Publications

The recently released annual report from The Environmental Partnership (TEP), a voluntary collective of oil and gas companies “committed to continuously improving the industry’s environmental performance,” details the serious progress the industry has made in emissions reductions, especially in reducing flare intensity. TEP describes its mission as “to continuously improve the industry’s environmental performance by […]

The Arizona Department of Education (ADOE) has released data showing state education funding has come in under budget, which should dispel claims that the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) program, a universal education savings account program open to all Arizona children, would blow open the state’s education spending. According to ADOE, Basic State Aid payments […]

A new report from the American Consumer Institute (ACI) details, for all their touting as “green” sources of energy, wind and solar powered electricity generation is much more environmentally harmful than most people realize. The report, Clearing the Air: Honest Truths about Clean Energy, details the environmental hazards during the production processes of these green […]

EdChoice recently released the results of their 12th annual Schooling in America survey, a “nationally representative survey of the general public and parents of school-age children [which] offers an in-depth look at the opinions and trends shaping K–12 education in America.” The survey, in partnership with Braun Research, was fielded across April 2024 and “obtained […]

The American Energy Institute (AEI) has released a new report detailing how the Climate Judiciary Project (CJP) at the Environmental Law Institute is “influencing the courts and destroying the rule of law to promote questionable climate science.” The Climate Judiciary Project’s stated goal is to “provide neutral, objective information to the judiciary about the science […]

EdChoice, one of the national leaders in education choice advocacy and research, has released a new, updated “in-depth review of the available research on private school choice programs in America.” The 123s of School Choice, originally published in 2019 and updated this June, gathers information from 188 empirical studies on choice programs—vouchers, education savings accounts (ESAs), tax-credit […]

A new survey from the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston and Texas Southern University finds 69 percent of Texans support the adoption of a universal education savings account (ESA) program in the Lone Star State. The Texas Trends 2024 survey of 2,300 Texans, released in late July, found 74 percent […]

A new analysis from The Heartland Institute has found that the energy and climate policies of the Biden-Harris administration have caused energy prices to surge, costing the average American family an extra $2,548 since 2021. “This is the cost calculated by averaging price increases from January 2021 through December 2023,” the analysis notes, “which means […]

A report from the American Energy Institute (AEI) seeks to correct misperceptions about Oklahoma’s Energy Discrimination Elimination Act (EDEA) spread by an earlier report from some organization calling itself the “Oklahoma Rural Association” (ORA). EDEA is an anti-“environmental, social and governance” (ESG) law that bars state and local governments from conducting business with financial institutions that […]

The emergence of social media has elevated political dialogue and discourse to a breadth nearly unimaginable a decade ago. When originally developed, these emerging technologies and mediums made the democratization of free speech possible. However, this mass communication network is managed by a handful of large techology firms that are protected from liability and functionally […]

The emergence of social media has elevated political dialogue and discourse to a breadth nearly unimaginable a decade ago. When originally developed, these emerging technologies and mediums made the democratization of free speech possible. However, this mass communication network is managed by a handful of large technology firms that are protected from liability and functionally […]

Legislation in the Louisiana House of Representatives would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure Louisianans 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 […]

As pressure builds on the 10 remaining “holdout” states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act ( also known as Obamacare), Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves isn’t just holding his ground, he’s challenging Republicans in his own party to reject what he calls “Obamacare Medicaid expansion.” Mississippi Republicans, who control both the House […]

The Hawaii Legislature is attempting to elucidate the extent of gubernatorial powers during a state of emergency with House Bill 522. Under current law, during a state of emergency, the governor maintains the power to suspend electronic media transmission. HB 522 considers how broad and vague the verbiage is in the current statutes and would […]

The Hawaii Legislature is attempting to elucidate the extent of gubernatorial powers during a state of emergency with Senate Bill 103. Under current law, during a state of emergency, the governor maintains the power to suspend electronic media transmission. SB 103 considers how broad and vague the verbiage is in the current statutes and would […]

The Hawaii Legislature is attempting to elucidate the extent of gubernatorial powers during a state of emergency with Senate Bill 2173. Under current law, during a state of emergency, the governor maintains the power to suspend electronic media transmission. SB 2173 considers how broad and vague the verbiage is in the current statutes and would […]

The Hawaii Legislature is attempting to elucidate the extent of gubernatorial powers during a state of emergency with House Bill 2581. Under current law, during a state of emergency, the governor maintains the power to suspend electronic media transmission. HB 2581 considers how broad and vague the verbiage is in the current statutes and would […]

An aging and declining population throughout rural America is creating a double whammy for those tasked with providing health care. A recent study found that of the 1,810 rural hospitals operating in the United States, 50 percent were operating at a loss and 410 risk closure. As workforce shortages continue to worsen this trend, states […]

One-in-five (about 30 million) working Americans are bound by noncompete agreements. Noncompete agreements are routinely executed to prevent valuable, and sometimes proprietary, information from traveling with employees when they change jobs. Technology companies thrive in a highly competitive environment where the coin of the realm is novelty. So, it is understandable that many such employers […]

Certificate of Need (CON) restrictions prohibit new most proposed medical facilities in Georgia. Diagnostic imaging facilities, surgical centers, nursing homes, birthing centers, and hospitals require burdensome CON approvals before a permit to build is even considered. Hospitals and doctors to go through a governmental approval process, costing time and money.   Beginning in 1964 with […]

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 […]

Legislation in the South Carolina House of Representatives would expand the Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program (ESTF) so that every South Carolina family can participate in it. ESTF, an education savings account (ESA) program established just last year, covers tuition, fees, and curricula for eligible children at private and parochial schools, as well as tutoring […]

Legislation in the Utah Senate would nearly double the budget of the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program, an education savings account (ESA) program and double the number of children able to participate in it. The accounts set up by the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program, established just last year, cover tuition, fees, and curricula for […]

The Georgia House of Representatives is considering House Bill 1507, legislation that would raise the minimum wage in the Peach State from its current $5.15 per hour to $8 per hour, effective immediately.  Historically, some state lawmakers have advocated for quick “fixes” in response to perilous economic situations, such as minimum wage hikes. However, minimum […]