Announcements

• The Alabama Policy Institute called on the Alabama Governor and Legislature to take immediate action to enact a minimum of $750 million in permanent tax cuts for citizens.
• Wisconsin’s leading education, policy and advocacy organizations—including the Badger Institute, and Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty announced the formation of an unprecedented coalition to empower parents and expand educational opportunities for students.
• The Buckeye Institute announced that David C. Tryon has joined its Legal Center as director of litigation.
• The Goldwater Institute filed a brief in West Virginia’s highest court urging it to uphold the constitutionality of that state’s Hope Scholarship Program.
• The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) announced a groundbreaking research partnership on healthcare policy with healthcare economist Tomas Philipson, to make Wisconsin the national leader in free-market, state-based healthcare solutions. Together, Philipson and IRG’s policy team will generate an unprecedented playbook for conservative, free-market healthcare reforms ahead of Wisconsin’s 2023-2025 budget. 
• The Institute for Reforming Government announced today the launch of a new series, Wisconsin State Agency 101, about educating the public on Wisconsin’s executive branch, explaining the functions, problems, and history of the 20 largest state agencies.
• The Steamboat Institute hosted its 14th Annual Freedom Conference with featured speakers including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Montana Sen. Steve Daines, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, and Fox Business Host Charles Payne. Panels included energy security, the inflation threat, school shooting safety, and national security given the rising threat of China. 
• A federal Judge ruled that under the Voting Rights Act, disabled voters who require third-party assistance with returning their absentee ballots to a municipal clerk “must be permitted that assistance.” The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty is requesting that WEC adopt a new rule implementing Judge Peterson’s decision in a way consistent with election integrity measures.

This Week on SPN.org

Solving The Student Debt Crisis Instead Of Prolonging It

Biden’s democracy speech another case of pandering to voters

Success Stories

• The Frontier Institute highlighted how Montana is seeing the most substantial regulatory relief in years.
• The Mountain States Policy Center noted Idaho has joined a growing list of states that have adopted lower, flat income taxes.
• The Texas Public Policy Foundation highlighted how the Texas Governor wants to take half of the projected $27 billion state surplus and use it to reduce property taxes.
• The Washington Governor announced that he will finally end governing under an emergency order, after more than 900 days, on October 31. The Washington Policy Center encouraged lawmakers to restore balance to the state’s emergency powers framework in the next legislative session.
• The Washington Policy Center highlighted how Idaho is becoming a leader in helping children recover from pandemic learning loss. Starting in mid-September, Idaho families can request an “Empowering Parent” grant of $1,000 per child, up to $3,000 per family, to help their children recover from COVID-related learning losses.

Solutions from the states: This week’s policy briefs

• The Alabama Policy Institute released a conservative platform for Alabama.

• A new report by the Badger Institute examines how the Wisconsin economy has fared over the past decade on several key measures: GDP, population and migration, employment and business activity. 

• The Beacon Center and Texas Public Policy Foundation released a conservative budget for Tennessee.

• In a new policy report, The Buckeye Institute outlines how empowering parents, funding students first, and enhancing school choice can counteract the ill effects the pandemic had on learning loss for Ohio’s K-12 students.

• The Center of the American Experiment released a policy briefing outlining the overly burdensome occupational licensing placed on cosmetologists and barbers in Minnesota. 

• The Commonwealth Foundation released an analysis on Pennsylvania back to school education trends.

• A new report by the Institute for Reforming Government highlights how Wisconsin schools have fallen behind after the coronavirus.

• A new report by the Foundation for Government Accountability considers how states can reform their food stamp programs and revive the workforce.

• The Frontier Institute published the 2022 healthcare policy playbook—a list of reforms that will make Montana a destination state for healthcare.

• In a new report, the Mackinac Center ranked Michigan’s labor markets.

• The Mississippi Center for Public Policy published a report that shows years of mismanagement have caused the water shortage in Mississippi’s state capital. 

