Publications
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The Leaflet – Millennial Participation in Local Politics
Publication -The Leaflet -Millennial Participation in Local Politics According to a recent Governing article, Millennial participation in elections is rapidly declining. -
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. -
Testimony to the Georgia House of Representatives Welfare Fraud Study Committee
Publication -Testimony -Testimony by Logan Elizabeth Pike State Government Relations Manager The Heartland Institute Before the Georgia House Study Committee on Welfare Fraud Wednesday, October 14, 2015 Good afternoon Chairman Clark and members of the committee. -
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. -
The Leaflet – States Consider Returning Public Lands to State Control
Publication -The Leaflet -States Consider Returning Public Lands to State ControlApproximately half of the land in the western United States – including most of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming – is owned by -
Policy Tip Sheet: Wisconsin Balanced Budget Amendment
Publication -Policy Tip Sheets -ProblemAmerica is facing a crisis on multiple fronts: $18 trillion national debt, less health care freedom, and crippling federal regulations. -
The Leaflet – Heartland Releases New Policy Study on Roadway Impacts of Frac Sand Mining
Publication -The Leaflet -Heartland Releases New Policy Study on Roadway Impacts of Frac Sand Mining Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have as many as 9,000 non-metallic mines in operation. -
Research & Commentary: Vouchers and School Choice
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Voucher programs give parents the ability to choose which school they consider the best for their children by providing a tax-funded voucher or certificate to use toward tuition at participating schools. -
Research & Commentary: Wisconsin’s Unfair Sales Act
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The recent attempt by the retailer Meijer to move into the Wisconsin market has rekindled a long-simmering debate over a Depression-era law, known as the Unfair Sales Act or the Minimum Markup Law, that limits the ability of Wisconsin companies to charge -
The Leaflet – States Attempt to Regulate Personal Fitness
Publication -The Leaflet -States Attempt to Regulate Personal FitnessSeveral places across the country, including Washington, DC, which was recently named the nation’s fittest city, are attempting to regulate the personal fitness training industry. -
Research & Commentary: How Missouri Should Handle Transitional Care Facilities
Publication -Research and Commentaries -As the health care market has evolved over time, a popular type of facility has emerged to fill a growing need for temporary post-surgical care. -
Research & Commentary: Wyoming Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Wyoming’s civil asset forfeiture laws give law enforcement agencies significant financial incentives to seize people’s property. -
Roadway Impacts of Industrial Silica Sand (Frac Sand) Mining
Publication -Policy Studies -As many as 9,000 non-metallic mines operate in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin – approximately one mine for every 3,000 residents. Until recently, those mines have operated without opposition. -
The Leaflet – States and Cities Consider Minimum Wage Changes
Publication -The Leaflet -States and Cities Consider Minimum Wage ChangesEarlier this summer, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) vetoed a bill that would disallow local municipalities from increasing the minimum wage above the $7.65 per hour statewide rate. -
Research & Commentary: Gas Tax Hikes Are Not the Answer for Arkansas’ Roads
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Early in 2015, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) appointed the Working Group on Highway Funding (WGHF) to find ways to improve transportation funding. Arkansas’ current 21.5 cents-per-gallon gasoline tax and 22. -
Research & Commentary: Minimum Wage Reform in Missouri
Publication -Research and Commentaries -During the 2015 legislative session, the Missouri House and Senate approved a bill that would have prevented cities from passing ordinances that would increase the minimum wage to a level greater than the state’s. Gov. Jay Nixon (D) vetoed the bill. -
Research & Commentary: States Shouldn’t Depend on Unreliable Sin Taxes
Publication -Research and Commentaries -States across the nation have increasingly looked to sin taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and gaming to fix budget gaps. Governing magazine recently published an article reporting states have become increasingly reliant on sin taxes. -
Research & Commentary: California Tobacco Tax Hike
Publication -Research and Commentaries -California lawmakers are considering a proposal to increase the state’s tobacco tax. First introduced by state Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) during the regular legislative session, the bill was reintroduced as part of a special session on health care. -
The Leaflet – State Insurance Regulators Approve Double-Digit Premium Increases
Publication -The Leaflet -State Insurance Regulators Approve Double-Digit Premium IncreasesMany states have approved unprecedented increases for insurance premiums following an influx of new customers. -
Research & Commentary: Affordable Care Act CO-Ops Are Failing
Publication -Research and Commentaries -In an effort to improve competition in the health care insurance marketplace and on the new health insurance exchanges, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) established a program to assist in the creation of new private nonprofit health insurers, known as -
Research & Commentary: Tennessee’s Transportation Funding
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam recently began a barnstorming tour across the state promoting additional funding for state transportation and road projects. -
Research & Commentary: Right-to-Work Debate Continues in Missouri
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Missouri is considering becoming the 26th right-to-work state, a reform that would have a dramatic effect on the state, creating new jobs and improving the state’s business climate and economic competitiveness. -
The Leaflet – Five States Most Dependent on “Sin Taxes”
Publication -The Leaflet -Five States Most Dependent on “Sin Taxes”Mike Maciag, data editor at Governing, recently published an article discussing the five states most reliant on sin taxes. -
Research & Commentary: Alabama Gov. Bentley’s Tobacco Tax Hike Proposal
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Tobacco and electronic cigarettes have become popular targets for tax increases across the nation. States with growing budget problems have turned to sin taxes as potential sources of new or increased tax revenue.