Week in Review: February 24, 2023

Announcements

Elisabeth Messenger has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Americans for Fair Treatment.
Empower Mississippi’s Forest Thigpen and Gerard Gibert were selected in this year’s class of the Top 50 Most Influential Mississippians.
Registration for the Pelican Institute’s Solutions Summit 2023 is now open.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) announced its update of the WILL School Data Dashboard, which now includes data for the 2021-2022 academic year. This comprehensive, interactive tool provides a snapshot of student proficiency, district funding and district-related information for every school district in the state– imported from DPI.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) is excited to partner with the Wisconsin Coalition for Education Freedom, launching a multi-media campaign to push back against a one-size-fits-all approach to the state’s education system.

Success Stories

Arizona: In the few short years since the Arizona Governor signed a sweeping occupational licensing reform into law, over 6,500 professionals have applied for and been granted a license to work in Arizona, in fields ranging from medicine to cosmetology to engineering (Goldwater Institute).
Mississippi: The Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate each passed bills that would provide businesses the ability to deduct the entire cost of equipment in the year it is put into service rather than over a period of time (Empower Mississippi).

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

On March 1, the Ohio Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Schaad v. Alder—one of The Buckeye Institute’s tax cases challenging Ohio’s pandemic-era income tax system that was passed in March 2020 and deemed work performed at home during the government ordered shut-down, to have been performed in a higher-taxed office location for the purpose of taxation. Buckeye’s president and CEO, Robert Alt, will present Buckeye’s case, which will be streamed on OhioChannel.org at 9:00 a.m. EST.

On February 21, 2023, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty announced it’s 7^th lawsuit against the Biden Administration. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of retirement account participants, Rick Braun and Fred Luehrs, against the U.S. Secretary of Labor for a new rule permitting the use of environmental, social, and governance (commonly referred to as “ESG”) factors in retirement investing.

Solutions from the States: This Week’s Policy Briefs

The Alabama Policy Institute examines Medicaid expansion in Alabama.
The Alaska Policy Forum notes one policy reform that will promote lower costs is protecting the direct health care model (DHC).
The Empire Center highlighted how the Hochul administration is seeking more federal money for its overfunded Essential Plan.
The Frontier Institute analyzed two competing proposals which aim to authorize charter schools in Montana.
The Goldwater Institute released a new study which examines the economic implications of universal recognition in Arizona and highlights the benefits of the reform. Since 2019, more than 6,500 workers in myriad occupations have taken advantage of recognition to practice their profession without being held back by costly and time-consuming government red tape.
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii released a new policy brief today recommending that state lawmakers enact legislation to permanently accept out-of-state medical licenses as a way to improve healthcare access in Hawaii.
New polling from the Illinois Policy Institute finds a majority of Chicago voters surveyed are dissatisfied with public education in the city and support school choice. They also are worried about crime and taxes, with a majority supporting a property tax freeze.
The Institute for Reforming Government released a new report that presents a clear roadmap for modernizing and strengthening state government, removing its inefficiencies, and shrinking its size and footprint in Madison.
The Institute for Reforming Government released its summary analysis on Governor Evers’ proposed 2023-2025 budget.
The Pioneer Institute considers the politics and promise of charter schools in Massachusetts gateway cities.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation released a roadmap to help alleviate the tax burden and set Texas up for success into the future.

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

Arkansas: The Arkansas Senate passed Governor Sanders’ new education reform package (Foundation for Government Accountability).
Georgia: A bill to create a $6,000 scholarship account that could be used for private school tuition or other educational expenses was introduced in the Georgia Senate (Georgia Public Policy Foundation).
Georgia: The Georgia Senate Regulated Industries Committee advanced two bills to reform certificate-of-need laws (Georgia Public Policy Foundation).
Georgia: The Georgia Legislature is considering a bill that would further deregulate craft brewing practices (Georgia Public Policy Foundation).
Georgia: Georgia is considering legislation that will help people who have made mistakes remain productive members of society. Specifically, the legislation will create clear occupational licensing guidelines regarding the severity and time frame of the offense and whether it impacts a person’s ability to work in a particular industry (Libertas Institute).
Idaho: The Idaho Senate will soon vote on the Freedom in Education (FIE) Savings Account Act, which would establish education savings accounts (ESAs) that would be available to every K-12 student in Idaho and provide $5,950 per year for families to use to completely customize their child’s education (Idaho Freedom Foundation).
Maine: Maine is considering a bill that would curtail harmful rulemaking by unelected bureaucrats and put power back in the hands of lawmakers, who are actually accountable to Maine people (Maine Policy Institute).
Montana: Montana is considering legislation that follows Frontier Institute recommendations to reform zoning regulations to give Montana landowners more freedom to build affordable starter homes (Frontier Institute)
Montana: The Montana Legislature is considering a bill that will establish a statewide ESA program (Frontier Institute).
Montana: Montana is also considering proposals to officially codify charter schools into law (Frontier Institute).
North Carolina: The North Carolina House introduced a bill to limit the state’s spending (John Locke Foundation).
Oklahoma: Legislation to cut the personal income tax advanced in the Oklahoma House (Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs).
Oklahoma: The Oklahoma House of Representatives approved an $800 million education package that includes a half-billion dollars in new funding for public schools and $300 million in refundable tax credits for families that choose to send a child to private school or homeschool (Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs).
South Carolina: The Palmetto Promise Institute testified before the South Carolina Legislature on a bill to repeal the certificate-of-need (CON) statute.

