Publications

Research & Commentary: Reforming Wisconsin’s Income Tax

Published July 24, 2012

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Research and Commentaries -
Wisconsin State Rep. Robin Vos recently called for a legislative council committee on state income tax reform to look at the state’s current, progressive, income tax structure.
Research & Commentary: Public Pensions and the Assumed Rate of Return

Published July 23, 2012

By Matthew Glans

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Research and Commentaries -
In states and municipalities across the country, the high cost of traditional defined-benefit public pensions has become a hot-button issue as unfunded liabilities have raced out of control.
Policy Tip Sheet: Myth Vs. Fact – Internet Taxes

Published July 19, 2012

By John Nothdurft

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Policy Tip Sheets -
Myth 1: A tax on Internet sales just enables states to collect taxes they are already legally entitled to collect.Fact: A state is not legally entitled to collect taxes from Internet sellers with no physical presence in that state. In Quill Corp. v.
- Health Care
Policy Tip Sheet – State Health Insurance Exchanges Post SCOTUS

Published July 17, 2012

By Kendall Antekeier

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Policy Tip Sheets -
In this policy tip from Heartland, the author asserts that in the wake of the U.S.
Policy Tip Sheet- Spending Reforms

Published July 17, 2012

By Matthew Glans

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Policy Tip Sheets -
ProblemStates across the country continue to struggle with balancing their budgets as a result of increasing spending and a lagging economy.
Research & Commentary: Gasoline Taxes

Published July 17, 2012

By Matthew Glans

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Research and Commentaries -
(An updated verison of this policy document can be found here)Motor fuel taxes affect everyone who uses any kind of transportation.
- Education
Research & Commentary: Common Core Draft Science Standards

Published July 16, 2012

By Joy Pullmann

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Research and Commentaries -
A consortium of consultants and science educators has released a draft of what they plan will become national education standards for K-12 science.
How Should Insurers Treat Tobacco Use? A Review of the Research

Published July 12, 2012

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For insurers, the most salient fact about tobacco use can be summarized simply: overwhelming scientificevidence indicates that all widely used forms of tobacco harm human health.
- Health Care
Research & Commentary: States Should Avoid Medicaid Expansion

Published July 3, 2012

By Kendall Antekeier

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Research and Commentaries -
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). While the individual mandate was upheld as a “tax,” the law’s Medicaid expansion has been partly rejected.
Research & Commentary: Internet Privacy and Do Not Track Legislation

Published June 29, 2012

By Matthew Glans

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Research and Commentaries -
Internet privacy has become a hot issue as technology to track user movements online has become more widespread.
The Leaflet – What Does The Supreme Court Ruling Mean for States?

Published June 29, 2012

By John Nothdurft

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The Leaflet -
What does the Supreme Court ruling mean for states?
Research & Commentary: Wireless Spectrum Sales

Published June 28, 2012

By Matthew Glans

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Research and Commentaries -
Wireless communications have improved the lives of millions of people across the United States and the world.
Research & Commentary: Sea-Level Rise in North Carolina

Published June 27, 2012

By Taylor Smith

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Research and Commentaries -
The North Carolina House is considering a bill that would reassess how state agencies extrapolate data on future rates of sea-level rise affecting coastal communities.
Research & Commentary: Proprietary Trading and the Volcker Rule

Published June 21, 2012

By Matthew Glans

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Research and Commentaries -
Proprietary trading is a common financial activity that is currently being targeted for additional regulation in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and several high-profile losses by major banks from their proprietary trading desks.
Research & Commentary: Mining Regulation

Published June 20, 2012

By Taylor Smith

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Research and Commentaries -
Mining is the process of extracting raw minerals from the earth to be converted into valuable materials used by society. We rely heavily on mining to support our standard of living, because every modern product uses basic minerals obtained through mining.
Research & Commentary: Earned Income Tax Credit vs. Minimum Wage Laws

Published June 19, 2012

By Matthew Glans

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Research and Commentaries -
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and minimum wage laws have been two of the primary mechanisms the federal and state governments have used to help low-income families move out of poverty.
- Health Care
Research & Commentary: Health Insurance Exchanges in Small States

Published June 18, 2012

By Kendall Antekeier

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Research and Commentaries -
Several states have halted the creation of health insurance exchanges, awaiting a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court on the federal health care law.
- Education
Research & Commentary: Mitt Romney’s Education Platform

Published June 18, 2012

By Joy Pullmann

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Research and Commentaries -
Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced his education policy platform in May.
- Education
Research & Commentary: Race to the Top for School Districts

Published June 14, 2012

By Joy Pullmann

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Research and Commentaries -
In May 2012, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced his department would offer approximately $200 million in competitive grants of up to $25 million apiece that local school districts nationwide can apply to receive.
The Leaflet – The Fracking Debate

Published June 14, 2012

By John Nothdurft

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Today, North Carolina is expected to vote to allow the process of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” for natural gas.
Research & Commentary: Capital Gains Taxes Update

Published June 13, 2012

By Matthew Glans, John Nothdurft

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Research and Commentaries -
Absent Congressional action, several tax increases will go into effect at the end of the year.
Research & Commentary: Pennsylvania Liquor Privatization

Published June 12, 2012

By Matthew Glans

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Research and Commentaries -
The Pennsylvania House is considering a bill that would privatize the state’s liquor sales. Currently all liquor sales in Pennsylvania are done in state-run stores.
Research & Commentary: Hydraulic Fracturing Bans

Published June 7, 2012

By Taylor Smith

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Research and Commentaries -
Despite there being no known natural gas resources in Vermont, Gov. Peter Shumlin recently signed into law the nation’s first state ban on hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
Research & Commentary: Enterprise Value Tax

Published June 7, 2012

By Matthew Glans

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Research and Commentaries -
A proposal from the Obama administration that has generated significant opposition from the financial sector is the enterprise value tax.

Publications

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