Announcements

• The Buckeye Institute’s Robert Alt and Buckeye’s client Eric Flannery, a Navy veteran and co-owner of The Big Board, were invited by Leader Kevin McCarthy to address Members of Congress on Capitol Hill—prior to the State of the Union speech. When D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that restaurants in the District of Columbia would be required to turn away some customers based upon their medical history, Eric publicly stated that everyone was welcome at The Big Board. As a result, the city revoked Eric’s operating and liquor licenses—shutting down his business entirely and removing his ability to appeal the decision.
  
• The John Locke Foundation hosted a US Senate debate during their Carolina Liberty Conference this past weekend.
  
• The John Locke Foundation launched the Civitas Partisan Index—an important tool that helps journalists, candidates, and grassroots groups understand the partisan leaning of districts in North Carolina.
  
• The Ethan Allen Institute announced that Meg Hansen will take over as president on March 1. Hansen, who joined EAI’s Board of Directors in January, has been active in the fields of public policy, grassroots advocacy, and related media initiatives since Vermont became her home more than a decade ago.
  
• Corey DeAngelis, national director of research at the American Federation for Children, will be the recipient of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs’ 2022 Citizenship Award. DeAngelis’ research primarily focuses on the effects of school choice programs on non‐academic outcomes such as criminal activity, character skills, mental health, and political participation. He has authored or co‐authored more than 40 journal articles, book chapters, and reports on education policy, and he is the co‐editor of School Choice Myths: Setting the Record Straight on Education Freedom. OCPA’s Citizenship Award is given to individuals who have made a significant contribution to advancing free markets, limited government, individual initiative and personal responsibility.
  
• Pioneer Institute announced the formation of PioneerLegal, the first nonprofit, public interest law firm of its kind in New England, to defend and promote educational options, accountable government and economic opportunity across the Northeast.
  
• The James Madison Institute released a new video that tells the story of a Florida nurse practitioner who is now able to practice independently thanks to the passage of new polices by the Florida Legislature.

This Week on SPN.org

• Where Does Your State Rank? These 50-State Resources Make It Easy To Compare
• As the State of the Union looms, remember Americans want state and local solutions
• Replenishing unemployment trust funds by April 1: What states need to know
• 10 ideas to improve price transparency in your state

Success Stories

• A Kentucky lawmaker filed legislation to fund public charter schools in Kentucky. The Bluegrass Institute noted a strong and meaningful charter school policy is a high priority of their organization because it empowers parents with an educational alternative that will place many Kentucky students who otherwise would have fallen through the cracks of our public education system on a path to a brighter future.
  
• The Arizona State Legislature passed a measure that sends an initiative to the November that ballot establishes universal voter ID requirements to vote in Arizona elections. The Foundation for Government Accountability applauded the Arizona State Legislature for taking a critical step in allowing the people to protect their votes and secure their state’s elections. 
  
• In a victory for tax fairness in Washington, the Douglas County Superior Court Judge struck down the capital gains income tax passed by the Washington State Legislature in 2021. The ruling was a resounding victory for the Freedom Foundation—which filed the first lawsuit challenging the tax.
  
• The Wyoming state Senate passed the Civics Transparency Act—legislation that empowers parents to find out what’s being taught in their local schools by ensuring that all materials used in government-operated K-12 schools are disclosed to parents and the public. The Goldwater Institute noted that with this vote, Wyoming joins a host of other states who have not only introduced legislation requiring the online disclosure of public school instructional materials, but have already passed it through one or both chambers.
  
• The Michigan Legislature passed a bill that includes several tax changes, but most notably it would reduce the personal income tax rate back to 3.9%. The Mackinac Center noted this welcome change would increase economic growth and allow individuals across the state to keep more of what they earn.
  
• A bill that would provide the most significant expansion of school choice opportunity in Oklahoma history has won approval from a Senate committee and will next go before the entire Oklahoma Senate. The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs explained the bill would create the Oklahoma Empowerment Account (OEA) Program, which students could use to pay for a range of education services, including private-school tuition.
  
• The Missouri Legislature advanced a critical piece of legislation that would help to guarantee parents’ role in their child’s education. The Show-Me Institute explained that among other things, the resolution would require curriculum transparency and impose meaningful grading of schools and districts so parents can see how their schools and districts stack up to their peers.
  
