Announcements
The ITR Foundation highlighted the significant improvement in Iowa’s business tax climate, moving from 43rd to 17th, yet noted the state still ranks 33rd in property tax burden.
The John Locke Foundation released their latest Carolina Journal poll.
The MacIver Institute noted that weighting criteria, rather than cutting scores, are masking underachievement in Wisconsin schools, as outlined in their recent research analysis.
After 2,500 days in office, the Mackinac Center pointed out that Governor Whitmer has not applied the Freedom of Information Act to her own office.
The Mississippi Center for Public Policy reported that Mississippi has received global recognition, showcasing the state’s achievements and positive developments in various fields.
New Jersey Policy Institute announced the launch of its inaugural class of 2026 Junior Fellows, a program aimed at engaging young leaders in policy discussions.
Reason Foundation has published its 2025 K-12 Education Spending Spotlight. The report shows that while public school spending is rising, enrollment has been falling since the pandemic.
In a heartfelt tribute, the Show-Me Institute mourned the passing of Joseph Forshaw IV, a dedicated member of Show-Me’s Board of Directors whose contributions will be deeply missed.
The Washington Policy Center noted that high taxes and regulations are contributing to a wealth exodus, with residents relocating to lower-tax states.
Success Stories
Ohio lawmakers passed three bills reflecting Buckeye Institute recommendations to curb unvoted property tax hikes, give county budget commissions tools to lower taxes, and ease the overall property tax burden on homeowners.
The Kansas School Board Resource Center, part of Kansas Policy Institute’s durable freedom infrastructure, led the successful search effort to find a new superintendent for USD 361.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Libertyapplauded the Wisconsin State Assembly for passing significant education reforms, including the Wisconsin Teacher Bill of Rights.
Freedom through the Courts: The Latest Litigation Efforts across the Network
The Buckeye Institute has filed its response to the federal government’s appeal in Buckeye Institute v. IRS, a major First Amendment case challenging a decades-old law that forces nonprofits to disclose donors’ names and addresses to the government.
The Buckeye Institute filed an amicus brief in B.A. v. Tri County Area Schools, urging the Sixth Circuit to rehear the case, overturn the panel’s decision, and affirm that students’ political speech—including a “Let’s Go Brandon” shirt—is protected by the First Amendment.
The Buckeye Institute urged the U.S. Department of Energy to cut regulatory barriers and adopt free-market reforms to speed energy infrastructure development and meet rising electricity demand.
In a new lawsuit, the Goldwater Institute highlighted the importance of transparency in public records, emphasizing its importance for accountability at the Arizona Supreme Court.
Kansas Justice Institute secured a major First Amendment victory when a federal court ruled Salina violated Cozy Inn’s free speech rights by stopping its UFO-themed mural. The ruling strikes down content-based restrictions in the city’s sign code and lets the restaurant finish its mural.
The Liberty Justice Center has filed Rigau v. Puerto Rico Industrial Commission after the agency continued deducting union dues from Luis Rigau’s paycheck despite his 2018 post-Janus resignation.
A lawsuit filed by Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty targets the foundation of federal DEI programs, challenging the preference for so-called “socially disadvantaged individuals”.
Solutions from the States: This Week’s Policy Briefs
A new Common Sense Institute report finds that Arizona’s restrictive land trust policies have left up to $140 billion untapped—and that modernizing the system could unlock major funding.
The Idaho Freedom Foundation noted that many Idaho government agencies are holding onto hundreds of millions in tax dollars, with cash balances large enough to cover the state’s deficit.
The Illinois Policy Institute pointed out that high taxes, red tape, and fiscal mismanagement have stalled Chicago’s economy.
A new study from Pioneer Institute found that even after statewide legalization, construction of accessory dwelling units lags due to local zoning and permitting practices.
Rising electricity prices in California, the Texas Public Policy Foundation highlighted, are more a result of Biden’s green energy policies than Trump’s reforms.
The Pelican Institute for Public Policy found that competition and innovation are essential for unlocking fast and accessible internet.
