January 26, 2024
Week in Review: January 26, 2024
Alabama Policy Institute released its 2024 BluePrint for Alabama, which charts the policy priorities for the Institute – free markets, limited government, and strong families.
Beacon Center of Tennessee recognized National School Choice Week by rounding up many of the recent school choice advances in the state and rest of the nation. In anticipation the release of CEO Justin Owen’s book, Modern Davids: Celebrating 20 Years with 20 Stories of Everyday Tennesseans Fighting Big Government, the Center also released an excerpt of the book with the story of Roxanne Glass, who used the state’s Education Savings Account program to shatter glass ceilings for her daughter.
California Policy Center announced its 3rd Annual Parents, Not Partisans Summit in Sacramento. The theme for this year is geared to expose how teachers’ unions, the education bureaucracy, and radical legislators in Sacramento want to control California classrooms — but ultimate authority lies with parents and the local school boards accountable to them.
Empower Mississippi amplified Governor Tate Reeves’ proclamation announcing Mississippi School Choice Week and looked into the LEARNS Act, legislation which was passed in Arkansas in 2023, noting specifically key components that promote parent choice and considering how these could be applied in Mississippi.
Georgia Center for Opportunity elevated four standout collaborators in their Better Work program – organizations showing how business and nonprofit involvement can fuel economic opportunity and serve the holistic needs of those working to escape poverty.
Georgia Public Policy Foundation celebrated Governor Brian Kemp’s proclamation recognizing School Choice Week in Georgia, calling for an expansion in educational options and to empower students in the state.
Goldwater Institute recognized National School Choice Week by reminding parents that parents with choices over how and where their children learn won’t have to relive school shutdowns and ensuing learning losses as were suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
John Locke Foundation recognized National School Choice Week by hosting a school choice luncheon as part of the Carolina Liberty Conference. Locke also announced that Senior Fellow Dr. Troy Kickler was appointed to North Carolina’s prestigious “America’s Semiquincentennial Committee.”
Liberty Justice Center’s Jacob Huebert appeared on the latest episode of National Review’s Radio Free California Podcast to discuss the Center’s legal battle with California’s Attorney General over parental rights.
Mackinac Center warned against proposals of “free” community college pre-K following Governor Whitmer’s State of the State address, while expert James Hohman appeared on CBS Detroit to speak out against bringing back film incentives to Michigan.
Mountain States Policy Center celebrated Education Choice Week by releasing an analysis of 187 studies on the impact of education choice which showed an overwhelmingly positive effect stemming from the policy and by analyzing the results of a new poll showing that Idahoans support education choice. The Center also highlighted the need for reform to the process of 3-day notice for public hearings in Idaho.
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs released its policy goals for 2023, which include cutting or eliminating the personal income tax, funding workforce-needs scholarships, and enacting reforms for sentencing, court costs, fines, and fees.
Platte Institute released their Principles of a Good Tax Policy and a podcast episode titled Nebraskanomics: David Brunori on Good Tax Policy. Platte also looked back at Governor Jim Pillen’s tax triumphs in 2023, calling for reforms to property taxes as the next step in 2024.
Pioneer Institute recognized National School Choice Week by welcoming ExcelinEd’s Dr. Cara Candal to their podcast, the Learning Curve.
Reason Foundation worked with Cicero Institute and Pioneer Institute to release the third annual 50-state telehealth innovation report card that captures innovation-minded telehealth policy changes that took place this past year.
Washington Policy Center released the 7th edition of its Policy Guide for Washington State, a blueprint for a better future for individuals, families, and businesses.
The Buckeye Institute filed an amicus brief in Garland v. Cargill with the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that courts must interpret criminal statutes narrowly, with leniency towards the accused to protect Americans from the overreach of the federal government and from criminal punishment that Congress did not intend.
Goldwater Institute sued the city of Phoenix on behalf of dozens of businesses over another harmful ordinance that restricts qualified businesses from competing for taxpayer-funded public-works projects in violation of both state law and the Arizona Constitution. Goldwater is also urging the Nebraska Supreme Court to act in behalf of a journalist pursuing a story about the abnormally high pediatric cancer rates but is currently stymied by Nebraska state bureaucrats who want to charge the journalist $44,000 to access public records related to this research.
Liberty Justice Center stood up to challenge executive overreach in Nebraska, arguing in court that executive orders by the mayor of Omaha violate state law and the U.S. Constitution.
Mackinac Center asked the Michigan Supreme Court to hear its challenge to the Michigan Department of Treasury’s unlawful decision to raise the personal income tax rate this year.
Arizona: Over 9,000 professionals have applied for and been granted a license to work in the state thanks to the Goldwater Institute-led universal recognition of occupational licenses reform—in fields ranging from medicine to cosmetology to engineering.
Wisconsin: In a huge win for dental access in Wisconsin, a bill allowing the licensure of dental therapists in Wisconsin recently passed both houses of the legislature with bipartisan support (Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty).
