Announcements
The Beacon Center of Tennessee introduced Kathryn Beale as their new Director of Development.
Empower Mississippi welcomed Ashley Geen as their new Outreach Director.
Two years after devastating wildfires, The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii highlighted inadequate rebuilding efforts in Lahaina.
The Independence Institute highlighted that federal tax changes will put more money in taxpayers’ pockets but leave the state facing a $1 billion budget shortfall.
The John Locke Foundation published a blog post and graphic on campaign spending in North Carolina’s judicial races.
The John Locke Foundation showcased the challenges classical schools face regarding teacher recruitment.
After highlighting the Chicago Mayor’s proposal for 26 tax hikes to address a $1.12 billion budget gap, the Illinois Policy Institute urged budget reforms instead.
The Pacific Research Institute found California remains the most regulated state in the U.S., imposing approximately 420,000 regulations on its residents.
Palmetto Promise noted that South Carolina’s 2026 election cycle is underway, with the open governor’s race driving debates on taxes, education, energy, and healthcare.
Recent blackouts in Louisiana prompted the Pelican Institute for Public Policy to argue that the state’s utility system needs reform given the fragility of the current system.
The South Carolina Policy Council released a new poll showing strong voter support for eliminating the state income tax and increasing transparency in government spending.
Success Stories
Arizona: The Goldwater Institute helped an Arizona motel owner win compensation after the city changed zoning rules during a sale, vindicating his property rights.
Alabama: On September 1, Alabama’s sales tax on groceries will drop from 3% to 2%, continuing a rollback that began in 2023 (Alabama Policy Institute).
Freedom through the Courts: The Latest Litigation Efforts across the Network
A Northeast Indiana mom, with help from the Goldwater Institute, sued her school district in federal court after being banned from school grounds for recording her daughter’s principal.
In an upcoming hearing, the Liberty Justice Center’s Emily Rae will urge a California court to hold Attorney General Bonta accountable for violating state law through his biased handling of a ballot initiative.
Solutions from the States: This Week’s Policy Briefs
American Experiment pointed out that failing to repeal the CPP 2.0 will jeopardize grid reliability further and lead to blackouts while incurring billions of dollars in costs to maintain reliability with intermittent wind and solar.
Polling results from Beacon Center of Tennessee indicated that 56% of voters support lifting the cap on Education Freedom Scholarships to allow all eligible families access, while 30% prefer maintaining the current limit of 20,000.
The California Policy Center summarized the implications of the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Massachusetts v. EPA, showing how it has intensified regulatory pressure on coal-fired power plants.
The Commonwealth Foundation revealed that the Pennsylvania Department of Education is violating state and federal laws regarding persistently dangerous schools.
Georgia Center for Opportunity examined key performance measures to assess how well schools are preparing nearly two million students for work and life.
Iowans for Tax Relief pointed out that Iowa can continue to lower its 3.8 percent flat tax responsibly without creating a budget crisis.
The Mackinac Center raised concerns about Governor Whitmer’s net zero mandate, asserting that it will leave Michiganders facing colder temperatures and increased costs.
The Mississippi Center for Public Policy highlighted growing momentum for school choice in Mississippi, with key support from Governor Tate Reeves and the White House.
The Platte Institute highlighted how Nebraska can lead industrial reshoring with full expensing.
Show-Me Institute explored the implications of the new federal K-12 tax credit program for Missouri.
A Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty report outlines how the Trump Tax Bill could provide educational funding for Wisconsin families without costing any additional funds.
Policy News from the States
Topics:
K-12 Education
Beloit-area public school teacher loss
Badger Institute
School counselor group embraces far-left policies
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
$734M budget shortfall? Well, 1-in-3 Chicago Public Schools desks is empty
Illinois Policy Institute
Less than 22% of voters approve of Chicago Teachers Union
Illinois Policy Institute
NJ ED REPORT: Amplifying Student Voices: Advocating for Younger and More Inclusive Representation in IEP Meetings
New Jersey Policy Institute
Lights, Camera, Accountability: SC School Boards Go Live With New Streaming Policy Passed by State Board
Palmetto Promise
Three University Institutes in South Carolina You’ve Probably Never Heard of But Should Know
Palmetto Promise
Pepperdine Law’s Pulitzer Winner Edward Larson on 100th Anniv. of Scopes Monkey Trial
Pioneer Institute
Let’s Celebrate (and learn from) State Tech, One of the Best Technical Colleges in the Country
Show-Me Institute
(Machine) Learning in Louisiana Schools
The Pelican Institute for Public Policy
Iowa Mom Threatened with Lawsuit for Criticizing Curriculum at School Board Meeting
Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty
Energy and Environment
Rochester to delay climate dreams?