Jobs in the Network
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Email Marketing Manager — Cato Institute (DC)
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Policy News from the States
Topics:
K-12 Education
Minneapolis Public Schools’ experimental anti-vaping plan
American Experiment
Four-day school week: Cutting a day risks student achievement
American Experiment
Wisconsin DPI mired in one scandal after another
Badger Institute
Republican candidates join nationwide scrutiny of tenure
Badger Institute
How States Can Use Short-Term Workforce Pell Grants to Help Students Succeed
The Foundation for Government Accountability
Aaron Withe Statement on Trump Administration’s Bold Action to Dismantle Education Bureaucracy
Freedom Foundation
Franke: The Thankful Month
Indiana Policy
Cal State schools require DEI classes for graduation
John Locke Foundation
Smarter rules and better schools could get Michigan back on its feet
Mackinac Center
Freedom notes U.S.A.: South Carolina goes farther with charters
Mackinac Center
Maine Human Rights Commission’s New Lawsuit a State-Level Battle in a National Storm
Maine Policy Institute
Mississippi Voters Demand Universal School Choice – New Poll Shows Overwhelming Support
Minnesota Policy
Idaho should embrace performance-based funding for higher education
Mountain States Policy Center
Charter schools outperform OKCPS despite similar poverty levels
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
A $250,000 state superintendent? Oklahoma’s pay-raise panel triggers…
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
The BASIC Fund Gives Hope for a Better Education to Low-Income Children
Pacific Research Institute
Freedom notes USA: South Carolina goes farther with charters : Palmetto Promise Institute
Palmetto Promise Institute
Houston Supt. Mike Miles on Urban School District Reform
Pioneer Institute
Luncheon: Connor Boyack, Author of the “Tuttle Twins” on teaching liberty to future generations – Errors of Enchantment
Rio Grande Foundation
We’re Destroying Meritocracy
Show-Me Institute
Take Your Kids to Poland to Confront the Terrible History of Communism and Naziism
Texas Public Policy Foundation
3 Things to Know About the Lawsuit Challenging Louisiana’s Act 409
The Pelican Institute for Public Policy
Energy and Environment
Shifting Costs Does Not Solve California’s Electricity Shortages
California Policy Center
Hanson argues reality caught up with climate alarmists
John Locke Foundation
New WOTUS rule would stop federal regulation of puddles
John Locke Foundation
Michigan can easily handle adding data centers
Mackinac Center
Look Out for the ‘Lid Lifters’ Looking for Organic Waste in Your Trash Bin
Pacific Research Institute
Healthcare
Repealing Medicaid Expansion Is the Right Move for Idaho
Idaho Freedom Foundation
PBMs’ Evolving Business Model Continues To Raise Costs On Patients
Pacific Research Institute
Proposition 36 will work if given a chance
Pacific Research Institute
Pharmacists Stand Ready to Relieve Pressure on South Carolina’s Healthcare System : Palmetto Promise Institute
Palmetto Promise Institute
Housing Affordability
“Inspire Oregon” Tackles Rural Housing Crisis
Cascade Policy Institute
A legacy of healing — Documentary tells ReCAST Lawrenceville’s journey through residents’ stories
For Opportunity
Permit family dwellings by right in mixed-use, commercial zones
Grassroot Institute
Update tax deduction eligibility for affordable rentals
Grassroot Institute
Allow property tax exemptions to take effect the same year of filing
Grassroot Institute
Tax relief extension critical to properties destroyed in wildfires
Grassroot Institute
Small lots lower Illinois housing prices, even for big homes
Illinois Policy Institute
Jobs and State Economies
Walz’s Texas-Sized LIES
American Experiment
Allow taxicabs to keep up with inflation, industry competition
Grassroot Institute
Allow Hawaii Island backyard henneries, revisit income potential
Grassroot Institute
Illinois halts federal tax credits intended to boost business
Illinois Policy Institute
Statement From The James Madison Institute on the District Court Ruling in FTC v. Meta
James Madison Institute
Kansas Doesn’t Need to Play Ball With Corporate Welfare
Kansas Policy Institute
Washington employers are sounding the alarm. Will lawmakers listen?
