Announcements
The Alabama Policy Institute highlighted how the CHOOSE Act is empowering families by ensuring every child in Alabama has access to a high-quality education.
The Beacon Center of Tennessee released their latest poll, which surveyed 1,200 Tennessee voters on property taxes, the federal school choice tax credit, and political approval ratings.
Center of the American Experiment launched a book club to celebrate the semiquincentennial.
The MacIver Institute noted that there is currently no plan to address property taxes at the Wisconsin Capitol, despite a nearly $2 billion budget surplus.
The Mackinac Center noted healthcare challenges in Michigan have been exacerbated by existing licensing rules.
The Maine Policy Institute raised concerns over a proposed statewide eviction moratorium, arguing that such measures could negatively impact the housing market.
The Palmetto Promise Institute highlighted new legislation aimed at eliminating non-compete agreements in physician contracts, which could improve healthcare access.
People United for Privacy celebrated the passage of privacy protections for nonprofits and donors in the federal government funding bill.
The Yankee Institute released its 2026 legislative agenda, focusing on affordability and fiscal stability for Connecticut families and communities.
Success Stories
Minnesota: The Center of the American Experiment’s $7k for Kids campaign enjoyed a big night at precinct caucuses, as over 1,000 precincts debated and passed a resolution adding Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) to the state party platforms.
Michigan: Four former governors participated in a civility panel hosted by the Mackinac Center, reflecting on past debates and proposing strategies to foster peaceful dialogue.
Texas: The Texas Public Policy Foundation highlighted how Texas’ new school choice program is setting records for applications.
Wisconsin: Lawmakers paused a $1,000,000 allocation for DPI, a decision influenced by oversight efforts from Institute for Reforming Government.
Freedom through the Courts: The Latest Litigation Efforts across the Network
The Buckeye Institute filed an amicus brief in Carbin v. Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters, calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case and revive the judiciary’s independent duty to interpret and enforce constitutional limits. The Manhattan Institute joined The Buckeye Institute in filing its brief.
Solutions from the States: This Week’s Policy Briefs
The Badger Institute highlighted concerns about Wisconsin’s growing educator crisis, noting that retaining effective teachers is vital for school effectiveness and student achievement.
The Common Sense Institute highlighted that Arizona’s child welfare reforms reduced the number of children in out-of-home care by half.
The Empire Center issued a report arguing against further tax hikes in New York, claiming that increasing the already high tax burden would be unnecessary.
Independence Institute noted that Colorado’s budget deficits stem from Medicaid bloat, emphasizing that ending this over-expenditure is crucial to achieving a balanced budget.
Evaluating potential models for an Electoral College, The Mountain States Policy Center examined their legal viability and effects on campaign incentives.
The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs noted that State Question 832 could raise prices for consumers while limiting job opportunities for low-wage workers.
The Washington Policy Center highlighted ten reasons why the proposed 9.9% state income tax should be rejected, emphasizing that it won’t solve Washington’s budget issues.
Policy Watch
Nationwide: Several states, including Georgia, Indiana, North Dakota, Florida, and Texas are considering eliminating property taxes for homeowners.
Arizona: Lawmakers are proposing a constitutional amendment to ban DEI programs and diversity statements in public agencies and schools.
Colorado: The Independence Institute is calling out lawmakers for continuing to hand out special-interest tax breaks while claiming a $1.2 billion budget shortfall.
Indiana: Lawmakers are advancing a bill to ease zoning restrictions and allow more duplexes and accessory dwelling units statewide, which the Mercatus Center calls essential to addressing the state’s housing shortage.
Iowa: Lawmakers are considering the most significant certificate-of-need reforms in years, which the ITR Foundation says would restore healthcare competition and lower costs.
Massachusetts: Union leaders are suing to block a ballot question, backed by the Pioneer Institute and others, that would cut the state income tax from 5% to 4% over three years.
Missouri: Lawmakers are considering two bills that would allow any student to transfer to a public school outside their district, which the Show-Me Institute calls a cost-effective way to expand school choice.