• The Mountain States Policy Center released an in-depth analysis of Idaho’s Quality Education Act ballot measure.

•  In an effort to help citizens better understand these new ballot initiatives, The James Madison Institute released a 2022 Florida Amendment Guide, in both English and Spanish, analyzing the three ballot initiatives on the 2022 Florida ballot.

Policy News from the States

Education

API Survey Reveals Lack Of Transparency In Local Public Schools
Alabama Policy Institute

When Will Our Schools Return To Normal?
Alaska Policy Forum

Enormous Amounts Of Money Flow Into The Bottomless Education Pit
California Policy Center

3 Ways New Oregon Leadership Can Improve K-12 Education Fast
Cascade Policy Institute

Arizona’s Universal ESAs: 10 Facts You Need to Know:
Goldwater Institute

Teacher Shortage Is A Myth In Illinois
Illinois Policy Institute

National Test Scores Confirm That Lockdowns Decimated American Education
John Locke Foundation

What Teacher Shortage?
Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy

“Quality Education Act” Yanked From Ballot By Sponsors
Mountain States Policy Center

Parental Choice Solves A Multitude Of Problems
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

School Choice Benefiting Teachers
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

Oklahoma Not An Outlier On Teacher Shortage
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

How Are Federal Covid Recovery Dollars Being Used To Reverse Student Learning Loss?
Pelican Institute

Energy and the Environment

Offshore Wind Approvals: Pushing the Scope of Federal Agency Discretion
Caesar Rodney Institute

Questions About Water For Governor Newsom
California Policy Center

California On Brink Of Blackouts Two Weeks After Banning Gas And Diesel Engines
Center of the American Experiment

What Not to Do: California Energy Policy Serves As a Warning to Colorado
Independence Institute

Consequences of The Quest for Zero Carbon
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy

Government Accountability

Inslee’s COVID-19 Mandates Don’t Always Follow ‘Science’ Or CDC Guidance
Washington Policy Center

Healthcare

ChristianaCare & Crozer Health Fall Out Explained
Caesar Rodney Institute

Housing

“Housing First” Policies Create More Homelessness
California Policy Center

Jobs And State Economies

State Government Should Enact At Least $750 Million In Permanent Tax Relief For Alabamians
Alabama Policy Institute

How Legislators Can Improve Licensing Laws For Barbers And Cosmetologists In Minnesota
Center of the American Experiment

Minnesota Gained 19,100 New Jobs In July, But Lost 2,320 Workers
Center of the American Experiment

Make It Easier For People To Work
Empower Mississippi

Earn It to Get It: Breaking the Cycle of Dependency Through Work
Foundation for Government Accountability

The Work Being Done To Cut Red Tape In Montana
Frontier Institute

Five Reasons To Celebrate The Value Of Work On Labor Day
Georgia Center for Opportunity

Let’s Free Workers to Pursue Their American Dream
Goldwater Institute

Why Are People Moving to Florida?
The James Madison Institute

US Jobs Report Sees Workers Reentering Labor Force
John Locke Foundation

If Your Occupational License Is Suspended, You Might Be Out of Options
Libertas Institute

July Jobs Report Brings Good News For Louisiana
Pelican Institute

Business Licensing Costs In Washington Are Skyrocketing
Washington Policy Center

State Budgets and Spending

Alabama Lawmakers Can Look To Missouri For Bold Tax Reforms
Alabama Policy Institute

The Essential Plan’s accumulated surplus balloons to $8 billion, with no fix in sight
Empire Center

State Revenue In August Paints A Positive Picture
Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation

Cut Taxes to Help Michigan Catch Up
Mackinac Center

Agricultural Tax Credits Are Still a Bad Deal
Show-Me Institute

Student Loan Forgiveness

Biden’s Student Loan Bailout Brings Chaos to College Students
Cascade Policy Institute

Student Loan Forgiveness is Not Emergency Funding and May Be Taxed
John Locke Foundation