Bluegrass Institute issued a brief analyzing the “Safer Kentucky Act” currently being debated in the Kentucky General Assembly, showing how the legislation will change penalties and, in some cases, create new crimes.
James Madison Institute published a brief on reducing the burden of sales tax in Florida which considers Florida’s institutional framework, tax system, and ways to reduce these burdens from final sales taxes so as to maintain the title of “Free State of Florida.”
Kansas Policy Institute released a brief rebutting Governor Kelly claim that a flat tax creates deficits and presenting the data showing how the state budget would really fare should this policy go into effect.
Mountain States Policy Center released a set of briefs – one which proposed energy policies which address the stability warning signals which flashed in the advent of the recent artic blast, and another examining the proposed policy of government seizure of unused gift card balances.
Washington Policy Center released a legislative memo analyzing a bill which would change a popular “insurance” program into a “strike fund” for organized labor, a policy note on a proposal to abandon traditional highway performance measures and allow for increased congestion, and another legislative memo on a proposal to overturn a property tax limitation passed in 2001.
Colorado: Lawmakers are set to consider their first nuclear energy bill of the 2024 legislative session. “Nuclear Energy as a Clean Energy Resource,” is scheduled to go before the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee for first reading (Independence Institute).
Michigan: State Representative David Martin introduced legislation to roll back Michigan’s income tax rate from 4.25% to 3.9%, which would deliver on a promise made to taxpayers almost 20 years ago (Mackinac Center).
Montana: Members of Montana’s Board of Public Education moved to officially accept a number of applications from school districts to create public charter schools under the new framework passed by the legislature – an incredibly important milestone for Montana K-12 education (Frontier Institute).
Nebraska: Legislation that would expand workforce licensing reform in the state passed from general file. The groundbreaking bill is designed to facilitate the recognition of professional licenses obtained outside of Nebraska and to provide a fair chance for individuals with discharged criminal records to pursue their professional aspirations (Platte Institute).
Ohio: GOP lawmakers proposed legislation that would abolish the state’s income tax and commercial activities tax by 2030.
Oklahoma: Lawmakers are proposing legislation that would limit school misuse of virtual days, which have been strongly linked to major learning loss due to the often-subpar product provided (Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs).
South Carolina: Governor Henry McMaster announced his support for a number of key issues, including speeding up the income tax cut schedule, the creation of education scholarship accounts, and more (Palmetto Promise).
Tennessee: The Legislature will consider a bill that would cap property tax increases in the state at 2% plus inflation each year and 6% plus inflation over a three-year span (Beacon Center).
Topics:
Survey: 72% of Parents Said They Considered a New School Last Year
Cascade Policy Institute
Will Gov. Walz Ever Support School Choice Like His Fellow Democratic Governors?
Center of the American Experiment
Survey Says: Parent Awareness of School Choice Leading to Greater Demand
Center of the American Experiment
Politicians Care about the Name on the School. Parents Care about What Happens in the School
Commonwealth Foundation
The State of School Choice in Georgia
Georgia Public Policy Foundation
School Choice Is Leading America’s Civic Revival
Goldwater Institute
New Report: Private Schools Keep Tuition Low as Arizona ESAs Cover Up to 100% of Cost
Goldwater Institute
More than 2-in-5 Chicago Low-Income Students Chronically Absent
Illinois Policy
Missing from Newsom’s Ed Budget: Student Outcome Goals and Choice
Pacific Research Institute
Education Spending: Where Does the Money Go?
Show-Me Institute
How Utah Is Ahead of the Curve in Education
Sutherland Institute
Are Texas ISDs Engaged in Electioneering?
Texas Public Policy Foundation
New Status Report on Education in the Badger State
Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty
Xcel Cashing in on Renewable Energy Mandates
Center of the American Experiment
Xcel Energy Wants to Use New ‘Smart Meters’ to Double Your Power Costs During Periods of High Demand
Center of the American Experiment
A Monopoly by Any Other Name
MacIver Institute
Stopping Natural Gas Bans in Maine
Maine Policy Institute
Who Will Be Getting Charged for New EV Chargers in STL?
Show-Me Institute
Hochul’s ‘Straight Talk’ on Medicaid Isn’t Straight Enough
Empire Center
Decade of Medicaid Expansion in Other States Throws Up Plenty of Red Flags for North Carolina
John Locke Foundation
Telehealth Progress Slowed in 2023
Pioneer Institute
‘High’ U.S. Drug Prices Mask Freeloading by Other Nations
Pioneer Institute
Will the Georgia Legislature Cap Property Tax Increases?
