
Budget & Tax Florida Municipal PensionsState pension issues have received much attention from lawmakers and media, but many municipalities also face pension liabilities leading them toward bankruptcy. In this Research & Commentary, Senior Policy Analyst Matthew Glans states, “Florida legislators should consider reforms to protect both taxpayers and public workers by repealing the costly pension floor and following the private sector’s lead by switching workers from defined-benefit pension systems to defined-contribution-style pension plans like 401(k)s.” Read more
Energy & Environment It’s Time to Endanger the Endangered Species Act In this article published by Townhall magazine, Policy Analyst Taylor Smith examines the history of the Endangered Species Act and finds the unintended consequences of the law to be deeply problematic. Due to the law’s strict penalties, a landowner has more incentive to destroy potential endangered species’ habitats on their property rather than risk financial catastrophe. Smith discusses why many of the big-name environmentalist groups know this and still oppose reform and how the law can be altered to better protect endangered species while protecting landowners. Read more
Education Pence Proposes Education Agenda to Expand School Choice Indiana has the broadest school voucher program in the nation, and Gov. Pence (R) is looking to expand the program’s success. As a part of his 2015 agenda, Pence is specifically asking legislators to lift the cap on the dollar amount for vouchers, raise the cap on the choice scholarship tax credit program, and add more funding for public charter schools. Read more
Telecom FCC Votes to Increase E-rate Telecom TaxesAccording to the Tax Foundation, wireless fees and taxes have increased at a rate three times faster than any other goods or services tax. In this Heartlander piece, contributor Matt Hurley writes about the possible effects of the Federal Communications Commission vote to hike fees on consumers’ wireless services, subsidizing the cost of Internet connectivity for public libraries and schools.Read more
Health Care Alaska Medicaid Expansion According to the Alaska Policy Forum, Alaska currently spends roughly $1.5 billion per year to provide health coverage for nearly 140,000 Alaskans. Contrary to expansion supporters’ depiction of new federal funds as “free money,” Medicaid expansion is expensive, creating new costs the federal government may not always cover and leaving state taxpayers on the hook for new liabilities. Medicaid is currently the largest category of state spending. According to the National Association of State Budget Officers, Medicaid consumes 23.6 percent of state government expenditures. In this Research & Commentary, Senior Policy Analyst Matthew Glans states “Alaska should avoid expanding a flawed model that is costly, delivers subpar health care, and shifts more power to the federal government.” Read more
From Our Free Market Friends Top and Bottom Five School Choice Moments in 2014
School choice played a large role for many state legislators in 2014. Of all the school choice happenings around the country, the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice has listed what it believes to be the top five and bottom five school choice moments from this past year. Read more
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