Opinion
-
Wisconsin Assembly Approves Special Needs Vouchers
Opinion -Wisconsin’s State Assembly passed Assembly Bill 110, which would allow disabled students to take up to $13,376 in state funding to a public out-of district, private, or charter school. -
Senate Committee Hears Testimony to Amend Video Privacy Protection Act
Opinion -On January 31, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony for and against changing the Video Privacy Protection Act, a law written to keep video-store rental lists secret. -
Heartland Institute Questions Media Strategy Surrounding Release of Surgeon General’s Report on Youth Smoking
Opinion -Experts from The Heartland Institute, a free-market think tank, today strongly questioned the Office of the Surgeon General’s release strategy for a report on youth smoking. -
Oregon Will Tax Health Plans to Fund Exchange
Opinion -Oregon political leaders decided last year to create the health insurance exchange mandated under President Obama’s health care law. -
Wisconsin DNR Rejects New Restrictions on Mining Frack Sand
Opinion -Wisconsin state environmental officials say they have no plans to impose new restrictions on the mining of sand for use in hydraulic fracturing of oil and natural gas. -
Florida Bill Would Equalize Charter School Funding
Opinion -Florida Senate Bill 1852 would require school boards to share federal funding for property costs with charter schools, which often set up shop in churches, empty strip malls, or other alternative locales. -
It’s All Great Fun Until Somebody Gets Sued
Opinion -It’s not unusual for someone undertaking a risky activity on another person’s property to be asked to sign a waiver barring lawsuits if personal injury occurs. But a playdate? -
NFL Blackouts Come Under Scrutiny
Opinion -The National Football League blacked out 16 games during the 2011 regular season, once again bringing up the question of whether the blackout rule is needed. -
Prisoner Cell-Phone Use Prompts Legislation
Opinion -In an effort to thwart the use of cell phones in prisons, the Illinois Department of Corrections is requesting information from cell phone companies regarding equipment to detect and “jam” or prevent illegal cell phone calls within the prison grounds. -
West Virginia Considers Alternative Certification to Address Teacher Shortage
Opinion -West Virginia lawmakers are working to pass bills that address teacher shortages by creating alternative paths to teacher certification. -
Oregon Lawmakers Target Mercury in Light Bulbs
Opinion -The Oregon Senate has passed a bill limiting the amount of mercury allowed in compact fluorescent light bulbs that can be sold or distributed in the state. The Senate passed the bill on Feb. 15 by a vote of 21-8, with one member not voting. -
Florida Tea Partiers Revolt Against Renewable Power Legislation
Opinion -Florida Tea Partiers and grassroots conservatives are expressing frustration at the state’s Republican-dominated legislature for passing legislation that would ramp up taxpayer subsidies to Solyndra-style renewable power projects. -
Labor Unions Get Lion’s Share of Final ACA Waivers
Opinion -The Obama administration released a final list of waivers from the costly mandates of President Obama’s health care law—a list including an overwhelming number of union members. -
Heartland Institute Reacts to Defeat of Surplus Lines Takeout Bill in Florida Legislature
Opinion -TALLAHASSEE -- Insurance policy experts at The Heartland Institute sharply criticized the Florida House of Representatives’ decision earlier today to reject a bill that would have reduced the liabilities that state-run Citizens Property Insurance -
Sierra Club Accepts Millions in Fossil Fuel Money
Opinion -The Sierra Club, an environmental activist group leading the charge against affordable coal power, is in trouble with donors and activist allies for accepting more than $25 million in funding from a natural gas company to promote the Sierra Club’s -
White House Agrees: Exchanges Will Cost More than Expected
Opinion -consumer-power-report -Consumer Power Report #318For the past year, we’ve been warning you about the evidence that Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges will be larger, and far more costly, than the administration originally claimed. -
Commentary: Telemarketer Regs Show Government’s Job-Killing Ability
Opinion -More than a few Americans consider telemarketers, phone text spammers, and assorted other marketing riffraff as huge sources of annoyance. -
Grade Expectations
Opinion -Two former law students are suing the Texas Southern University law school, alleging their bad grades were arbitrary and capricious. The suit came after they were dismissed from the school for failing to maintain the required 2.0 grade point average. -
Fakegate: Heartland Announces Legal Team
Opinion -Gordon B. Nash, Jr., will head the legal team assembled by The Heartland Institute to represent the organization in connection with Peter Gleick’s fraudulent conduct, Heartland President Joseph L. Bast announced today. -
Want to withdraw from Obama Ed?
Opinion -Well before the March 10, 2010 release of the national Common Core (CC) standards for K-12 math and English, the Obama administration was pressuring states to commit to them if they wanted to compete for a share of $4. -
New Colorado Law Further Defines Teacher, Principal Evaluations [short]
Opinion -A new Colorado law builds on previous attempts to reform evaluations, setting six standards for measuring teacher effectiveness and making tenure contingent on continued “effective” ratings. Lt. Gov. -
Louisiana Surveys Indicate High Public Support for Vouchers [short]
Opinion -Two recent surveys of Louisiana parents and voters reveal high satisfaction with the New Orleans vouchers system and overall approval of major components of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s education reform proposals. -
Florida Bill Equalizes Charter School Funding [short]
Opinion -Florida Senate Bill 1852 would require school boards to share federal funding for property costs with charter schools, which often set up shop in churches, empty strip malls, or other alternative locales. -
Report: Common Core Poses Legal Questions
Opinion -A new report by former U.S. Education Department officials questions the legality of federal support for the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a set of education standards which critics say will lead to a national curriculum and tests.
