KY Should Offer Students ‘A Little Bit Of Choice’
Bluegrass Institute in the Northern Kentucky Tribune

Gov. Wolf Should Pick the Side of Students
Commonwealth Foundation in The Philadelphia Citizen

MI and PA Lockdowns Show the High Price of Government Overreach
Commonwealth Foundation at RealClearHealth

How Big Green Undermines Pennsylvania’s Energy Potential
Commonwealth Foundation at RealClearEnergy

Special Interests Drive Up Education Spending But Hurt Students And Teachers 
Commonwealth Foundation in the Daily Local News

More Than a Tax Cut: Mississippi Shifts Away from Big Government
Empower Mississippi at National Review

Congress Must Prevent Executive Branch From Abusing ‘National Emergency’ Status
Foundation for Government Accountability at CNS News

Teens Are Missing Out On Jobs. And Your State Could Be To Blame.
Foundation for Government Accountability at USA Today

NLRB Memo Just the Latest in a Long List of Biden Sellouts to Labor
Freedom Foundation at RedState

Policy Expert: Georgians Finally Get Big Income Tax Cut. But Read The Fine Print.
Georgia Public Policy Foundation in the Savannah Morning News

Utah Lawmakers Just Made It Easier To Earn A Living
Libertas Institute in the Deseret News

What Not to Do in the Next Pandemic
Mackinac Center in National Review

Governor Vetoes Tax Cut As State Spending Skyrockets
Mackinac Center in The County Press

Nurse Practitioners Can Ease Our Shortage Of Doctors
Pacific Research Institute in The Mercury News

Trying To Cancel “Flip Or Flop” Won’t Improve Home Affordability
Pacific Research Institute in the Los Angeles Daily News

Pay No Attention to the Healthcare Catastrophe Behind the Curtain
Pacific Research Institute in Newsmax

Memo to Missouri Lawmakers: It’s Time to Give Back to Taxpayers
Show-Me Institute in National Review

Beware, Party Bosses, The Rise Of The Unaffiliateds Is Coming For You
State Policy Network in The Washington Post

Events and Opportunities

Please see SPN’s Network Calendar for a full list of events.