August 2, 2024
Week in Review: August 2, 2024
Center of the American Experiment released an analysis of its poll of young people ages 18-34 in Minnesota—the results reveal that youth are overwhelmingly pessimistic about the prospects of living a nice, Minnesota life.
Idaho Freedom Foundation announced changes to its Idaho Freedom Index and Idaho Spending Index for the 2025 legislative session and beyond to include in its metrics positive scoring for legislation protecting traditional family values and the virtues of Western culture.
Kansas Policy Institute exposed the City of Edgerton for claiming property tax declined 20%, while the data shows an 80% increase.
Liberty Justice Center’s Senior Fellow Mark Janus appeared on the Good Morning Liberty podcast to discuss the six-year anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court victory in Janus v. AFSCME.
Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Better Tech for Tomorrow campaign released new research on giving Texans the right to repair their own property. Giving consumers true ownership and control over how to use, modify, and fix their personal property is a crucial step toward unraveling this reality—best accomplished through a right to repair.
The Buckeye Institute called on the US Supreme Court to tell Alaska that the state has no authority to redraw federally established property boundaries, arguing that “[r]eliance on unwavering and enforceable property boundaries is a cornerstone of western civilization” in its amicus brief in Fiehler v. Mecklenburg. In Littlejohn v. AFSCME, The Buckeye Institute called on the court to tell the government and its unions to stop illegally taking money out of the paychecks of employees who have quit the union, arguing that Ohio law does not allow this unethical sleight-of-hand.
Goldwater Institute and the Texas Public Policy Foundation filed a brief in federal court arguing that a new Title IX set of rules which cut parents out of decisions involving their children while usurping the power of Congress to make the law should not take effect nationwide.
Liberty Justice Center filed a First Amendment lawsuit on behalf of John Parks, an Oregon track and field coach whose school district fired him for proposing an open division in which all student athletes could participate. The case has drawn significant media attention both locally and nationally, including coverage by Fox News, OutKick, the Daily Caller, the Washington Times, KATU, and the Lake Oswego Review.
Arizona: A unanimous state Supreme Court struck down a type of subsidy to public-sector unions known as “release time” — a practice where government workers are released from the jobs they were hired to perform to work full-time for the union instead yet are still paid their taxpayer-funded salaries and benefits. In finding this practice unconstitutional, the decision is a watershed decision that ensures taxpayer dollars will be spent to advance public — not special private — interests (Goldwater Institute).
Arkansas: The For AR Families initiative was overwhelmingly successful in educating Arkansans about the dangers of the so-called “education rights” amendment, which fell short by over 20,000 signatures, despite having more time to gather signatures than other initiatives. The radical proposal would have ended education freedom in all forms — including scholarship programs for kids with disabilities — created multiple new universal welfare programs, cemented a blank check in the state constitution, and infringed on religious freedom, just to name a few. Once again, it’s clear that Arkansans have sent a clear message that they support education freedom (Opportunity Arkansas).
Michigan: The state Supreme Court unanimously ruled that its 2020 decision in Rafaeli v. Oakland County, which limits government seizure of home equity during tax foreclosures, will be applied retroactively. Homeowners who had their properties foreclosed before the Rafaeli decision will now have the opportunity to seek legal redress if the government retained excess equity from their homes— a significant victory for property owners seeking justice and restitution (Mackinac Center).
Nationwide: After more than a year, the Biden administration finally abandoned its appeal of an ill-advised rule that would have destroyed the franchise business model in America, which is one of the country’s most successful small business ownership models—a significant nationwide victory for small business owners and the workers they employ (The Buckeye Institute).
New York: In a record-breaking achievement, 54 individuals chose to reclaim their financial freedom by canceling their union dues on the same day— a groundbreaking victory for public employees across the state (Freedom Foundation).
Virginia: The legal challenge to the expansion of the Joint Employer Rule by the National Labor Relations Board has led to its complete reversal, a reversal that was upheld on appeal — a big win for a growing state economy which would have been buffeted by increasing liability risks and costs to employers, increased efforts to unionize, and altered use of labor subcontractors (The Thomas Jefferson Institute).
