Research and Commentaries
-
Research & Commentary: Alabama Medicaid Expansion
Publication -Research and Commentaries -At a recent meeting, the Alabama Health Care Improvement Task Force recommended Gov. Robert Bentley and the legislature expand the state’s Medicaid program. -
Research & Commentary: Ethanol Mandates and Renewable Fuel Standards Hurt Illinois Residents and Farmers
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Center for Regulatory Solutions (CRS) has produced a series of reports on the deleterious effects of the corn ethanol mandate, also known as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), on state economies and environments. -
Research & Commentary: Las Vegas Casinos Fight to Choose Electricity Suppliers
Publication -Research and Commentaries -It takes a lot of electricity to make sure the bright lights of Sin City stay on. One hotel and casino will, on its own, use more electricity than an entire mid-sized city. -
Research & Commentary: Virginia Should Oppose McAuliffe Medicaid Expansion Plans
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, allows states to expand Medicaid to cover individuals making up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level. -
Research & Commentary: East St. Louis Teacher Strike
Publication -Research and Commentaries -More than 6,000 students in East St. Louis, Illinois were forced out of the classroom for the entire month of October by a protracted strike by the East St. Louis Federation of Teachers. -
Research & Commentary: SNAP Asset Testing
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as the Food Stamp system, has become one of the fastest-growing welfare programs. SNAP is the fourth-largest means-tested program for low-income families and individuals. -
Research & Commentary: Arkansas Private Option Should Serve as Warning to Other States
Publication -Research and Commentaries -In several states that have chosen not to expand their Medicaid programs under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare), lawmakers are offering proposals to expand Medicaid under new plans designed to improve the -
Research & Commentary: The Compact for a Balanced Budget
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The U.S. national debt has reached a staggering $18.5 trillion. Several national entitlement programs are headed toward bankruptcy – some as soon as 2016 – and state and local governments face their own impending debt crises. -
Research & Commentary: New Jersey Gasoline and Estate Tax Reform
Publication -Research and Commentaries -New Jersey’s roads and bridges are in dire need of repair, and the funds to cover maintenance are beginning to run dry. -
Research & Commentary: New CDC Report Finds Vaping Helps Smokers Quit
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Electronic cigarettes have quickly become one of the most popular tobacco replacement products, with the total market expected to hit $1.7 billion in 2015. -
Research & Commentary: Wyoming Tobacco Taxes
Publication -Research and Commentaries -As states continue to face budget problems, some have considered so-called “sin” taxes to bring in more revenues. -
Research & Commentary: New York Common Core Task Force
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The New York state Common Core Task Force, commissioned in September of 2015 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to “overhaul” the state’s Common Core State Standards (CCSS) system, met for the first time in mid-October 2015. -
Research & Commentary: Nebraska Civil Asset Forfeiture
Publication -Research and Commentaries -A new report from the American Civil Liberties Union has shined a light on a growing issue in Nebraska, the increasing use of civil asset forfeiture and the practice known as equitable sharing. -
Research & Commentary: Wyoming Tobacco Taxes
Publication -Research and Commentaries -As states continue to face budget problems, some have considered so-called “sin” taxes to bring in more revenues. -
Research & Commentary: Internet Access Taxes and the ITFA Moratorium
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Since 1998, the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) has helped promote the growth of the Internet by prohibiting state and local taxation of Internet access and discriminatory taxes on emails and other electronic data. -
Research & Commentary: Certificate of Need Debate Continues in Georgia
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Georgia is one of 36 states with certificate of need (CON) laws, intended to slow the growth of health care prices, promote consolidation of health care providers, and limit duplication of services. -
Research & Commentary: Louisiana Should Continue to Fight Medicaid Expansion
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Thirty states and the District of Columbia have chosen to expand their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. Twenty states, including Louisiana, have refused to do so. -
Research & Commentary: EPA and GWPC: Ohio Is Right, Anti-Frackers Wrong on Class II Injection Wells
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Two recently released reports on Ohio’s Class II wastewater injection well program have discredited claims made by opponents of hydraulic fracturing, specifically that the creation of wells leads directly to earthquakes and that the Ohio Department of -
Research & Commentary: Waters of the United States
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has issued a temporary nationwide injunction on the controversial new Waters of the United States rule (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. The U.S. -
Research & Commentary: Ohio Right-to-Work
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Ohio is considering becoming the 26th right-to-work state, a reform that would create new jobs and improve the state’s business climate and economic competitiveness. -
Research & Commentary: South Dakota Medicaid Expansion
Publication -Research and Commentaries -South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R) proposes to expand the state’s Medicaid program under a provision of the Affordable Care Act. If the Obama administration approves the plan, South Dakota will become the 31st state to expand Medicaid under Obamacare. -
Research & Commentary: Student Loan Default Rates at Iowa Community Colleges
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Many young adults who do not have much interest in going to college, or lack the aptitude for it, are being shoehorned into postsecondary schools. Most go because they have been told their entire lives the only way to get ahead is with a college degree. -
Research & Commentary: Oklahoma Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Oklahoma has terrible civil forfeiture laws, according to analysts at the nonpartisan Institute for Justice, with statutes giving law enforcement officials significant financial incentives to seize property. -
Research & Commentary: West Virginia Sin Taxes and Vaping
Publication -Research and Commentaries -West Virginia has become increasingly reliant on revenues from sin taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and gaming to close budget gaps.
