Research and Commentaries
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Research and Commentary: Texas Medicaid Expansion
Publication -Research and Commentaries -After resisting for 14 years, Texas lawmakers are considering Medicaid expansion under the proposed bills SB 637 and HB 2939. Texas is one of 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) allows states to expand Medicaid coverage to people with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, currently $40,187.50 […] -
Research and Commentary: Kansas Medicaid Expansion
Publication -Research and Commentaries -After resisting for 14 years, Kansas lawmakers are considering Medicaid expansion under the proposed Healthcare Access for Working Kansans (HAWK) Act, SB 257 and HB 2375. -
Research and Commentary: South Carolina Medicaid Expansion
Publication -Research and Commentaries -After resisting for 14 years, South Carolina lawmakers are considering Medicaid expansion under House Bill 3109. South Carolina is one of 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid. -
Research & Commentary: The Time is Now for Universal Education Choice in the Lone Star State
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation introduced in the Texas House of Representatives would establish a universal education savings account (ESA) program open to all children in the Lone Star State. These accounts would cover tuition, fees, and curricula for eligible children at private and parochial schools, as well as textbooks, uniforms, private tutoring services, transportation costs, and educational therapies. Funds […] -
Research & Commentary: Minimum Wage Hikes Are Ill-Timed For Montana
Publication -Research and Commentaries -This week, the Montana House Business and Labor Committee conducted a hearing on House Bill 484, legislation that would raise the minimum wage in Montana from $10.55 per hour to $12.06 per hour with a cost-of-living adjustment conducted annually based on consumer price index (CPI) data. It is not uncommon for some state lawmakers to advocate for […] -
Research & Commentary: Idaho Senate Legislation Would Protect Gem Staters from ESG De-Banking Discrimination
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the Idaho Senate would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure Idahoans are not discriminated against for ideological reasons by financial institutions based on their exercise of speech, political activity, religious views, or their occupation. -
Research & Commentary: Indiana House Legislation Would Protect Hoosiers from ESG De-Banking Discrimination
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the Indiana House of Representatives would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure Hoosiers are not discriminated against for ideological reasons by financial institutions or utility companies based on their exercise of speech, political activity, religious views, or their occupation. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism […] -
Research and Commentary: Mississippi Bill Proposes Easing of Certificate of Need Laws
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Mississippi House of Representatives has passed a bill to remove Certificate of Need (CON) requirements for many health care services and increase the amount a provider can spend before having to get permission from the state. The bill would also provide a faster appeal process for when proposals are denied approval. -
Research & Commentary: Farmer Protection Act Would Provide Protection from ESG for North Carolina’s Agriculture Sector
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the North Carolina House of Representatives, the Farmers Protection Act, would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure North Carolina’s farmers are not discriminated against by financial institutions based on environmental policy. ESG scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly being used by investment firms and financial institutions that forces […] -
Research & Commentary: Georgia Senate Legislation Would Protect Georgians from ESG De-Banking, Utility Discrimination
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the Georgia Senate would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure Georgians are not discriminated against for ideological reasons by financial institutions or utility companies based on their exercise of speech, political activity, religious views, or their occupation. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly being […] -
Research & Commentary: 2025 Should Finally Be the Year When Education Choice Comes to Texas
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation making its way through the Texas legislature would establish a universal education savings account (ESA) program open to all children in the Lone Star State. These accounts would cover tuition, fees, and curricula for eligible children at private and parochial schools, as well as textbooks, private tutoring services, transportation costs, and educational therapies. Funds could […] -
Research & Commentary: Virginia Senate Legislation Would Protect Virginians from ESG De-Banking Discrimination
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the Virginia Senate would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure Virginians are not discriminated against for ideological reasons by financial institutions based on their exercise of speech, political activity, religious views, or their occupation. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly being used by investment […] -
Research and Commentary: Missouri’s Big Tech Policy
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Protections Against Big Tech Censorship Are Integral in Missouri’s Next Legislative Session Legislation that would protect Missourians’ free speech on social media platforms is an integral and timely policy goal that should be considered in 2025. States around the nation have introduced legislation with the same objective in mind since the peak of blatant censorship […] -