Nebraska: Lawmakers are considering a cigarette tax hike to offset Medicaid costs, which the Reason Foundation warns would drive cross-border smuggling and create an unreliable revenue source.
New Hampshire: The Senate passed a bill allowing students to attend any public school statewide, regardless of where they live.
Oregon: Lawmakers are considering a bill to create a state-sponsored nonprofit for net-zero energy projects, which the Cascade Policy Institute argues should be funded through philanthropy, not taxpayer-financed debt.
Wisconsin: Lawmakers are considering a bill, backed by the Badger Institute, that would allow aspiring CPAs to qualify for licensure with a bachelor’s degree and two years of work experience, eliminating the state’s 150-credit-hour requirement.
Wisconsin: Gov. Evers has vowed to veto a GOP bill eliminating race-based financial aid programs in the state’s university system.
Jobs in the Network
Major Gifts Officer— Illinois Policy Institute (Chicago, IL)
Energy Policy Fellow — Center of the American Experiment (Minnetonka, MN)
Director of Communications — Hall of Giants (Remote or Chicago, IL)
Policy News from the States
Topics:
K-12 Education
Alabama school choice debate collides with football: How popular is the CHOOSE Act?
Alabama Policy Institute
Education Freedom Day held outside Alabama State House
Alabama Policy Institute
EDUCATION FREEDOM DAY – 2026
Alabama Policy Institute
How to learn the academic quality of your public school
American Experiment
A new administrative hurdle for school districts: Paid Medical and Family Leave
American Experiment
World report finds young people may have the credentials, but lack the skills
American Experiment
Giving Families an Escape Hatch from NYC Public Schools
Empire Center
Dr. John Dixon: Charter Schools, Choice, and Accountability
Empower Mississippi
Idaho schools paying $1.2 million per year for IEA/NEA dues
Freedom Foundation
Idaho schools paying $1.2 million per year for IEA/NEA dues
Idaho Freedom Foundation
Most states already say ‘yes’ to donations for students
Illinois Policy Institute
How accountable are North Carolina public schools, really — Part 2
John Locke Foundation
Johnson County superintendents fail 4th-grade math
Kansas Policy Institute
Rochester Schools Trustee Sues to Protect Her Right to Speak with Constituents
Mackinac Center
Idaho’s parental choice tax credit signups continue at impressive pace
Mountain States Policy Center
America 250: MSPC launches “We the Students” Civics Bowl
Mountain States Policy Center
Will Governor Ferguson prioritize union relationships over expanded education opportunities for students?
Mountain States Policy Center
Wisconsin lawmakers withhold funding to DPI over resort spending
Reforming Government
Wisconsin committee delays $1M in education funding over $369K resort spending
Reforming Government
Delayed DPI Records Reveal Taxpayers Soaked with $368K Water Park Resort Bill to Weaken State Exam Standards
Reforming Government
Report: DPI spent $369K on standard-setting event at Wisconsin Dells resort
Reforming Government
To the Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee: We Have a Problem
Show-Me Institute
The Six Words Driving the Education Debate in 2026 With Mike McShane
Show-Me Institute
Signing Up for Educational Freedom is Easy
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Texas A&M is Right to End Women and Gender Studies
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Students Used as Collateral in Adult Political Fights
Texas Public Policy Foundation
This is What Indoctrination—Rather Than Education—Looks Like
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Energy and Environment
Massive new Texas power plant
American Experiment
Can California’s Oil Industry Survive?
California Policy Center
Require counties to allow rainwater catchment systems in all areas
Grassroot Institute
Climate alarmism rings hollow during this DC winter
John Locke Foundation
Freedom Notes U.S.A.: Americans want the lights on
Mackinac Center
Governor Spanberger, Winter Storm Fern Showed Us Wind and Solar Are Inadequate
Thomas Jefferson Institute
Healthcare
Minnesota healthcare providers must stop anti-ICE rhetoric
American Experiment
Sending out the 168
American Experiment
Op-Ed: Hospitals Collect Tax Breaks. West Virginians Collect Medical Debt.
