September 29, 2023
Week in Review: September 29, 2023
Foundation for Government Accountability’s Center for Excellence in Polling released the results of a recent survey of likely voters in Missouri about a range of issues facing the Show Me State. Results indicated that Missourians support commonsense reforms to protect the integrity of public education, welfare, and elections, and to bring transparency to government spending.
Goldwater Institute’s Senior Fellow Naomi Lopez, co-founder of their “AI Healthcare Working Group”, launched an effort to help lead a coalition of federal and state healthcare policy experts who are urging the federal government to embrace AI innovation in healthcare.
James Madison Institute’s Dr. Edward Longe released a statement addressing the Federal Communications Commission’s intention to reinstate net neutrality guidelines, stating that such a move is “a solution in search of a problem that will only disrupt efforts here in Florida.” Dr. Longe also released a statement on the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit against Amazon, saying that this move is the latest example of the FTC “seeking to rewrite American antitrust law.”
John Locke Foundation’s Jim Sterling released criteria recommendations for new congressional and legislative maps as the North Carolina State Legislature begins redistricting—following the North Carolina Supreme Court’s reversal in the Harper v. Moore Case earlier this year. Also, Locke released its monthly Civitas Poll results, highlighting that, ”two-thirds of North Carolina voters are worried about crime in their neighborhood”.
Liberty Justice Center’s Loren Seehase appeared on ThinkTech Hawaii’s “Talking Tax” show to discuss whether Hawaii should have a “housing czar.”
MacIver Institute announced that they are hosting “An Evening with Tucker Carlson” on Wednesday, November 8.
Mountain States Policy Center spread the word about an Idaho event put on by Link Up Idaho: Broadband 101, which will serve to involve the public in funding decisions and efforts to expand broadband in the state.
Pioneer Institute hosted a “Virtual Policy Briefing” to explore the intersection of vocational-technical education and the life sciences sector.
Reason Foundation’s Pension Integrity Project has launched a State Pension Tracker that allows stakeholders to select their own investment return rate to see how that would impact the debt and funded ratios of any state or individual state retirement plan.
Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Joshua Treviño provided testimony before the U.S. House’s Task Force to Combat Mexican Drug Cartels. Trevino proposed policy approaches in light of the cartels’ activities in Texas.
The Beacon Center filed a First Amendment lawsuit against Tennessee, challenging a state law that requires online auctioneers to be licensed.
The Buckeye Institute took D.C. area ANC commissioners to court on behalf of Eric Flannery—Buckeye’s client in Flannery v. D.C. Department of Health—and The Big Board. This new case—Flannery v. Eckenwiler—charges that the ANC conspired to protest the renewal of The Big Board’s liquor license to punish Mr. Flannery for speaking out against D.C.’s pandemic-era shutdown orders.
Kansas: Kansas Justice Institute scored a great victory when the town of Ottawa, Kansas changed its unconstitutional home-based business prohibitions that were keeping a single mom from being able to sell homegrown produce and honey at her local farmer’s market (Kansas Policy Institute).
Michigan: In a significant victory for property owners across the state, the Michigan Court of Appeals ended a legal loophole that allowed local governments to take home equity from individuals whose homes are seized (Mackinac Center).
North Carolina: Legislators brought a universal expansion of school choice in North Carolina’s new state budget, marking a historic victory for North Carolina families (John Locke Foundation).
Ohio: The Buckeye Institute secured a victory for David Krizon, Buckeye’s client in Krizon v. OAPSE, who had money illegally taken out of his paycheck by his employer and given to a government union. In settling the case, OAPSE acknowledged that Mr. Krizon had quit the union and refunded all the money deducted from his paychecks.
Tennessee: The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision upholding a Tennessee Dad’s right to attend his daughter’s softball games after the Goldwater filed a friend-of-the-court brief on his behalf.
Cascade Policy Institute’s Randal O’Toole released a brief which shows that Portland’s current transit model is now obsolete and posits that now it’s time for innovative responses to the region’s current and future public transportation needs.