Workplace Freedom

Fedscope Database Update Helps Unions Expand Membership
Americans for Fair Treatment

New Poll Finds Most Nonunion Workers Uninterested In Joining A Union
Americans for Fair Treatment

Paying Unions: Recurring Opt-In Requirements Protect Public Workers
Bluegrass Institute

Get The Facts: Amendment 1 Study Guide
Illinois Policy Institute

Labor Poll Finds Unions Fall Short Improving Engagement, Work Life
Illinois Policy Institute

Other

End Practice Of Using Sick-Day Benefit To Spike Pensions
Bluegrass Institute

Labor Day Snapshot: Payroll Employment In New York Still A Tale Of Two States
Empire Center

Other States Have Proposed Long-Term-Care Laws That Could Sneak Up On Workers
Washington Policy Center

Rulemaking In Process For Workers ‘Exempted’ From Long-Term-Care Payroll Tax
Washington Policy Center

Another Business Closes In Seattle – Rising Crime Is Likely The Reason
Washington Policy Center

Think Tanks in the News

REPORT: Pennsylvania Teachers Vote to Kick Union Out of Their School
Americans for Fair Treatment cited at Chalkboard Review

Ohio Must Prepare for New Job Opportunities
The Buckeye Institute at RealClearPolicy

STRS Ill-Considered Bonuses Highlight Need For Pension Reform
The Buckeye Institute in The Lima News

Student Loan Forgiveness Unfairly Shifts The Burden Of College Debt To Everyday Americans
Commonwealth Foundation in The Philadelphia Inquirer

If Student Enrollment Is Down, Why Are Some School Districts On A Hiring Spree?
Commonwealth Foundation in The Federalist

During COVID, Towns Raised School Taxes When They Didn’t Need To. They’re Not Likely To Come Down.
Commonwealth Foundation in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

And Now the Union Would Like a Word in Private
Empire Center in The Wall Street Journal

NYC’s Finances Look Flush — But Eric Adams’ Budget Carries Many Real Risks
Empire Center in the New York Post

How the Jackson Water Shortage Happened and How It Can Be Solved
Empower Mississippi at National Review

California’s Latest Gift to Big Labor
Freedom Foundation in The Wall Street Journal

Biden Envisions Giving Unions 365 Labor Days a Year
Freedom Foundation at RedState

Union Deletes Document After Report Shows Taxpayer-Funded Collusion With Biden Administration
Freedom Foundation cited at The Center Square

California Taxpayers Could Subsidize Union Dues In Future Budget Years
Freedom Foundation cited at California Political Review

‘State Of The World’ Creates Reluctant Parents
Georgia Public Policy Foundation in The Northeast Georgian

Amendment 1, Which Faces A Vote By Illinoisans In November, Is A Tax Hike In Disguise
Illinois Policy Institute in the Chicago Tribune

Biden’s Nasty Speech and the Nation’s Governors
Independence Institute in The Epoch Times

Ensure Educational Results For Tax Hikes
Independence Institute at Colorado Politics

Tired Of National Politics? Your Local Representative Wants To Talk To You
Libertas Institute in the Deseret News

Right-To-Work Is A Sure Bet In An Uncertain Economy
Mackinac Center in the Washington Examiner

The Jackson Water Crisis And The Mississippi Fat Cat Report
Mississippi Center for Public Policy on the Ben Shapiro Show

It’s Time For A New Voice In Idaho For Policy And Solutions Based On The Free Market
Mountain States Policy Center in the Idaho Statesman

Native Americans’ Plight Testament to Single-Payer Dangers
Pacific Research Institute in Newsmax

The Inflation Reduction Act Is Just Another Step Toward Government-Run Healthcare 
Pacific Research Institute at PennLive

Biden’s Democracy Speech A Pathetic Attempt To Pander To His Base
State Policy Network in the Washington Examiner

Gun Owners Are Racist, According To Academics Using Bad Science  
Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty at The Federalist

Events and Opportunities

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