Georgia Public Policy Foundation
What I Said to the Governor About Maui Housing
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Prohibiting Fees and Preserving Property Rights for Short-term Rentals
Maine Policy Institute
So-Called Vacant Housing Tax Will Make SF’s Rental Housing Problems Even Worse
Pacific Research Institute
Unlocking Affordability: The Impact of Lot Size Regulations on Housing Costs
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Minimum Lot Size Reform | Fast Facts
Texas Public Policy Foundation
‘Tis the Season—for Property Taxes
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Senate Bill 6064 Would Effectively Ban Pets from Rental Properties
Washington Policy Center
Data Show that Employment in Minnesota Fell for the Third Straight Month in December
Center of the American Experiment
Common-Ground Solutions to Empower Chicago’s Poor: A Model for America’s Cities
Illinois Policy
Curbing Legalized Theft in North Carolina
John Locke Foundation
How to Turn Laid-Off Talent into Entrepreneurs
Libertas Institute
“Good Jobs” Program Produced No Jobs for Michigan
Mackinac Center
Can Cities Can Manage Homeless Populations? Supreme Court to Decide
Mountain States Policy Center
Why is In-N-Out Closing in Oakland? Out of Control Crime in the “Crime Triangle”
Pacific Research Institute
Uber Eats Strikes Back at the Seattle City Council Fee Increases
Washington Policy Center
CT Dept. Of Labor: “Economy Remains Strong” & 2023 Year of “Solid Growth”
Yankee Institute
Executive Budget Proposal Reaction
Empire Center
Evaluating Gov. Polis’s Tax Reform Agenda: Tax Expenditures vs. Broad-Based Tax Relief
Independence Institute
County Tax Relief Is Not Deprivation
Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation
How a Budget Provision Keeps the Cooper Administration from Creating a Tax out of Thin Air
John Locke Foundation
The Mirage Driving Mass Transit Expansion
Mackinac Center
Governor Seeks Money for Nothing in State of the State Address
Mackinac Center
Another Opportunity to Learn
Show-Me Institute
Free Bus Fare, Still a Bad Idea
Show-Me Institute
Index Minimum Wage? Do the Tax Code, Too
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy
Don’t Let Partisanship Stop Serious Tax Reform
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy
Union Membership Dropping in NY Too
Empire Center
California: 2023 Was a Year of Transformation
Freedom Foundation
Union Membership in Illinois Hits Record Low
Illinois Policy
HB 285: Reasonable Limits on Public Labor Unions
Libertas Institute
Membership Plunges Again for Michigan and National Teachers Unions
Mackinac Center
Kipling – The Montana Town Named for a British Poet
Frontier Institute
Georgia Continues to Show D.C. How Government Should Be Run
Georgia Public Policy Foundation
Challenging Government Prerogatives: SCOTUS Reconsiders Deference to Executive Agencies
Pioneer Institute
In the Epoch Times, the California Policy Center’s Lance Christensen relates his fascinating experiences running for and holding a local office.
In the Star Tribune, Center of the American Experiment’s John Phelan considers the ‘X-Factor’ that helps Minnesota thrive.
In the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Commonwealth Foundation‘s Guy Ciarrocchi considers if suburban Pennsylvania voters have had enough with Democrats.
In the Daily Times, the Commonwealth Foundation‘s Kevin Kane encouraged Governor Shapiro to shift his attention to the actual issues facing Pennsylvania.
In The Mercury, the Commonwealth Foundation‘s Andrew Holman notes Pennsylvanians are leaving the state—but economic reforms will bring them back.
At InsideSources, the Foundation for Government Accountability‘s Hayden Dublois points out out-of-state donors still influence local election offices.
In the Helena Independent, the Frontier Institute‘s Kendall Cotton notes public charter schools require accountability.
In his recent column, the Georgia Public Policy Foundation‘s Kyle Wingfield compares the spending habits of DC with Georgia.
In the California Globe, the Independent Institute’s Christopher Calton examined how inclusionary zoning would undermine Sacramento’s recent housing reforms.
In The Orange County Register, the Independent Institute’s Lloyd Billingsley examined how state politicians are greedily targeting baseball star Shohei Ohtani.
In his recent column, the John Locke Foundation‘s John Hood considers if North Carolina should continue to regulate nurses.
In his recent column, the John Locke Foundation‘s John Hood considers what North Carolina’s population will look like in 2040.
In her Newsmax column, the Pacific Research Institute‘s Sally Pipes points out American doctors should consider the plight of their peers across the Atlantic.
In the Detroit News, People United for Privacy’s Heather Lauer argues that nonprofit donor disclosure mandates would exacerbate corruption in Michigan.
At RealClearPolitics, the Texas Public Policy Foundation‘s Mark Mills recommends we split the International Energy Agency into two to avoid shocks.
In The Hill, the Texas Public Policy Foundation‘s Melissa Ford points out Biden is begging for Mexico’s help with the border (and his reelection).
At RealClearPolicy, the Texas Public Policy Foundation‘s Jason Isaac notes the World Economic Forum’s new mission demands a detour from ESG.