Center of the American Experiment’s Catrin Wigfall issued a brief examining the overwhelming positive effects of education freedom policies and the support for these policies have won in Minnesota.
Foundation for Government Accountability published a brief showing how robust work search requirements in state unemployment insurance programs help facilitate a return to work and argued state policymakers should consider strengthening these important requirements whenever possible.
John Locke Foundation’s Dr. Andy Jackson examined an added provision in the newly passed North Carolina state budget that would make legislators functionally exempt from public records law. Also, with universal school choice becoming law in North Carolina last week, Bethany Torstenson broke down the massive expansion to the Opportunity Scholarship Program, allowing all North Carolina families to opt-in for private education and then be provided vouchers ranging from $3,200 to $7,500 per child.
Mountain States Policy Center’s Jason Mercier released a detailed budget and tax brief which showed how “Truth in Taxation” can improve government accountability. In addition, Chris Cargill examined the federal government’s latest moves to “police” the internet.
Pacific Research Institute’s Jeremy Lott wrote a brief presenting a lower-cost policy option to address homelessness in American cities: single-room occupancy apartments.
Sutherland Institute’s William C. Duncan issued a brief arguing against the temptation to make partisan exceptions to legal principles, pointing out that all, even the devil, must be given the benefit of the rule of law.
Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Carson Clayton examined the green energy policies that have caused a dangerous spike in waste in the town of Sweetwater, Texas.
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy’s Christian Braulich questioned if it was time for conservatives to invest in infrastructure in order to score policy wins.
Washington Policy Center’s Mark Harmsworth penned a brief which breaks down the different approaches to solving homelessness, highlighting both the missteps and the positive changes being made in the Puget sound region, while Todd Myers highlighted how Portland’s fund which is supposed to “fund clean renewable energy” does nothing of the sort, instead giving payouts to the most politically connected communities.
Iowa: Governor Reynolds announced that Iowa closed out FY 2023 with a $1.83 billion budget surplus. Iowa’s corporate tax rate will also be reduced from 8.4% to 7.1% starting in 2024, as the state continues to be a leader in pro-growth responsible tax reform and conservative budgeting (Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation).
Montana: Senior Mountain States Policy Center staff met with Montana Governor Greg Gianforte to talk about various policy reform options. Governor Gianforte expressed interest in the possibility of adopting Truth in Taxation and a tax transparency website to help provide additional details about how taxes are imposed in Montana.
Wisconsin: Wisconsin lawmakers released new legislation that will increase the availability and supply of mental health services for Wisconsinites in efforts to help alleviate the current shortage of mental health services that the state is facing (Institute for Reforming Government).
Topics:
Lawmakers Outsmart Governor, Tuck Universal School Choice into the Budget
Bluegrass Institute
School Referendum Tanks Amidst Widespread Voter Apathy
Center of the American Experiment
Utah Teachers are Innovating Education
Libertas Institute
Charter School Funding Lags Traditional Public Schools
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Don’t Just Pay Teachers, Empower Them
Pelican Institute for Public Policy
And Then There Were Ten
Show-Me Institute
Q&A: Junior Achievement Is for Home-Schoolers Too
Sutherland Institute
Another Battery Flop Zaps NY Taxpayers
Empire Center
Renewable Energy or Bust?
Mackinac Center
New Climate Disclosure Laws Will Hurt Business, Won’t Help Planet
Pacific Research Institute
Principles for Virginia’s Energy Future
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy
Getting Back on Track with Salmon Recovery in Washington State
Washington Policy Center
Recalls Call into Question EV Viability
Yankee Institute
Innovators Stifled by Current Healthcare System
Badger Institute
Ruining Research Rewards: Price Controls Come for University Patents and Products
Pioneer Institute
Why is Central Health Spending So Much?