American Experiment
Leaving Xcel
American Experiment
‘All of the above’ is the wrong answer
Mackinac Center
After 50 years, the Snake River Dams have been a blessing and will continue to be
Mountain States Policy Center
Compassion, meat eating can co-exist
Pacific Research Institute
SpaceX Vs. California – Again
Pacific Research Institute
Urbanists See Portents of Doom: Will floods, fire or earthquakes wipe out Sacramento?
Pacific Research Institute
Steven Greenhut – Protecting Cities from Wildfires
Pacific Research Institute
New Metric Shows How Much Washington Squanders Environmental Funding
Washington Policy Center
Healthcare
Mayo, others opt out of $2.8 billion settlement against Blue Cross
American Experiment
A Free Market Fix for Health Insurance
Goldwater Institute
Mamdani’s pledged ‘war’ on Trump would mean nightmare for NYC
John Locke Foundation
Spoonful of sugar won’t make America healthy again
Mackinac Center
Let the Obamacare subsidies expire
Pacific Research Institute
More Big Beautiful Medicaid Changes
Show-Me Institute
Arkansas PBM Law Enjoined
The Pelican Institute for Public Policy
Housing Affordability
Despite Statewide Legalization, Boston has a lot of Work to Do to Allow By-Right ADUs Within Its Borders
Pioneer Institute
Texas Just Provided a Housing Lifeline—Dallas-Fort Worth Cities Should Grab It
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Jobs and State Economies
Data show that the number of restaurants in Minneapolis is falling
American Experiment
Is California’s Economy Really Larger Than Japan’s?
California Policy Center
Businesses moving out of Illinois triples since pandemic
Illinois Policy Institute
Illinois forms businesses at one of lowest rates in Midwest
Illinois Policy Institute
Illinois ranks 17th for best state to live in: hurt by economy, affordability
Illinois Policy Institute
DOGE Taskforce Targets Red Tape in Iowa Government
ITR Foundation
Kansas Can’t Afford to Lose Trust in the Jobs Numbers
Kansas Policy Institute
Have legislators learned their lesson about selective subsidies?
Mackinac Center
Which state was ranked the most economically free?
Mountain States Policy Center
What Is the Free Market, Anyway?
The Pelican Institute for Public Policy
Spanberger Proposal Would Undermine Local Economic Growth
Thomas Jefferson Institute
State Budgets
Justin Bogie: Alabama’s grocery tax cut is a win – but lawmakers should finish the job
Alabama Policy Institute
State government lands local governments with higher burden of policing cannabis market
American Experiment
CPC releases coalition letter exposing AB 84’s fiscal impact
California Policy Center
John Moorlach: Don’t let Sacramento hide the truth about new taxes
California Policy Center
Special Session Should Use Emergency Funds, Not Punish Oregonians
Cascade Policy Institute
Pa. Senate Passes Budget Protecting Taxpayers, as Shapiro, House Democrats Continue Gridlock
Commonwealth Foundation
Average New NYC Fire Pensions Surpass $170K
Empire Center
Dems desperate to deflect blame for self-inflicted budget wound
Independence Institute
Chicago retirement fund for first responders at greater risk
Illinois Policy Institute
Chicago alderman’s $120K pension shows why city fund is broken
Illinois Policy Institute
Vallas: Pritzker works on national profile as Illinoisans tire of him
Illinois Policy Institute
DOGE Taskforce Considers Pension Overhaul for New Hires
ITR Foundation
Iowa DOGE Rethinks Governments Shaped by Horse-and-Buggy
ITR Foundation
Nebraska’s Top Property Tax Targets
Platte Institute
Texas Pursues Property Tax Reforms in Special Session
Platte Institute
Keller leads in ABQ Mayoral Race Funding: RGF decries broken campaign finance system
Rio Grande Foundation
The Taxman Cometh: City of Canyon
Texas Public Policy Foundation
The Taxman Cometh: City of Justin
Texas Public Policy Foundation
The Taxman Cometh: City of Mesquite
Texas Public Policy Foundation
The Taxman Cometh: City of Irving
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Workplace Freedom
The Wilson Tindi effect
American Experiment
Who protects the protectors? The harsh reality for Kansas prison staff
Freedom Foundation
Trump stands up to ‘woke’ banks
John Locke Foundation
My Dues Paid for WHAT?