Policy News from the States

K-12 Education

Choose The Best Education For Your Children
Alaska Policy Forum

Alaska’s Charter Schools Boost Performance for Students
Alaska Policy Forum

One Mom’s Wish For Educational Opportunity
Badger Institute

Amid Illiteracy, Where Was The Urgency?
Badger Institute

WATCH: What is a Charter School?
Beacon Center

Barnstorming California On Education Reform
California Policy Center

The Sky Won’t Fall When North Dakota Prioritizes Students Over Systems
Center of the American Experiment

Missouri’s Ghost Students
Show-Me Institute

Six Common Objections Made By Opponents Of School Choice And Why They Are False
Washington Policy Center

SB 5054, To Cut Classroom Learning Time In Schools By Four Hours A Week
Washington Policy Center

Energy and Environment

Get Ready, Stay Ready For ESG Attempts
Bluegrass Institute

In Final Week, Uncertainty Clouds Energy Bills
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy

Former WDFW Master Hunter Explains How Hunters Fund Wildlife Protection And Why He Resigned To Protest State Policy
Washington Policy Center

Government Accountability

The Covid Lockdown Disaster: Three Years Later
California Policy Center

Corruption Or Incompetence, Transparency Still The Antidote
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

SHB 1333, To Criminalize Free Speech And Independent Thought In Washington State
Washington Policy Center

Healthcare

The Hochul Administration Seeks More Federal Money For Its Overfunded Essential Plan
Empire Center

New York’s pricey hospitals draw pushback from labor
Empire Center

Medicaid Can’t Continue Expanding Forever
Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy

House Should Hold The Line On Tax Cuts
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy

Workplace Freedom

Massachusetts Teachers Union Tries To Fundraise Off Illegal Strike
Americans for Fair Treatment

NY Gov. Hochul And Teachers Union At Odds
Americans for Fair Treatment

Union Poll Ignores Reality About Charter Schools
Americans for Fair Treatment

Teachers’ Union Once Again Spends More $ On Politics Than Representation
Center of the American Experiment

The Janus Effect
Empire Center

Five Years After Janus, Union Membership Sinks in NY State Agencies
Empire Center

Stacking The Deck — Union Coalition Tries To Get Lawmakers To Mandate Workplace Conditions It Wants
Washington Policy Center

Other

Where’s the Pork?
Beacon Center

President’s Day Fun, Facts, and Frivolity
Freedom Foundation of Minnesota

What You Need To Know About Who’s Running For Chicago Mayor
Illinois Policy Institute

Poll: Chicago Voters Favor School Choice, Property Tax Freeze Ahead Of Chicago Mayoral Election
Illinois Policy Institute

Libertas Supports Protecting Free Expression Online
Libertas Institute

What Gonzalez V. Google Might Mean
Mississippi Center for Public Policy

State Think Tanks in the News

The New York Sun featured Americans for Fair Treatment in a piece on an outgoing New York teachers union boss.
In The Center Square, the Beacon Center notes eliminating Tennessee’s health care permission slips will make the state healthier, wealthier.
The Ethan Allen Institute outlines the long-term costs of the Affordable Heat Act in the Vermont Daily Chronicle.
At RedState, the Freedom Foundation examines public support for unions.
In the New Jersey Monitor, the Garden State Initiative and Pacific Research Institute note overregulation hinders New Jersey’s charities.
In Crain’s Chicago Business, the Illinois Policy Institute points out none of the nine Chicago mayoral candidates are talking about financial reforms.
In the New York Post, the Illinois Policy Institute points out Chicago’s mayoral election is a warning to big cities everywhere.
In the Daily Herald, the Illinois Policy Institute points out taking fees from suburban visitors isn’t a solution for Chicago.
In The Denver Gazette, the Independence Institute explains why rent control is a terrible idea.
At National Review, the Institute for Reforming Government encourages Wisconsin to advance tax reform.
At RealClearPolicy, the John Locke Foundation argues highlights why free trade is the strongest spell against economic decline.
In the New Hampshire Journal, the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy considers a bill to raise New Hampshire’s minimum wage.
The Mackinac Center discussed Michigan’s budget in an op-ed in The Detroit News.
In The Hill, the Mackinac Center wrote about the need to amend the National Labor Relations Act to allow for voluntary bargaining.
In The Detroit News, the Mackinac Center encouraged Michigan lawmakers to cut taxes.
In the Alpena News, the Mackinac Center considers proposed changes to Michigan Reconnect—a program that allows Michigan residents 25 and older with no degree to attend community college at no additional cost to them.
At RealClearPolicy, the Mississippi Center for Public Policy considers if state intervention will help, or harm the city of Jackson.
In the Boston Herald, the Pioneer Institute notes licensing burdens thwart economic growth in Massachusetts.
In The Los Alamos Reporter, the Rio Grande Foundation notes New Mexico’s Legislature is punting on education reform.
At Fox News Online, the Texas Public Policy Foundation considers the threat from ESG

Events and Opportunities

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

Categories: News

Organization: State Policy Network