Empire Center published a brief that highlights potential risks for New York’s new offshore wind megaproject, Sunrise Wind, which is a larger and more ambitious project than Vineyard Wind—a recent project that ended due to turbine blade failure, which resulted in significant debris on Nantucket’s shores.
Mountain States Policy Center released briefs that expose the messiness of currently proposed online safety policies, point out how grocery tax rebates offer low incomes households in Idaho better savings that repealing the state portion of the tax, break down the latest in Idaho’s initiative to bring open primaries and ranked choice voting to the state, argue for more transparency for pharmaceutical benefit managers, and call for policy makers to protect teen jobs by avoiding costly minimum wage increases.
Pioneer Institute posted a brief that examines the trends in Massachusetts’ sin tax revenues, which may prove to become a crucial source given the state’s recent revenue shortfalls.
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy released a brief that charts the path for jumpstarting the creation of independent public charter schools in Virginia—an move that would help provide students additional high quality educational options that is long overdue in the state.
Washington Policy Center issued briefs that examine a recently released assessment showing the effects of a CO2 tax repeal in Washington state and point out how the Office of the Insurance Commissioner warning against joining programs that promise coverage without providing it reflects poorly on the WA Cares program.
Colorado: Voters will have the opportunity to approve initiatives that would address rising property taxes in the state (Independence Institute).
Washington: The Seattle Times reported on the positions on public education of all major gubernatorial candidates in Washington state—their answers give reason for encouragement and hope for an exciting new direction in education reform in the state (Washington Policy Center).
Topics:
School Boards: Governing or Managing Body?
Center of the American Experiment
8th Graders Will Start High School a Full Year Behind
Center of the American Experiment
Minnesota Falls to 19th Place in National Education Ranking
Freedom Foundation of Minnesota
Back to School Looks Different These Days
Georgia Public Policy Foundation
NC Parents Plan Show of Support for Popular Opportunity Scholarship Program
John Locke Foundation
Splitting Alpine School District Will Give Parents More of a Say and Will Help Students Succeed
Libertas Institute
Despite Massive Spending, Study Finds Covid Learning Loss Persists
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Chicken Little Rhetoric from Education Special Interests Was Wrong (Again)
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
2024 LEAP Scores Announced, Disappointing Reactions from School Leaders
Pelican Institute
Whistleblower Reveals Strategy to Weaponize Teacher Pay to Play Politics
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Houston ISD Hiding Financial Dealings from the Public
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Texas School Board Members Told, ‘Utilize Compensation as a Weapon’
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Time to Give Charter Schools a Chance in Virginia
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy
WILL, UMLC, Urge Rochester School District to Avoid Implementing Policy That Violates Parental Rights
Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty
MIT’s Nobel Winner Joshua Angrist on the Economics of Education & Charter Public Schools
Pioneer Institute
Turbine Blade Collapses and May Take Industry Down
Caesar Rodney Institute
Offshore Wind is Killing Whales
Caesar Rodney Institute
Quantifying California’s Brave EV Future
California Policy Center
Liability, Not Reliability: Solar Panels in Oregon Schools
Cascade Policy Institute
GridWatch 2024: Fossil Fuels Rule
Center of the American Experiment
Pennsylvania’s Energy Future Is Alarming — And the Governor Isn’t Helping
Commonwealth Foundation
Lawfare Threatens Clean, Healthful Environment
Frontier Institute
Data Centers Face an Uncertain Future
James Madison Institute
Wildfires Need More than Money Thrown at Them to Put the Flames Out
Pacific Research Institute
July 31: That Humiliating Anniversary
Palmetto Promise Institute
A Policy That Could Help Lower Missouri Electric Bills
Show-Me Institute
CON-sanity
Show-Me Institute
Eliminate Specter of Tax Hike for Homeowners Who Rent Out Rooms
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Average Illinois Property Tax Bill Rises $756 in 5 Years
Illinois Policy
