Week in Review: April 10, 2026

Announcements
Success Stories
This Week’s Policy Briefs
Tracking Positive Reforms

Jobs in the Network
Tracking Positive Reforms
Policy News from the States
The Network in the News

Announcements

The Institute for Reforming Government noted that smart solutions rather than increased spending are needed to address teacher training and retention issues.

Independence Institute launched I M Colorado to build a statewide network of informed citizens who can respond when policies threaten affordability, transparency, or voter control.

The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy found that banning candy and soft drinks from New Hampshire’s SNAP program could cause retailers to lose up to $17.8 million annually.

The MacIver Institute highlighted the University of Wisconsin’s decision to fire President Jay Rothman and the uncertain future for the UW System’s leadership and direction.

The Maine Policy Institute highlighted the Maine Supreme Judicial Court’s unanimous advisory opinion—which noted that expanding ranked-choice voting (RCV) to general elections would violate the Maine Constitution.

The Mountain States Policy Center released notifications to Idaho families regarding awards from the inaugural Parental Choice Tax Credit program.

The Paragon Institute is hosting a virtual discussion on the benefits of full-day smartphone bans in schools.

The Platte Institute highlighted Nebraska’s competitive advantages in attracting data centers and discussed key factors driving investment in the digital economy.

A new study released by the Pacific Research Institute finds that California’s economic performance has fallen sharply behind the rest of the nation.

New employment data revisions revealed Massachusetts’ weak private sector job growth since 2020, with the Pioneer Institute reporting a loss of 35,000 jobs.

A new survey from the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty revealed that many Wisconsin parents underestimate school funding levels.

Success Stories

Idaho, Washington, Wyoming: Lawmakers enacted several policy recommendations during the 2026 Legislative Sessions with help from Mountain States Policy Center, which influenced more than 2,300 bills.

Solutions from the States: This Week’s Policy Briefs

The Beacon Center of Tennessee emphasized that enhancing competition and technology in the state’s energy grid will strengthen reliability, attract investment, and improve safety.

The Buckeye Institute released a report exposing how public nuisance lawsuits threaten to impose net-zero carbon policies through courts, which could potentially harm the U.S. economy.

The Caesar Rodney Institute highlighted that Delaware’s Early Literacy Plan needs clearer, more timely reporting to track progress.

The Empire Center revealed that Albany legislators allocated over $83 million in grants to 293 local projects between April and December 2025.

The Georgia Center for Opportunity praised the Stronger Workforce for America Act’s state flexibility option as essential for states like Georgia to enhance workforce systems.

The James Madison Institute explained that Florida’s property tax revenue now exceeds $55 billion annually, arguing the state needs a levy cap to control escalating local government taxes.

The Liberty Justice Center highlighted that public workers have the right to refuse union dues, seek refunds, and control payroll deductions under Janus Rights.

The Pioneer Institute reported that Massachusetts has implemented just 20 government AI use cases, only three serving constituents, and urged the Commonwealth to expand AI deployment.

The Show-Me Institute found that St. Louis County’s strict plumbing licensing rules worsen worker shortages.

The Washington Policy Center highlighted that durable tax reform requires a constitutional spending limit tied to population growth and inflation to control government spending.

The Yankee Institute highlighted that a proposed Connecticut bill raised concerns from the Judicial Branch about disrupting interstate coordination in child welfare.

Policy Watch

Iowa: Lawmakers are considering a bill that would require greater legislative oversight of federal funds—ensuring lawmakers understand the costs, conditions, and long-term obligations before the state accepts them (Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation).

Louisiana: Policymakers are considering a law that would allow incarcerated people who earn associate’s degrees to reduce their sentences by 90 days (Pelican Institute).

Michigan: House Republicans introduced HBs 5710 and 5711 (“Project Lighthouse”), which would repeal the state’s clean energy mandates, freeze utility rates for two years, and require utilities to prioritize reliability and affordability over renewable energy goals (Mackinac Center).

Virginia: A bill headed to Gov. Spanberger’s desk would require state and local governments to bargain with unions and allow the SEIU to collect dues from Medicaid-funded home care workers, including family caregivers (Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy).

Wisconsin: Gov. Evers signed a bill legalizing online sports betting.

Jobs in the Network

Office Manager — Pacific Legal Foundation (Arlington, VA)

Strategic Partnership Associate — The Foundation for Government Accountability (Remote)

Digital Marketing Associate — Competitive Enterprise Institute (Washington, DC)

SEE ALL JOBS

The Network in the News

In RealClearMarkets, the Beacon Center of Tennessee‘s Patrick Gleason argues that growth-focused states should rein in rising property taxes through levy limits rather than tax shifts or state subsidies.

In USA Today, the Bluegrass Institute’s Caleb O. Brown and Institute for Justice’s Patrick Jaicomo argue GOP-led states that cooperate with ICE surrender their power.

As we approach Tax Day, The Buckeye Institute’s Rea S. Hederman Jr. has a piece in Crain’s Cleveland Business on Ohio’s popular flat-rate income tax, which is a key to the state’s economic revival.

In Bay to Bay News, the Caesar Rodney Institute‘s Charlie Copeland makes the case that federal permitting gridlock is blocking Delaware from building the energy, housing, and infrastructure it needs to reverse its economic slide.

In the Duluth News Tribune, the Center of the American Experiment‘s Martha Njolomole notes that Minnesota’s childcare crisis is government-made.

In the Daily Local News, the Commonwealth Foundation‘s Megan Martin notes that Gov. Shapiro’s multistate lawsuit against the EPA is legal grandstanding that does nothing to address Pennsylvania’s growing energy affordability crisis.

In the Livingston Daily, the Goldwater Institute‘s Mike Brownfield warns Michigan against blocking data centers.

At Complete Colorado, the Independence Institute’s Jon Caldara notes there’s no shortage of kings to protest in Colorado.

In the Telegraph Herald, Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation’s John Hendrickson and Tom Sands note fiscal discipline is the foundation of sustainable tax policy.

In the Billings Gazette, the Mountain States Policy Center‘s Sam Cardwell notes that Washington’s climate policies are eroding its hydroelectric advantage, while Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming lead the region on affordable power.

In RealClearEnergy, the Pacific Research Institute‘s Wayne Winegarden warns that restricting capital access to coal puts grid reliability at risk.

In RealClearEducation, the Sutherland Institute’s Samuel Abrams notes the real crisis in higher education isn’t just ideology but faculty decline.

In The Wall Street Journal, The James Madison Institute’s William Mattox points out that even Southern states should worry about migration to Florida.

In The Wall Street Journal, the Yankee Institute’s Andrew Fowler highlights how New England governors are acknowledging the limits of ‘renewable’ energy.