Research & Commentary: Universal Freedom Scholarship Program Would Put Wyoming in the Education Freedom Vanguard
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation recently introduced in the Wyoming House of Representatives would change the name of the state’s Education Savings Accounts Program to the Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Program and also universalize it, opening the program up to all Wyoming families. Currently, the Education Savings Account Program, just launched last year, is only open to Wyoming families whose household […] -
Research & Commentary: Farmer Protection Act Would Provide Protection from ESG for South Carolina’s Agriculture Sector
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the South Carolina House of Representatives, the Farmer Protection Act, which would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure South Carolina’s farmers are not discriminated against by financial institutions based on environmental policy. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly being used by investment firms and […] -
Research & Commentary: Push to Universalize New Hampshire’s Educational Freedom Accounts is Appropriate and Timely
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation recently introduced in the New Hampshire House of Representatives would universalize the state’s Education Freedom Accounts Program (EFA), an education savings account (ESA) program, for low- and middle-income students, and open the program up to all New Hampshire families. Access to the EFA Program, launched in 2021, is currently only open to students whose […] -
Research & Commentary: Wyoming Legislation Would Combat ESG and Ensure Cowboy State Funds Invested Appropriately
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the Wyoming House of Representatives would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure state pension funds are invested solely to achieve the maximum return on investment for pensioners, rather than advancing social or political causes that may likely lead to lower returns and financial underperformance. ESG scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism […] -
Research & Commentary: Educational Empowerment Accounts Would Transform Public Education in South Dakota for the Better
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation recently introduced in the South Dakota House of Representatives would establish an “educational empowerment account,” a type of education savings account (ESA) program, in the Mount Rushmore State. These accounts would cover tuition, fees, and curricula for children at private and parochial schools, as well as textbooks, educational therapies, online courses, computer software, and […] -
Research & Commentary: Report Details the Costs, Limitations, and Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicles
Publication -Research and Commentaries -A new report from the Institute for Energy Research (IER) details the costs of electric vehicles (EVs), the limitations to electric vehicle adoption, and the myths surrounding electric vehicle policy. In When Government Chooses Your Car, IER finds that the average price of EVs is 42 percent higher than traditional, internal combustion engine-powered (ICE) vehicles. […] -
Research & Commentary: Report Shows Illinois’ Now-Defunct Tax-Credit Scholarship Program Had Saved Land of Lincoln Taxpayers Over $361 Million Through Fiscal Year 2022
Publication -Research and Commentaries -EdChoice has released an updated version of their Fiscal Effects of School Choice analysis, bringing up to date the latest data and demonstrating the large savings education choice programs have provided taxpayers, and the results were good news for Illinois families. The analysis looked at Illinois’ Invest in Kids Scholarship Tax Credit Program for low-income students, enacted in 2017, […] -
Research & Commentary: Two New Reports Mirror EPA Findings of Significant Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions from the Oil and Gas Industry
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Two reports from oil and gas industry groups released in November detail the voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction efforts led by the industry and highlight the progress being made on that front. The annual progress report of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), a coalition of 12 of the world’s largest oil and […] -
Research and Commentary: Mississippi’s Big Tech Policy
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Protections Against Big Tech Censorship Are Integral in Mississippi’s Next Legislative Session Legislation that would protect Mississippians’ free speech on social media platforms is an integral and timely policy goal that should be considered in 2025. States around the nation have introduced legislation with the same objective in mind since the peak of blatant censorship […] -
Research & Commentary: New Report Shows ESG Leading CalPERS to Underperforming Investment Returns
Publication -Research and Commentaries -A new report from the Pacific Research Institute details how the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) is generating a below-average investment return, in part because of its politicized investment strategy, which incorporates environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scoring. ESG scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly being used by investment firms and financial […] -
Research and Commentary: Wisconsin’s Big Tech Policy
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Protections Against Big Tech Censorship Are Integral in Wisconsin’s Next Legislative Session Legislation that would protect Wisconsinites’ free speech on social media platforms is an integral and timely policy goal that should be considered in 2025. States around the nation have introduced legislation with the same objective in mind since the peak of blatant censorship […]