Illinois Housing Least Affordable in Midwest
Illinois Policy
Rent Control’s Flaws Remain Even When New Construction Is Exempted
Mackinac Center
Don’t Expect Housing Fixes from the Federal Government
Pacific Research Institute
A Right-to-Work State Forever—An Excerpt from “Modern Davids”
Beacon Center of Tennessee
Regulations Gone Wrong
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Innovation Means Bulldozing Places Like Steeplegate Mall
Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy
Kansas: Navigating National Economic Headwinds with Free-Market Principles
Kansas Policy Institute
The Case Against College
Libertas Institute
The GOP’s Risky Flirtation with Big Labor
Mackinac Center
Boom Town or Bust? Developers Postpone New-City Plan
Pacific Research Institute
Free Markets, Not a New “Link Tax” Best Way to Preserve California Journalism
Pacific Research Institute
Louisiana Continues to Ease Government Restrictions on Work
Pelican Institute
Massachusetts Affordability and Competitiveness Ranking is in Freefall
Pioneer Institute
The Largest Groups Driving Massachusetts’s Migration
Pioneer Institute
Taxpayers and Students Lose with Pennsylvania’s New Budget
Commonwealth Foundation
Illinois Property Taxes at $5K Are Higher Than 5 States Combined
Illinois Policy
Chicago Teachers Union Demands $543K Property Tax Break on Union HQ
Illinois Policy
More Eco-Devo, a Citizen’s Lament
Indiana Policy Review Foundation
Revitalize Louisiana: Addressing Long-standing Fiscal Challenges
Pelican Institute
Highest Paid State Employees in Massachusetts
Pioneer Institute
Understanding the Trends in Massachusetts’ Sin Tax Revenues
Pioneer Institute
Property Tax Reassessment: Beleaguered Buildings Bear Burden of Boston’s Burgeoning Budget
Pioneer Institute
Increasing Number of Retirees Driving Pension Expenditures
Pioneer Institute
Where Does Massachusetts’ Pension Money Go?
Pioneer Institute
Exempting Childcare Facilities from Taxes Is a Bad Idea
Show-Me Institute
Wisconsin Taxpayers Fund Far Left Education Conference
Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty
Pioneer Institute Statement on the Project Labor Agreement Provision in the Massachusetts Economic Development Bill
Pioneer Institute
Overcoming the Tragedy of Pessimism
California Policy Center
J.D. Vance & Appalachia
Cardinal Institute
Venezuela Shows There Is Nothing ‘Neighborly’ About Socialism
Center of the American Experiment
What’s Behind the Fight Over Whether Nonprofits Can Be Forced to Disclose Donors’ Names
Freedom Foundation of Minnesota
What Is the True Meaning of “Freedom”?
John Locke Foundation
America Was Built on an Idea
Mackinac Center
In The Lima News, The Buckeye Institute outlined specific reforms lawmakers should adopt to meet the growing demand for EdChoice scholarships.
In The Sun, Andrew Davenport of California Policy Center laments the loss of a dashboard that used to track the financial health of high-risk California cities.
In his recent column for The Denver Gazette, the Independence Institute‘s Jon Caldara highlights how Colorado is trying to opt out of a federal, pro-competition law.
At Townhall, the Independence Institute‘s Rob Natelson considers why Democrats are holding on to Kamala Harris.
At Townhall, the Independence Institute‘s Rob Natelson points out the dicey outcomes of term-limits for Supreme Court justices.
In the Denver Gazette, the Independence Institute‘s Jon Caldera argues that men who suffer from suicidal thoughts should open up about their struggles.
In the Carolina Journal, the John Locke Foundation‘s Mitch Kokai argues a court case is turning off the ‘spigot’ to a so-called slush fund long used for environmental grants instead of—as intended—North Carolina public schools.
In his recent column, John Hood points out constitutions are human creations—and are therefore imperfect.
In the Daily Herald, the Libertas Institute‘s Sophia Dalton makes the case against college.
In Free the People, the Maine Policy Institute’s Harris Van Pete questions if libertarians should really be excited about Chevron’s demise.
At Townhall, the Mississippi Center for Public Policy‘s Douglas Carswell highlights why some Mississippi ‘conservatives’ oppose Trump on school choice.
In Newsmax, Pacific Research Institute‘s Sally Pipes says JD Vance is flirting with price controls and that he should move right on the issue.
In the Times of San Diego, the Pacific Research Institute‘s Kerry Jackson argues Californians will be forced to use less water under new rules.
In the Albuquerque Journal, the Rio Grande Foundation‘s Gabriel Higbie says school choice is taking root despite powerful teachers’ unions.
