Publications
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Michigan’s FAIR Legislation Is Fundamentally Flawed
Publication -Policy Briefs -A legislative initiative called Fair, Affordable Insurance Rates (FAIR) is poised to begin gathering signatures throughout Michigan. -
Research & Commentary: SunRail Will Produce Few Benefits and Cost Millions
Publication -Research and Commentaries -As Florida policymakers take up the SunRail passenger rail proposal, the performance of existing passenger rail systems across the country should be part of their deliberations. -
Global Warming: Nature not Man
Publication -1. Preface Over decades a worldwide movement unparalleled in scope and intensity, has been mobilized to confront the perceived threat of future climate disaster. The asserted threat is that man’s use of energy is forcing the temperature of the Earth to increase, unnaturally. The argument is not about “warming” which has come and gone over […] -
Research & Commentary: Property Mitigation
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The term “property mitigation” can refer to almost any effort or incentive to make a given building or area of land safer against the forces of nature. -
Research & Commentary: Why the U.S. Should Cut its Corporate Tax Rate
Publication -Research and Commentaries -What the U.S. economy needs more than another pork-filled stimulus plan or massive new spending proposal is a cut in the corporate tax rate. -
Research & Commentary: Carbon Dioxide Restrictions Will Devastate Environmental Treasures
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Forcing nationwide cuts in carbon dioxide emissions offers only speculative environmental benefits, if any, as a switch to wind and solar power will certainly cause environmental degradation. -
Research & Commentary: Illinois’ Alcohol Tax Is Helping Neighbor States
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Illinois' alcohol tax increases, which the legislature pushed through to fund a $31 billion capital works plan, are beginning to have their troubling consequences. -
Research & Commentary: First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Federal legislators and many industry groups are calling for not only an extension, but a fourfold expansion, of the First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit program, at an estimated annual cost of $50 to $100 billion. -
10 Principles of P&C Insurance Reform
Publication -Legislative Principles -We wrote this guide for three reasons: because insurance is an important economic activity; because it is regulated almost entirely at the state level and is thus of particular concern to state legislators; and because we hope a look at the principles -
Research & Commentary: President Barack Obama’s Cap-and-Trade Plan
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Obama administration, with support from the majority party in Congress, is promoting a carbon emissions cap-and-trade plan that could spell disaster for the nation—especially given the current delicate state of the U.S. economy. -
No. 124 Neutralism: The Strange Philosophy Behind the Movement for Net Neutrality
Publication -Policy Studies -The election of Barack Obama as president ushered in a new era of regulatory zeal in Washington, with both Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) determined to solve alleged problems with access to and management of the Internet. -
Neutralism: The Strange Philosophy Behind the Movement for Net Neutrality
Publication -Policy Studies -This Heartland Policy Study by telecommunications and information technology expert James G. Lakely examines the philosophy that underlies the movement for network neutrality. -
Research & Commentary: Illinois’ Pension Problem and How to Fix it
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Chicago Sun-Times recently reported some very alarming facts about Illinois’ public pension system, among them:* Nearly 4,000 state retirees are receiving more than $100,000 per year in pension payouts; and* 14,280 retirees are making more than they -
Research & Commentary: Top Ten Reasons Not to Raise Tobacco Taxes
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Smokers have become a favorite target of many legislators across the country. Some policymakers seem to think taxing smokers is a win-win way to curb smoking and raise revenue, without hurting the economy. -
Research & Commentary: Reforming Texas’s Unemployment Fund
Publication -Research and Commentaries -As the economy remains in the doldrums, the unemployment compensation fund in Texas has become insolvent. The state's unemployment rate stood at 8 percent as of June. -
No. 123 Obama Health Plan: Rationing, Higher Taxes, and Lower Quality Care
Publication -Policy Studies -President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats are rushing to enact legislation that would overhaul the way health care is financed and delivered in the United States. -
Research & Commentary: The Damaging Effects of Tourism Taxes
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Tourism taxes have become an increasingly trendy pick for elected officials hoping to raise additional revenue to cover increases in government spending. -
Research & Commentary: Texas Windstorm Insurance
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Texas is a model of fiscal stability compared to most other states--with one glaring exception. Texas is one hurricane away from bankrupting its state-run wind insurance pool. -
Research & Commentary: Internet Access Taxes in Louisiana
Publication -Research and Commentaries -It is disheartening to see the Louisiana House nearly unanimously approve a tax on Internet access with the specious claim it is necessary to protect “the children. -
Research & Commentary: Internet Sales Taxes
Publication -Research and Commentaries -State legislators are desperate for new tax revenue to plug massive deficits without cutting spending. -
No. 122 Safety First: A Legislator’s Brief on Biosimilars
Publication -Policy Studies -Congress is currently exploring legislation that would create a new drug approval process in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for what are called follow-on biologics, or “biosimilar” therapies. -
Research & Commentary: Beware Federal Meddling in the Internet
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday urged President Barack Obama’s pick for chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Julius Genachowski, to “fix” what many in Congress see as a dysfunctional agency. -
Research & Commentary: Taxing the Rich Will Bankrupt Your State
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Lawmakers in at least eight states are considering raising income tax rates on a small percentage of top income-earners in order to shore up their state budgets. But this is a risky way of raising revenue, especially during a recession. -
Research & Commentary: Extension of Unemployment Fund a Bad Idea
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Florida has taken a sharp turn in the wrong direction with the recent bailout and expansion of the state’s unemployment insurance program.