Publications
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Research & Commentary: Silica (Frac) Sand Mining
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Activists recently have been pressing local and state governments in Wisconsin and Minnesota to ban silica sand mining. -
Seven Educational Reasons to Oppose San Antonio’s Pre-K Plan
Publication -Policy Briefs -On November 6, San Antonio voters will decide whether to increase their sales tax by 1/8th cent to generate $280 million over a period of eight years. Revenue from the tax increase would fund a new city educational corporation. -
Research & Commentary: Illinois’ Pension Problem and How to Fix it
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The pension system in Illinois is broke, both literally and structurally. Funding Illinois’ pension system is becoming increasingly difficult. According to Bloomberg, the national median funding ratio for state pension systems is around 71. -
Research & Commentary: Chicago Municipal Wi-Fi
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The City of Chicago recently unveiled plans to create a municipal wi-fi system allowing free access to high-speed wireless Internet services. Initially, the system would serve only certain areas of the city, including downtown and the Loop. -
Research & Commentary: Chicago Municipal Wi-Fi
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The City of Chicago recently unveiled plans to create a municipal wi-fi system allowing free access to high-speed wireless Internet services. Initially, the system would serve only certain areas of the city, including downtown and the Loop. -
Research & Commentary: Zero Interest Rate Policy
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Since the 2006–07 financial crisis the Federal Reserve has taken several steps to stimulate the economy and unfreeze credit markets, which had ground to a halt after the bursting of the housing bubble. -
- Taxes
- Environment & Energy
- Government & Liberty
- Education
- FIRE
- Health Care
- Technology
- Economy
- Government Spending
The Leaflet – The Future of State Tax Policy
Publication -The Leaflet -Earlier this week the non-partisan Tax Foundation released its 2013 State Business Tax Climate index. -
Research & Commentary: Idaho Medicaid Expansion
Publication -Research and Commentaries -In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (popularly known as Obamacare), Idaho, like other states, must now decide whether to expand its Medicaid program by accepting a larger federal subsidy. -
Research & Commentary: Uranium Mining
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Recent moratoria on uranium mining in states such as Virginia and Arizona have sparked debates about whether the benefits of uranium outweigh its costs. Currently, approximately 20 percent of U.S. -
Research & Commentary: Sequestration Impact on Education
Publication -Research and Commentaries -In the 2011 federal budget deal to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, Congress set up automatic cuts to federal spending that would kick in if they could not agree on how to cut each department specifically. -
Research & Commentary: Arkansas’ Mediocre Education Quality
Publication -Research and Commentaries -As significant education reforms sweep the country, Arkansas has made few consequential reforms in the past decade. The state offers practically no school choice and severely limits public charter schools. -
Research & Commentary: Voice over Internet Protocol Deregulation
Publication -Research and Commentaries -A product that is quickly changing the telecom industry and how people communicate is voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) calling, where voice and multimedia communication are conducted and transmitted over Internet protocol (IP) networks, such as the -
Research & Commentary: Texas Pension Reform
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Like many other states across the nation, Texas faces tough decisions about the pension benefits it provides its state employees. -
21 Reasons Why the San Antonio Pre-K Tax Plan Is a Bad Idea
Publication -Policy Briefs -On November 6, voters in San Antonio, Texas will vote on whether the city should own and operate a network of early childhood education centers. The initiative is controversial, and rightly so. -
The Ryan Budget vs. the Obama Budget
Publication -Policy Briefs -By selecting House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) as his running mate, Republican candidate Mitt Romney reframed the 2012 presidential election as a contest between Ryan’s 2013 proposed budget, which was adopted by the entire Republican -
The Ryan Budget vs. the Obama Budget
Publication -Policy Briefs -By selecting House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) as his running mate, Republican candidate Mitt Romney reframed the 2012 presidential election as a contest between Ryan’s 2013 proposed budget, which was adopted by the entire Republican -
Research & Commentary: Wyoming Health Insurance Exchange and Medicaid Expansion
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Like most states after the Supreme Court decision on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), Wyoming continues to debate how best to maintain control over its health care system. -
Research & Commentary: Omaha Cigarette Occupation Tax
Publication -Research and Commentaries -In the past two years, Omaha restaurant customers have paid around $50 million in taxes, and the city is now considering levying a new occupation tax on smokers. -
Research & Commentary: Food Stamp Reform
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), previously known as the Food Stamp program, has become one of the fastest-growing welfare programs of the U.S. government. -
Research & Commentary: The Connect America Fund and Broadband Internet Taxes
Publication -Research and Commentaries -In 2011 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created the Connect America Fund (CAF) by taking $4.5 billion from the Universal Service Fund (USF) designed to provide advanced telecommunications services. -
- Taxes
- Environment & Energy
- Government & Liberty
- Education
- Health Care
- FIRE
- Technology
- Government Spending
- Economy
The Leaflet – 2012 Emerging Issues Forum Videos
Publication -The Leaflet -On August 9, The Heartland Institute hosted its eighth Emerging Issues Forum, a gathering of state elected officials, public policy experts, and Heartland senior staff to discuss the issues likely to be on the agenda in 2013 and beyond. -
Research & Commentary: Idaho Unemployment Insurance and Overpayments
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Idaho, like most U.S. states, has struggled to keep its unemployment insurance fund solvent. The unemployment trust fund already faced insolvency once as a result of the 2008 recession. -
Research & Commentary: Democratic and Republican Party Education Platforms
Publication -Research and Commentaries -In 2012, the Republican and Democratic parties held their national conventions sandwiched around Labor Day weekend. As is customary, the two released revised party platforms, both including sections on education policy. -
Research & Commentary: Kansas Renewable Portfolio Standard
Publication -Research and Commentaries -In July, the Kansas Policy Institute and Beacon Hill Institute released a joint report assessing the expected economic results of the Kansas renewable energy mandate, signed into law by Gov. Mark Parkinson in May 2009.