Mountain States Policy Center
Congress Must Act: Preempt State AI Patchwork to Fuel America’s—and Louisiana’s—Innovation Fire
The Pelican Institute for Public Policy
CEO and former ambassador: New Mexico is NOT a poor state (and she has ideas) – Errors of Enchantment
Rio Grande Foundation
New Mexico’s data center frenzy – Errors of Enchantment
Rio Grande Foundation
New Mexico’s workforce participation rate remains below pre-COVD levels – Errors of Enchantment
Rio Grande Foundation
Episode 761: Santa Fe Minimum Wage, Economist Magazine’s Childcare Warning, SNAP Benefits for Fentanyl and more – Errors of Enchantment
Rio Grande Foundation
State Budgets
Why are property taxes rising? Part Two
American Experiment
Newly Retired NYPD Retirees Average $100,000+ in Pension
Empire Center
Illinois police pensions lock up local property taxes
Illinois Policy Institute
Iowans Want Lower Property Taxes—Local Governments Must Change Course
ITR Foundation
Discipline in Iowa income tax reform is the way forward for property tax relief
ITR Foundation
NC’s DOGE-style program discovers lack of transparency at NCDHHS
John Locke Foundation
Plan to Vote on Wisconsin Wheel Taxes Advances
MacIver Institute
Senate Republicans Pass “no brainer” Legislation, Dems Talk Affordability
MacIver Institute
States Should Bring the Working Families Tax Cut Back Home
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Oklahoma’s food-stamp numbers spark questions about fraud
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
How much do PBS employees earn? – Errors of Enchantment
Rio Grande Foundation
Progressives Urge Assembly to Soak the Rich, But Likely Tax Increases Will Reach Everyone
Thomas Jefferson Institute
Workplace Freedom
CPC board promotes Will Swaim to CEO, Jackson Reese to President
California Policy Center
Other
Minnesota Man of the Day
American Experiment
Minnesota Man of the Day
American Experiment
How a Parody of Citizen Government Turned California Into a Hyper-Gerrymandered State
California Policy Center
McGowan: Other Pitchers Who Could Hit
Indiana Policy
The Outstater
Indiana Policy
Capital Young Professionals Gathering
James Madison Institute
The High Class Problem of Too Much Broadband Money
James Madison Institute
Epstein was chummy with high-profile Dems
John Locke Foundation
Entering the scary world of the AI grandma
John Locke Foundation
New federal court case confirms that Montana should join the call for an Amendments Convention
Mountain States Policy Center
Safeguarding Democracy: The Urgent Need to Clean Voter Rolls and Prevent Non-Citizen Voting
MacIver Institute
Online Sports Betting Plan Dead, Till Next Year
MacIver Institute
Evers: Tribal Control of Online Sports Betting “ultimate goal”
MacIver Institute
Safeguarding Democracy: The Urgent Need to Clean Voter Rolls and Prevent Non-Citizen Voting
MacIver Institute
America at 250: Lincoln’s words still define us
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Is the OSU staffer who intimidated a conservative student still…
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Top-two primary proposal draws criticism—from California’s own…
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
The Network in the News
At Townhall, the Foundation for Government Accountability’s Stewart Whitson considers how to tackle the affordability problem—and points out the Left’s agenda is driving up costs.
In Governing, the Georgia Center for Opportunity’s Eric Cochling points out that for work requirements to truly succeed, individual safety net and workforce programs will have to start functioning as a true system.
In the Chicago Tribune, Illinois Policy Institute’s Micky Horstman notes Gen Z can’t afford Chicago’s affordable housing mandate.
The Independence Institute’s Rob Natelson appeared on The John Batchelor Show and opined on federal overreach.
In The Gazette, Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation’s John Hendrickson offers a blueprint for property tax reform in Iowa.
In The Hill, the Kansas Policy Institute’s Dave Trabert notes lowering the bar on proficiency is the latest fad in public education.
In the Lansing State Journal, the Mackinac Center’s Jarrett Skorup makes the case for criminal licensing reform.
In The Center Square, the Mountain States Policy Center’s Amber Gunn highlights how high taxes are hurting Washington businesses.
In his recent column, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs’ Jonathan Small outlines the problems with a proposed minimum-wage law in Oklahoma.