• The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and the City of Lake Geneva agreed to settle a challenge to Lake Geneva’s short-term rental fee that WILL brought on behalf of short-term-rental property owners in Lake Geneva. Lake Geneva lowered the fee from $750 to $400 in response to WILL’s challenge. The property owners represented by WILL are receiving a refund of $350.

Solutions from the states: This week’s policy briefs

Federalism and Federal Grants
Citizens Against Government Waste released a report that traces the development of federal grants to the states and offers a series of reforms that will reduce wasteful spending and increase the effectiveness of how grant money is spent in the states. 

The Montana Zoning Atlas
The Frontier Institute released a new interactive resource that demonstrates how strict local zoning regulations exclude low and middle-income residents and worsen Montana’s housing shortage.

A Principled Pathway to A Model Louisiana Constitution
A new report by the Pelican Institute for Public Policy delves into a brief history of constitutional reform movements in Louisiana, explores how they mirrored those of the nation, then outlines principles of a model constitution that point the way toward the next generation of constitutional reform for Louisiana.

Policy News From The States

Checking In On Legislative Sessions

API Responds To $1.283 Billion Supplemental Education Appropriations Bill: A Reckless Disregard Of Taxpayers’ Money
Alabama Policy Institute

Ill-Timed Fossil Fuel Pension Disinvestment Bill Threatens Economy
California Policy Center

Amendment 1 Would Permanently Enshrine Madigan Union Deals In Illinois Constitution
Illinois Policy Institute

Testimony In Opposition To LD 1977
Maine Policy Institute

OCPA 2022 Legislative Scorecard: Watch List Update (March 1 2022)
Oklahoma Council Of Public Affairs

HB 1868 Seeks To Punish Hospitals, Would Make The Nursing Shortage Worse
Washington Policy Center

Education

DPI’s Factual Indecency
Badger Institute

More Public Options For Tennessee Students
Beacon Center of Tennessee

Parents Should Have A Say In The Education Of Their Children
Freedom Foundation of Minnesota

Poll: 72% Of Americans Support School Choice
Goldwater Institute

Chicago Public Schools Tells Parents Mask-Optional Coming Soon
Illinois Policy Institute

After Losing Scholarship, Chicago Family Sold Car To Keep Kids In Private School
Illinois Policy Institute

Do North Carolina Public Schools Have A Staffing Crisis?
John Locke Foundation

Give High Schoolers More Access To Career Training Options
Mackinac Center

School Choice A Major Issue For Oklahoma, Texas Republican Voters
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

Election Integrity

Should We Be Suspicious Of Split Tickets?
John Locke Foundation

On The Importance Of Poll Workers
Nevada Policy Research Institute

Government Accountability

Legislators Can Work Less Instead Of Asking For More Pay
Cascade Policy Institute

Forty-Five Percent Increase In Six-Figure Pensions For Retired NYC Educators In 2021
Empire Center for Public Policy

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan Indicted For Federal Racketeering
Illinois Policy Institute

Illinois Teachers Unions Call Strikes 48 Times In 10 Years
Illinois Policy Institute

Canada’s Freezing Of Protesters’ Finances Shows How The “War On Cash” Ends.
Nevada Policy Research Institute

Emergency Powers Reform Isn’t A Coup
Washington Policy Center

Healthcare

The Debate Over Medicaid Home-Care Funding Needs A Reality Check
Empire Center for Public Policy

Single Payer Would More Than Double Taxes In NY
Empire Center for Public Policy

Financial Challenge From Medicaid Expansion Already Clear
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

Don’t Dam The Telehealth Flood
Pacific Research Institute

Pandemic Dead Reckoning: Unseen Casualties Of Public Health Interventions
Pioneer Institute

Inflation

President Biden Has No Idea How To Deal With Inflation
Center of the American Experiment

Jobs And State Economies

Will Californians Ever See Relief From Rising Gas Prices?
Pacific Research Institute

Milton Friedman’s Theory Casts Doubt On Responsible Stimulus Spending
Show-Me Institute

