Recent Research & Commentary

Research & Commentary: Idaho Medicaid Expansion

Kendall Antekeier
October 10, 2012

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (popularly known as Obamacare), Idaho, like other states, must now decide whether to expand its Medicai

Research & Commentary: Sequestration Impact on Education

Joy Pullmann
October 8, 2012

In the 2011 federal budget deal to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, Congress set up automatic cuts to federal spending that would kick in if they could not agree on how to cut each department speci

Research & Commentary: Arkansas’ Mediocre Education Quality

Joy Pullmann
October 4, 2012

As significant education reforms sweep the country, Arkansas has made few consequential reforms in the past decade.

Research & Commentary: Texas Pension Reform

Matthew Glans
October 3, 2012

Like many other states across the nation, Texas faces tough decisions about the pension benefits it provides its state employees.

Research & Commentary: Voice over Internet Protocol Deregulation

Matthew Glans
October 3, 2012

A product that is quickly changing the telecom industry and how people communicate is voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) calling, where voice and multimedia communication are conducted and transmi

Research & Commentary: Wyoming Health Insurance Exchange and Medicaid Expansion

Kendall Antekeier
September 19, 2012

Like most states after the Supreme Court decision on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), Wyoming continues to debate how best to maintain control over its health care system.

Research & Commentary: Omaha Cigarette Occupation Tax

Matthew Glans
September 14, 2012

In the past two years, Omaha restaurant customers have paid around $50 million in taxes, and the city is now considering levying a new occupation tax on smokers.

Research & Commentary: Idaho Unemployment Insurance and Overpayments

Matthew Glans
September 13, 2012

Idaho, like most U.S. states, has struggled to keep its unemployment insurance fund solvent. The unemployment trust fund already faced insolvency once as a result of the 2008 recession.

Research & Commentary: Food Stamp Reform

Matthew Glans
September 13, 2012

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), previously known as the Food Stamp program, has become one of the fastest-growing welfare programs of the U.S. government.

Research & Commentary: The Connect America Fund and Broadband Internet Taxes

Matthew Glans
September 13, 2012

In 2011 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created the Connect America Fund (CAF) by taking $4.5 billion from the Universal Service Fund (USF) designed to provide advanced telecommunicatio