Publications
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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. -
The Leaflet – Missed Heartland’s Emerging Issue Forum? Watch It Online!
Publication -The Leaflet -Missed Heartland’s Emerging Issue Forum? Watch It Online!On August 7, The Heartland Institute hosted the first of its three Emerging Issues Forums (EIFs) in 2015. -
The Leaflet – States Choose School Vouchers
Publication -The Leaflet -States Choose School VouchersWith a 4–3 vote, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled in July the state’s education voucher program, which allows low-income students to use funding that would go to the public school system to attend private schools, is -
Research & Commentary: Are Regulations Slowing Growth of the Craft Brewing Industry?
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Brewers Association reports production at craft breweries – facilities making no more than six million barrels annually – increased by roughly 18 percent last year over the previous year, generating $19.6 billion in sales. -
Research & Commentary: Oklahoma Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Oklahoma’s civil asset forfeiture laws give law enforcement officials significant financial incentives to seize property, according to the Institute for Justice. -
Research & Commentary: New Hampshire Tax Reform
Publication -Research and Commentaries -New Hampshire is one of nine states without an individual income tax, but it has several other broad-based taxes, including a 9 percent tax on restaurant meals and room rentals and a 5 percent income tax on dividends and interest. -
The Leaflet – The Looming Age Dependency Ratio Problem
Publication -The Leaflet -The Looming Age Dependency Ratio ProblemThe mainstream media keeps talking about budget deficits and potential tax increases, but what often goes unsaid is the many budget crises being experienced across the nation and around the world could get much -
Research & Commentary: The ‘Cadillac Tax’
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Since its inception, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been plagued by legal, financial, and technological problems, many of which remain unaddressed. -
Research & Commentary: Are Solar Subsidies Leading to a New Bubble?
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Although many industries in the United States have received substantial subsidies from the federal government, few have drawn as much criticism as the solar energy industry. -
Top 10 Global Warming Lies
Publication -Policy Briefs -It's not unusual for the environmental Left to make false assertions to attract media attention and raise money. But a recent mailer from the Environmental Defense Fund “may have set a new low,” writes Heartland Institute Senior Fellow James M. -
Research & Commentary: Pennsylvania Budget and Tax Debate
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) and the state’s General Assembly are locked in debate over the state budget. -
Research & Commentary: Remote Transactions Parity Act
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The newest proposal to impose online sales taxes across state borders is the Remote Transactions Parity Act of 2015 (RTPA), which was introduced by U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT). -
Research & Commentary: Wisconsin Alternative Minimum Tax
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and state legislators are currently embroiled in a debate over the state’s budget. -
The Leaflet – Register for Heartland’s 2015 Emerging Issues Forum – West
Publication -The Leaflet -Register for Heartland’s 2015 Emerging Issues Forum - WestDon’t miss The Heartland Institute’s Emerging Issues Forum - West in Seattle, Washington on August 7! If you are already attending NCSL’s Legislative Summit, simply extend your trip an extra day. -
Research & Commentary: Continuing Affordable Care Act Problems
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Affordable Care Act (ACA) passed a significant legal hurdle with the U.S. Supreme Court’s (SCOTUS) June 2015 decision to allow subsidies for those enrolled in the federal exchange. Despite this victory, the ACA remains unpopular. -
Research & Commentary: Civil Asset Forfeiture
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Civil asset forfeiture, also known as civil judicial forfeiture, is a controversial legal process in which law enforcement agencies take personal assets from individuals or groups suspected of a crime or illegal activity.
