Research and Commentaries
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Research & Commentary: Nevada Renewable Portfolio Standard
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Nevada legislators are considering adjusting the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS). The RPS requires utilities to obtain a specified percentage of their power from renewable sources by a certain date. -
Research & Commentary: Undermining a Successful Spectrum Auction System
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The increasing number of wireless devices, including cell phones, tablets, and laptops, has made wireless airspace a hot commodity. This airspace, known as spectrum, is a limited resource. -
Research & Commentary: National Infrastructure Bank
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Obama administration recently made the establishment of a National Infrastructure Bank part of its proposed budget. -
Research & Commentary: Proposed Reforms Undermine Medicare Part D’s Success
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Medicare Part D, the Medicare prescription drug benefit for low-income seniors, has been one of the few entitlement success stories since it was passed in 2003. -
Research & Commentary: Michigan Common Core
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Michigan legislature is considering in its 2014 budget a measure that would prohibit the state department of education from using public funds to implement Common Core, national education standards and tests in math and English that 46 states, -
Research & Commentary: Tier 3 Standards for Gasoline
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a new rule requiring gasoline refiners to reduce the sulfur content of their gasoline from 30 parts per million to 10 parts per million on an annual average basis by January 1, 2017. -
Research & Commentary: Online Taxes, Legislative Update
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Early this week Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid began the process of pushing to the Senate floor a major online tax bill originally titled the Marketplace Fairness Act, bypassing the committee process. -
Research & Commentary: Common Core Science Standards
Publication -Research and Commentaries -A consortium of consultants and science educators has released its final draft of what it plans will become national education standards for K-12 science. -
Research & Commentary: Stockton, California and Municipal Bankruptcies
Publication -Research and Commentaries -According to Governing magazine, there were 28 public bankruptcies in 2011 and 2012. Although that number fell short of many experts’ predictions, it still represents a significant increase in defaults. -
Research & Commentary: National Minimum Wage Hike
Publication -Research and Commentaries -In his 2013 State of the Union Address, President Obama proposed increasing the national minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.00 an hour, with the stated goal of raising the incomes of millions of working families. -
Research & Commentary: President Obama’s Universal Pre-K Proposal
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Included in President Barack Obama’s 2014 budget is a proposal to expand federally funded pre-K, to be paid for by raising the federal cigarette tax from $1.01 per pack to $1.95. -
Research & Commentary: Vermont Tax Hikes
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Vermont Legislature is considering a vast new array of tax changes and increases that could have a major effect on Vermonters. -
Research & Commentary: Colorado Renewable Portfolio Standard
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Colorado legislators are bucking the national trend and considering a proposal that would boost the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS). -
Research & Commentary: North Carolina Renewable Portfolio Standard
Publication -Research and Commentaries -North Carolina legislators are considering repealing the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS). The RPS requires utilities to obtain a specified percentage of their power from renewable sources by a certain date. -
Research & Commentary: Early Effects of Dodd-Frank
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, also known as the Dodd-Frank Act, created many new restrictions on financial instruments and activities. -
Research & Commentary: The Benefits of Shale Energy on Other Industries
Publication -Research and Commentaries -As advancements in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling continue to revolutionize the nation’s energy outlook, it’s important to consider the economic ripple effect expanding shale energy has had on industries outside the energy sector. -
Research & Commentary: Illinois Pension Reform
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The state employee pension system in Illinois is broke, both financially and structurally. -
Research & Commentary: Renewable Fuel Standard
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The U.S. -
Research & Commentary: Hydraulic Fracturing in Florida
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Florida Legislature is considering a bill that would allow and regulate the use of a technology that has revolutionized the United States’ energy outlook: hydraulic fracturing. -
Research & Commentary: Pole Attachment Fees
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Broadband consumers in Tennessee could soon see a significant hike in their monthly bills if legislation now before the state legislature passes. -
Research & Commentary: Governor Dayton’s Tax Hike Package
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton recently proposed as part of his state budget a $2. -
Research & Commentary: Kentucky Pension Reform
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Kentucky’s government employee pension system is currently carrying a $33 billion unfunded liability and has less than half the money it needs to cover all its present and future obligations. -
Research & Commentary: Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Reform
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation insurance system is currently the sixth most expensive in the nation and in dire need of reform. -
Research & Commentary: Illinois Minimum Wage Reform
Publication -Research and Commentaries -In his 2013 State of the State speech, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn proposed increasing the state’s minimum wage from $8.25 to $10 an hour over the next four years. A similar minimum wage proposal failed to pass in the state Senate in 2012.