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Why Calhoun Residents Are Fighting the City Over Tiny Homes
Georgia Public Policy Foundation
Taxpayers Should Demand Larger Rollbacks Than Hancock Amendment Requires
Show-Me Institute
New Data Suggest that Remote Working Is Here to Stay
Center of the American Experiment
Poverty in Chicago Higher in 2022 than before War on Poverty
Illinois Policy
Economic Freedom: At Least We’re Not New York
Mackinac Center
Mississippi Is on the Up!
Mississippi Center for Public Policy
Louisiana’s Workforce Programs Aren’t Working
Pelican Institute for Public Policy
Minnesota Will Spend $17 Million Trying to Figure Out Why Its COVID-19 Model Was Such a Disaster
Center of the American Experiment
Hochul Signals Tough Budget Ahead
Empire Center
Vallas: Chicago Needs Tools, Transparency for Responsible Budgeting
Illinois Policy
Cornucopian Welfare
Indiana Policy Review Foundation
Sacramento Tax Increase Push for ‘Affordable Housing’ Would Push City’s Problems on County
Pacific Research Institute
The Taxman Confuseth
Show-Me Institute
Welcome to “Kensas City”: Barbie-Themed Streetcar Wrap Costs Taxpayers $25,000
Show-Me Institute
Beware, Beaumont Taxpayers—and Everyone Else
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Commission Recommends Increasing Hours-Worked Requirement for WA Cares, Among Other Proposals
Washington Policy Center
Evers Wrong on Reasoning for Veto Threat on Tax Cuts
Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty
Teacher Opt-Out Window Closes Saturday
Center of the American Experiment
How Popular Are Unions?
Mackinac Center
The Secret to Reaching the Next Generation
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
5 Cases to Watch in Supreme Court’s 23-24 Term
Freedom Foundation of Minnesota
Kids Are Smart: Teach Them to Be Safe Online
Libertas Institute
Three Ways Voters Can Create Change in the American System
Sutherland Institute
In The Hill, The Buckeye Institute’s Rea Hederman offers recommendations on how states should approach Medicaid redetermination, which is required now that the federal Covid health emergency is over.
In The American Spectator, the California Policy Center‘s Edward Ring highlights how the California AG is suing Big Oil for telling the truth about fossil fuels.
In her column for The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Commonwealth Foundation‘s Jennifer Stefano points out electric vehicles are not without environmental consequences.
At RealClearPolicy, the Foundation for Government Accountability‘s Brian Sikma presents a policy solution Congress should consider to shielding U.S. taxpayers from funding a handout to Hollywood’s striking actors.
At Fox News Online, the Goldwater Institute‘s Timothy Sandefur highlights the Supreme Court decision that could help us take back our cities.
In the Washington Examiner, the Goldwater Institute‘s Matt Beienburg considers the many threats to academic freedom.
In the Chicago Tribune, the Illinois Policy Institute‘s Paul Vallas considers how Chicago can save itself from the financial abyss.
In his recent column, the John Locke Foundation‘s John Hood highlights the many wins in North Carolina’s recent budget.
At RealClearPolicy, Kansas Policy Institute‘s Dave Trabert notes government officials should be honest about job growth.
In the Duluth News Tribune, Liberty Justice Center’s Reilly Stephens argued that Minnesota’s controversial new voting law outlaws free speech.
In The County Press, the Mackinac Center‘s Molly Macek notes Michigan test results quantify COVID-era learning loss.
In The Center Square, the Mississippi Center for Public Policy‘s Douglas Carswell notes Arkansas’ school choice program could be model for Mississippi.
In his recent column for the Journal Record, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs‘ Jonathan Small notes government shouldn’t discourage work.
In the Washington Examiner, the Pacific Research Institute‘s Sally Pipes points out lawmakers’ proposals to tackle medical debt could make matters worse.
In the Deseret News, Sutherland Institute‘s William C. Duncan highlights how people of faith have shaped America’s Constitution.
In The Spokesman-Review, the Washington Policy Center‘s Todd Myers argues carbon emission permits are a tax, so call them that.