Cardinal Institute
House Bill 549 — Hospital districts, dissolution (+1)
Idaho Freedom Foundation
Congress could fix entitlement fraud problem if motivated
John Locke Foundation
Labeling the Golden State ‘Cali-fraudia’
John Locke Foundation
In the rush to hold insurers to account, don’t forget about hospitals
Pacific Research Institute
Healthcare Reform Should Take Aim at Hidden Prices
Pacific Research Institute
Sorry, but single-payer won’t fix American health care
Pacific Research Institute
Housing Affordability
Allow dwellings in industrial-commercial mixed-use zones
Grassroot Institute
Increase number of bedrooms allowed per wastewater system
Grassroot Institute
Prohibit counties from imposing inclusionary zoning mandates
Grassroot Institute
A State of the State Built on “You’re Welcome”
Maine Policy Institute
Housing costs drove the majority of nation’s fertility drop
Pacific Research Institute
Jobs and State Economies
Mass resignations from U.S. Attorney’s Office will hinder the fight against fraud in Minnesota
American Experiment
Honolulu’s economic revitalization office has revitalized very little
Grassroot Institute
Illinois’ social mobility is worst in Midwest
Illinois Policy Institute
Trucking industry vet calls Illinois toll hike needless punishment
Illinois Policy Institute
Keating: Drama at the Federal Reserve
Indiana Policy
Florida Politics: Don’t Hit Pause — Why the Netflix-Warner Bros. Merger Should Proceed
James Madison Institute
Trump still has time to return to what got him elected
John Locke Foundation
Car companies have lost $114B on EVs
John Locke Foundation
Tech company bolts California for Florida
John Locke Foundation
Indiana chokes with new cigarette taxes
Mackinac Center
Wyoming can lead on portable benefits — A new path for workers and businesses
Mountain States Policy Center
Utah’s “bull manure” plan to increase gas prices in Idaho not well received – likely unconstitutional
Mountain States Policy Center
Spending Watch: The Taxing Wealth Tax
Pacific Research Institute
State Budgets
Dr. Oz Pulls Back the Curtain on MN Fraud
American Experiment
Seven Reasons Not To Raise Taxes in New York
Empire Center
Tim Pawlenty: The Crisis Will Subside in Minnesota, but Trust Will Need to be Rebuilt
Freedom Foundation of Minnesota
Apply sunshine law to government contractors
Grassroot Institute
Online databse would give public access to budget expenditures
Grassroot Institute
House Concurrent Resolution 25 — Calling for a Constitutional Convention (-1)
Idaho Freedom Foundation
Kifowit bill risks digging Illinois pension hole deeper
Illinois Policy Institute
Illinois No. 3 in U.S. for high gas taxes
Illinois Policy Institute
Illinois politicians still want boosted tax power
Illinois Policy Institute
Is a 2% Property Tax Cap ‘Unrealistic’? Some Iowa Cities Are Already Doing It
ITR Foundation
Property Taxes at a Breaking Point as New Revolt Takes Shape
ITR Foundation
Tax Relief, Spending Growth, and Restraint
ITR Foundation
Not all property tax levy limits are created equal
John Locke Foundation
California needs budget restraint not double-digit spending increases
Pacific Research Institute
A Steady-State Budget in a Moment of Crisis
Pioneer Institute
Dan O’Donnell Show covers how IRG oversight and reporting from Dairyland Sentinel led lawmakers to pause $1,000,000 for DPI
Reforming Government
The TIF that Keeps Taking
Show-Me Institute
What’s the Deal with the Tax Subsidies for Youth Sports Centers?
