Week in Review: April 21, 2023

Announcements

The Center of the American Experiment testified before the Minnesota House legislators on the Democrat Omnibus tax bill, stating that its proposed tax hikes would be detrimental to the state economy.

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii testified on a series of bills, including those which propose to cut property tax rates, offer temporary property tax credits, adjust tax rates for long-term rentals, make mandatory public hearings for assessment hikes, and give the budget director more leeway to settle tax claims.

John Hendrickson, the Policy Director for the Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation, joined TNT Radio to discuss how Iowa’s recent tax and school choice policies earned the label the “Florida of the Midwest.”

The Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation released a poll showing that Iowans are concerned about their own financial stability and the role inflation and government tax-and-spend policies have on their budget.

The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy announced that former Vice President Mike Pence will headline their 2023 Libertas Award Dinner.

The Maine Policy Institute provided testimonies that proposed to unchain the minimum wage from cost-of-living adjustments, increase transparency and cost-savings in healthcare, study the future of nuclear energy, reject handouts to government-owned broadband, halt solar subsidies and study impacts, and maintain asset tests for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

The Mississippi Center for Public Policy hosted best-selling author Alex Epstein for a book signing and talk on the importance of fossil fuels.

The Heritage Foundation announced it has selected the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs as a recipient of the Heritage Innovation Prize.

Vance Ginn, Chief Economist at the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, testified in front of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee on a report showing that green energy subsidies in the Inflation Reduction Act are much higher than budgeted. 

The Pelican Institute for Public Policy released a plan to rein in state spending with a proposed Responsible Louisiana Budget.

Reason Foundation released its 27th Annual Highway Report that rates state highway systems on cost versus quality. 

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio House Finance Committee on Ohio’s biennial budget and urged lawmakers to make school choice, in every family, in every community, and to undertake a bolder and better approach to flattening Ohio’s income tax.

The Buckeye Institute testified on how to reshape Ohio’s higher education system to meet the needs of the 21st century and urged lawmakers to give vouchers directly to students rather than simply subsidizing colleges, which would harness the transformative strength of a free market that empowers students and incentivizes universities to compete for students and state dollars.

In legislative testimony, The Buckeye Institute encouraged lawmakers to cut government red tape and remove antiquated and redundant regulations from Ohio’s Administrative Code, which would keep Ohio growing economically.

Freedom through the Courts: The Latest Litigation Efforts across the Network

The Alaska Policy Forum hosted a webinar on the pending lawsuit against Alaska’s correspondence school allotment program featuring Q&A with attorneys from the Institute for Justice.

The Mackinac Center submitted a brief requested by the Michigan Supreme Court in a case that would decide whether unions can charge grievance fees to non-members. The brief argues that unions have an obligation to treat members and non-members equally.

The Buckeye Institute filed an amicus brief in Ohio v. Yellen, calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to protect taxpayers and rule that Biden Administration’s tax mandate included in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which prohibited states from directly or indirectly using ARPA funds to offset a reduction in taxes, is unconstitutional.

The Buckeye Institute filed an amicus brief in Missouri v. Biden, calling on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana to stop the Biden Administration from “jawboning” social media companies to censor viewpoints the government does not agree with. 

The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and Alliance Defending Freedom presented arguments in a summary judgment hearing regarding a prominent parental rights suit against the Kettle Moraine School District.

Success Stories

Arizona: In a victory for hardworking residents of Arizona, the Phoenix City Council repealed its illegal “prevailing wage” mandate. (Goldwater Institute)

Florida: Legislators of both chambers passed provisions which ban environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring models in the state. (James Madison Institute)

Kansas: the Kansas Governor signed the “Donor Intent Protection Act” into law, prioritizing confidence in donors’ charitable intent. (Philanthropy Roundtable)

Mississippi: In a big win for the rule of law and access to council, the Mississippi Supreme Court adopted new language for Mississippi Rule of Criminal Procedure to ensure that criminal defendants have continuity of representation to defend their rights throughout criminal proceedings. (Empower Mississippi)

Texas: The state legislature preliminarily passed a bill which will allow the average Texan to reclaim their sovereign rights of autonomy in the face of government overreach via excessive, conflicting, and often unjust local regulations. (Texas Public Policy Foundation)

Washington: State hospitals and care centers will be allowed to hire qualified, licensed nurses from other states with the state’s Governor signing a common-sense, patient-centered, worker-rights’ bill into law this week. (Washington Policy Center)

Solutions from the States: This Week’s Policy Briefs

The Badger Institute published new research by a nationally noted economist finding that a single-rate reform of Wisconsin’s individual income tax would yield substantial benefits to everyone in the state by spurring faster economic growth, more job options, and more investment.