The Pelican Institute for Public Policy
Other
Patience of the saints for Minnesota Man
American Experiment
Feeding Our Future: 52nd conviction
American Experiment
White House announces bold plan to address crime and vagrancy in DC
American Experiment
The Week in Populism
California Policy Center
Snow: Gerrymandering Is a Distraction
Indiana Policy
The Outstater
Indiana Policy
U.S. Constitution guided Hoover’s presidency
ITR Foundation
Company that pays DC protesters sees 400% jump in demand
John Locke Foundation
Victimhood, narcissism, and today’s leftist journalists
John Locke Foundation
UN-backed group changed standard to declare Gaza famine
John Locke Foundation
SCOTUS stopped univeral injunctions … or not
John Locke Foundation
Texas redistricting ‘breaks’ Democratic Party
John Locke Foundation
Defending Thomas’s Bruen ruling on constitutional rights
John Locke Foundation
Republican State Senator Rips Milwaukee Police Chief’s Raise
MacIver Institute
WEC Argues it Must Have “ability to intervene,” “correct unlawful actions”
MacIver Institute
Madison City Attorney Fights Ordered Election Changes
MacIver Institute
Wisconsin Free/reduced Lunch Income Requirements Jump 3%
MacIver Institute
The case for waiting: Why our kids don’t need smartphones just yet
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Seattle’s ‘top two’ primary shows why Oklahoma should steer clear
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Montana Leads the Way on Digital Liberty. Will South Carolina Follow?
Palmetto Promise
Crime, Public Safety, and Perception in St. Louis with Braxton Steele
Show-Me Institute
Trump sends military after the cartels and it’s long overdue
Texas Public Policy Foundation
The Network in the News
In Crain’s Cleveland Business, The Buckeye Institute’s Greg R. Lawson offers policy solutions to untie Ohio’s property tax Gordian Knot.
In the Yellowhamer News, the Alabama Policy Institute’s Justin Bogie notes Alabama’s grocery tax cut is a win—but lawmakers should finish the job.
At InsideSources, the Commonwealth Foundation’s Kevin Kane urges Pennsylvania to adopt the REINS Act.
In the Dalton Daily Citizen, the Georgia Public Policy Foundation’s Athan Clark highlights how the Georgia Promise Scholarship is changing lives this year.
In The Daily Caller, the Illinois Policy Institute’s Brad Weisenstein criticizes Gov. J.B. Pritzker for condemning GOP gerrymandering while defending and potentially worsening Illinois’s own
The Independence Institute’s Nash Herman wrote an op-ed in Complete Colorado, pushing back on Colorado Democrats’ claim that the state budgetary woes are due to TABOR.
In The OC Register, the Independent Institute’s Kristian Fors highlights new FAIR Plan data that reveals that wildfire risk is not equally distributed in California.
In The Gazette, Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation’s John Hendickson notes the semiquincentennial is an opportunity for the nation to remember Herbert Hoover’s forgotten legacy as a defender of constitutional principles.
Boise State Public Radio interviewed the Mountain States Policy Center’s Jason Mercier about Idaho’s midyear cuts in spending.
In the Washington Examiner, the Pacific Research Institute’s Sally Pipes encourages policymakers to let the Obamacare subsidies expire.
In the Tri-City Herald, the Washington Policy Center’s Todd Myers notes that after 50 years, the Snake River Dams have been a blessing and will continue to be.