Seattle’s Overburdensome Soda Tax Has Failed To Create The Outcomes City Leaders Expected
Washington Policy Center

State Budgets And Spending

Progress Made On Tracking The Trillions
Badger Institute

Where Do Things Stand With A Possible Gas Tax Increase? (March Edition)
Bluegrass Institute

California State And Local Liabilities Total $1.6 Trillion
California Policy Center

Twelve Out Of Fifteen Largest California Cities Don’t Have Money To Pay Their Bills According To Accounting Study
California Policy Center

Iowa Just Cut Taxes Yet Again, Will Minnesota Legislators Follow Suit?
Center of the American Experiment

House Democrats Are Holding Relief Hostage As MN Businesses Brace For Potential Tax Hikes
Center of the American Experiment

Minnesota Now Expecting A $9.25 Billion Surplus
Center of the American Experiment

Don’t Mess With The Tax Cap
Empire Center for Public Policy

States Continue To Reduce Taxes
Empower Mississippi

NJ Property Taxes: Even Our Lowest Are Among The Nation’s Highest
Garden State Initiative

Chicago Pension Debt Drove City Property Taxes Up 164% Before COVID-19
Illinois Policy Institute

Tax Reform Possible Through High February 2022 Tax Revenue
Kansas Policy Institute

Tax Cuts Would Make Michigan’s Budget Sustainable
Mackinac Center

Nebraska Forecasting Board Raises 2022 And 2023 Tax Revenue Projections Again
Platte Institute

State Of The Union

State Of The Union: Key Fiscal Blunders
John Locke Foundation

State Of The Union? We Need Good Policy And Strong Leadership.
Empower Mississippi

PRI Panel Of Former Speechwriters – Pres. Biden’s State Of The Union Address
Pacific Research Institute

Other

Government Shapes Your Food And Beverage Options More Than You Might Realize
Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy

The Very Thin Blue Line – Police Staffing Is Down, And Homicides Are Up
Pacific Research Institute

An Opportunity Roadmap: A Smarter Criminal Justice System
Pelican Institute for Public Policy

Think Tanks In The News

Delaware’s Carbon Bragging Rights
Caesar Rodney Institute Letter to the Editor in The Wall Street Journal

Liberty-Boosting-And-Busting Moves, Movers And Shakers
Bluegrass Institute in The Times Leader

How Tax Credit Scholarships Empower Those Most in Need
Commonwealth Foundation in the Delaware Valley Journal

Climate Plan Is All Pain, No Gain
Ethan Allen Institute in Vermont Biz

Show Me the Zuckerbucks: How Outside Money Infiltrated Missouri’s 2020 Election
Foundation for Government Accountability at RealClearPolicy

Washington Government Readies For Supreme Court Capital Gains Tax Fight
Freedom Foundation cited in The Center Square

Watching Democrats Debate Unionization Of Legislative Staff Is A Popcorn-Worthy Spectacle
Freedom Foundation in The Seattle Times

Report: Unions Collected Millions in Federal COVID Relief They Weren’t Eligible for While Cheerleading Lockdowns
Freedom Foundation at RedState

Could Guaranteed Basic Income Replace The Welfare System?
Georgia Public Policy Foundation in the Dalton Daily Citizen

Jonesing to Give Up Russian Oil
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board cites Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

Governor Kim Reynolds: Defender of Freedom and Conservatism
Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation at RealClearPolicy

Historic Tax Reform Achieved – Gov. Reynolds, Iowa Legislature Deliver For Taxpayers
Iowans for Tax Relief in The Center Square

KPI Supports Teacher Merit Pay, School Boards Opposed
Kansas Policy Institute in The Hays Daily News

Open-Transfer Law Creating Little Opportunity
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs in The Journal Record

NM Legislative Session Could Have Been A Lot Worse
Rio Grande Foundation in Las Cruces Sun News

Americans’ Declining Trust in the Politicians Who Run Their Schools
State Policy Network at Governing

Texans Are Ready To End Corporate Property Tax Breaks
Texas Public Policy Foundation in the Houston Chronicle

Will Kharkiv Be Destroyed In Pursuit Of Putin’s Irredentist Dreams?
Texas Public Policy Foundation in the Federalist

Events and Opportunities

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