The Center of the American Experiment released a series of guides for Lazard’s Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis, a tool used by investors, not grid planners, which does not say what the most unscrupulous wind and solar promoters think it says.

The Foundation for Government Accountability released a paper revealing that Medicaid expansion has not helped the drug crisis of overdose rates and may be making it worse.

The Georgia Public Policy Foundation recently teamed up with the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulations at West Virginia University for a new report that examines the impact of Georgia’s Certificate of Need regulations. Specifically, the report found that CON regulations lead to fewer healthcare services, worse outcomes for underserved populations and fewer rural hospitals.

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii released a new policy brief that outlines ways county lawmakers can blunt the impact of recent property assessment increases on future property tax payments.

The MacIver Institute for Public Policy released an audit of the early release Community Corrections Program at the Department of Corrections showing broad problems across all major elements of the program.

The Nevada Policy Research Institute ranked what it considers to be the top 10 bills of the 82nd Nevada Legislative Session in parts one and two of their legislation review series.

The Pelican Institute for Public Policy released a brief proposing the best path forward for tax reform in Louisiana.

The Pioneer Institute released a new white paper which examines the impact of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and copay accumulator and maximizer programs on the ability of patients living with multiple sclerosis, cancer, and psoriatic arthritis to access the treatments they need to manage their conditions.

The Platte Institute published a brief which outlines Nebraska’s once-in-a-generation opportunity to overhaul its tax code in 2023 and that shows how a successful tax reform will pay dividends for generations. 

The Texas Public Policy Foundation published a brief on the Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment Act which proposes to protect children from harmful, deceptive, or unfair trade practices in connection with the use of certain digital services.

The Buckeye Institute outlined policy recommendations to ensure the integrity of Ohio’s government assistance programs. 

Tracking Positive Reforms in the States: Updates from State Think Tanks

Massachusetts: The House advanced key tax reform provisions in a budget proposal which would bring Massachusetts to a mainstream position nationally. (Pioneer Institute)

North Carolina: The House saw the introduction of a bill that proposes to end income eligibility requirements for the Opportunity Scholarship, tie the size of the award to income and require 50 percent of all scholarship funds be used for eligible students in households below the level needed to qualify for federal free or reduced-price lunch programs. (John Locke Foundation)

Ohio: As the House of Representatives prepares to vote on Ohio’s biennial budget, The Buckeye Institute co-led a coalition of pro-small government organizations calling on members to pass legislation that reduces the state income tax to a single flat rate, returning hard-earned taxpayer dollars to families and small businesses.

South Carolina: A bill which would create a new education scholarship program for low-income K-12 students received multiple requests for debate on the House floor. A similar bill nearly passed the legislature last year. (South Carolina Policy Council)

Tennessee: The biggest tax cut in Tennessee history is moving through the state legislature, thanks in part to efforts from the Beacon Center of Tennessee.

Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Senate passed the Open Government Protection Act, which makes clear that a party “prevails,” and may recover their attorney fees under state law, when a government agency releases records after a lawsuit is filed. (Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty)

Policy News from the States

Chinese Coal
Ethan Allen Institute

Proposed “Green Fee” Could End Aloha as We Know It
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

Spoiled Beach Views from Massive Offshore Wind Turbine Arrays Would Cripple Tourism
John Locke Foundation

California: Water, Water Everywhere
Pacific Research Institute

Biden Administration Takes California’s Electric Vehicle Mandate National
Pacific Research Institute

Congress Must Stop Alarmist Climate Agenda
Texas Public Policy Foundation

How Broken is Virginia’s Energy Regulatory System?
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy

Jobs and State Economies

Mississippi is Part of a Southern Success Story
Mississippi Center for Public Policy

Alaska’s Occupational Licensing Burden, Ranked
Alaska Policy Forum

Protectionism Benefits Some at the Expense of Others
Mackinac Center for Public Policy

We Need to Stop Chasing Residents Out of the State With High Taxes
Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives

Navigating The Current Economic Crisis: A Guide to Surviving the Job Market
Georgia Center for Opportunity

Is it a Correction or a Reckoning?
Georgia Center for Opportunity

Georgia to Eliminate Barriers to Work in State Government
Georgia Center for Opportunity

“Transparency” or Unwarranted Government Meddling?
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

Farm Subsidies are Making Your Food More Expensive
John Locke Foundation

Ten Years Ago: Higher Wages and More Jobs
John Locke Foundation

Rich States Poor States: Kansas Ranked 39th in Economic Performance
Kansas Policy Institute