Show-Me Institute
Supermajority Solutions for Texas Taxpayers
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Workplace Freedom
Arizona Moves to Permanently End DEI Through Constitutional Reform
Goldwater Institute
Professor Illegally Forced into DEI Training Deserves His Day in Court
Goldwater Institute
House Bill 557 — Antidiscrimination, local gov (+3)
Idaho Freedom Foundation
Senate Bill 1241 — Protection of working animals (+1)
Idaho Freedom Foundation
Other
Police federation leaders critical of police tactics surrendering to politics
American Experiment
The habeas travesty
American Experiment
The Habeas Exodus
American Experiment
KSTP poll finds that Minnesotans favor local law enforcement helping federal immigration authorities by 14 points
American Experiment
Habeas at the southern border
American Experiment
Introducing TennSight, Tennessee’s only hub for voter insights
Beacon Center of Tennessee
312 Out of More than 3 Million Votes
Freedom Foundation of Minnesota
Prohibit nepotism regarding state contracts
Grassroot Institute
House Bill 542 — Harms from addictive social media (+1)
Idaho Freedom Foundation
Senate Bill 1233 — Constitutional courts act (-2)
Idaho Freedom Foundation
House Bill 524 — Child Custody Interference (+1)
Idaho Freedom Foundation
Senate Bill 1231 — Liquor, established caterers (-1)
Idaho Freedom Foundation
Chicago violent crime at decade low as arrest rates rise
Illinois Policy Institute
Student group shifts from anti-Israel to anti-ICE actions
John Locke Foundation
Poorly taught AI rejects truth, virtue
John Locke Foundation
Celebrating Alito’s 20 years on SCOTUS
John Locke Foundation
Anti-Israel students bash Klein even as he agrees with them
John Locke Foundation
Age Verification Isn’t Parenting
Kansas Policy Institute
The meaning of America, 250 years later
Mackinac Center
Buttressing the Montana Constitution’s protection for property rights
Mountain States Policy Center
Conservatism Past, Present and Future with Charles Kesler, Matt Continetti and Steven Hayward
Pacific Research Institute
Benjamin Yount Discusses Successful IRG Oversight Efforts Alongside the Dairyland Sentinel
Reforming Government
Nicki Minaj Is Right. We Need Voter ID.
Texas Public Policy Foundation
The Network in the News
In a piece for Inside Sources, the Georgia Center for Opportunity’s Eric Cochling highlights some of the issues states will focus on in their legislative sessions this spring.
In the Dallas Morning News, the Beacon Center’s Patrick Gleason explains why California’s wealth tax proposal is great news for Texas.
In an op-ed for the Charleston Gazette-Mail, the Cardinal Institute’s Jessica Dobrinsky argues that West Virginia should tighten oversight of nonprofit hospitals.
In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Commonwealth Foundation’s Nathan Benefield and Jacob Custer argue that Pennsylvania is losing residents to out-migration and needs more workers to address its demographic and economic challenges.
In the Franklin County Citizen, the Georgia Public Policy Foundation’s Chris Denson considers how to cap property taxes in Georgia.
In the Chicago Tribune, the Illinois Policy Institute’s Brad Weisenstein notes Illinois should celebrate America’s 250th by ending the state ban on fireworks.
At Fortune, the Independent Institute’s Edward Peter Stringham points out banning investors won’t fix America’s housing shortage.
At RealClearPolitics, the John Locke Foundation’s Andy Jackson argues the racial gerrymandering case before the Supreme Court does not gut the Voting Rights Act.
In the Omaha World-Herald, the Platte Institute’s Jim Vokal argues that property tax relief should be built into the system through structural reforms like automatic rate rollbacks.
In the Wall Street Journal, Mackinac Center Legal Foundation client Carol Beth Litkouhi describes why she decided to file a lawsuit against her school district after they censured her for being transparent with her constituents
In newspapers across Mississippi, the Mississippi Center for Public Policy’s Douglas Carswell encouraged policymakers not to water down the school choice bill.
In The Center Square, the Mountain States Policy Center’s Jason Mercier outlines seven questions for lawmakers proposing an income tax for Washington state.
In the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Nevada Policy’s Anahit Baghshetsyan argues that Nevada needs an independent inspector general to prevent fraud and misuse of public funds.
In The Post and Courier, the Palmetto Promise Institute’s Ryan Dellinger points out South Carolina students deserve public options beyond school district lines.
In The Washington Post, the Washington Policy Center’s Ryan Frost and Mark Harmsworth note Washington state’s self-inflicted fiscal crisis is a warning.