Ending the Turf Wars in Occupational Licensing
Libertas Institute

Cities Should Maintain Flexible Outdoor Dining Programs
Pacific Research Institute

We All Benefit from Second Chances: Improving Public Safety and Louisiana’s Economy
Pelican Institute for Public Policy

State Budgets

American Experiment Urges Relief for All Minnesota’s Taxpayers
Center of the American Experiment

While the DFL is Voting to Raise Taxes, Surplus Continues to Soar
Center of the American Experiment

Legislative Pay Grab
Ethan Allen Institute

Tax Filing Deadline Serves as a Sober Reminder for Minnesotans
Freedom Foundation of Minnesota

Governor’s “Remarkable” Tax Bills Still Mostly Alive
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

Lawmakers Waste $282 Million in Taxpayer Funds on Medicaid Ineligibles Cut from the Program
Idaho Freedom Foundation

How Does Illinois Spend Its Millions in Marijuana Tax Revenue?
Illinois Policy Institute

Truth-in-Taxation Would Benefit Iowa Taxpayers
Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation

North Carolina: Covid Funding Again Found to Lack Oversight
John Locke Foundation

Record-Breaking Revenues Chugging into State Coffers
Pelican Institute for Public Policy

Texas Budget: Remember the Taxpayer!
Texas Public Policy Foundation

Voluntary Exemption Season on Payroll Tax for WA Cares is Open
Washington Policy Center

Washington’s Gas Prices Have Increased Between 35 and 52 Cents per Gallon Since CO2 Tax
Washington Policy Center

Workplace Freedom

The Most Pro-Worker Federal Labor Legislation Has Been Reintroduced
Center of the American Experiment

Aft Conference Exposes Union’s True Priorities
Freedom Foundation

Young Workers Increasingly — And Rightfully — Wary of Unions
Freedom Foundation

Illinois Unions Getting a Full Dose of Freedom Foundation
Freedom Foundation

The Policy Shop: What’s Driving Big Labor’s Big Membership Decline?
Illinois Policy Institute

The Half-Hearted Head Feint for a Nevada State Lottery
Nevada Policy Research Institute

Other

Another Blow to the Administrative State
Ethan Allen Institute

Dispelling Common Welfare Work Requirement Myths
Foundation for Government Accountability

A Copper King and the 17th Amendment
Frontier Institute

Montana’s Free-Market Housing Reforms Garner National Attention
Frontier Institute

Franke: The Risk Inherent in a Convention of States
Indiana Policy Review Foundation

Increasing the Bandwidth: IRG’s New Plan to Increase Access to High-Speed Internet
Institute for Reforming Government

Census Data a False Spring in Maine’s Demographic Winter
Maine Policy Institute

State Think Tanks in the News

In the Citizen Times, the Beacon Center considers the war on gas stoves.

In the Star Tribune, the Center of the American Experiment points out the Minnesota Legislature is planning an ‘antiracist’ revolution in state schools.

In The Wall Street Journal, the Garden State Initiative considers a simple plan to get new jersey back on track for growth.

In the Daily Herald, the Illinois Policy Institute notes high property taxes on business owners hurt more than pocketbooks.

In Crain’s Chicago Business, the Illinois Policy Institute argues Chicago, more than ever, is ready for reform.

In The Center Square, Iowans for Tax Relief highlights high property taxes in Iowa.

At RealClearPolicy (placed by SPN), the Kansas Policy Institute notes bi-partisan self-interest in politics destroys children’s future.

In his recent column, John Hood notes a suburban surge drove GOP success in North Carolina.

In the Washington Times, the Kansas Policy Institute considers the SEC’s proposed greenhouse gas emissions disclosures for companies.

Reason TV interviewed Libertas Institute’s Connor Boyack and Corey DeAngelis on their new book “Mediocrity: 40 Ways Government Schools Are Failing Today’s Students.”

In The Alpena News, the Mackinac Center notes pure Michigan is pure secrecy.

At the American Spectator, the Mackinac Center’s Jason Hayes wrote about the Biden administration’s newly introduced vehicle emission standards.

In The Hill, the Mackinac Center points out the student-loan suspension is also illegal.

In the Mercury News, the Pacific Research Institute notes California’s single-payer bill is an incremental step to disaster.

In the Washington Examiner, the Pacific Research Institute notes taxpayers cannot afford unlimited Obamacare subsidies.

In The Federalist, the Texas Public Policy Foundation argues California’s income-based electric bills show it cares more about control than climate.

At National Review, the Yankee Institute highlights the problems with the International Association of Fire Fighters union.

Categories: News

Organization: State Policy Network