Publications
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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: Longmont, CO Puts Telecommunications Services on Ballot
Publication -Research and Commentaries -If Longmont, Colorado’s city council had its way, failing in the telecommunications industry a decade ago wouldn’t get in the way of failing again, but this time on a grander scale. -
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. -
Research & Commentary: Drilling for Oil in Santa Barbara
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Even with one of the worst state economies in the nation, the California Assembly rejected a proposal to allow new oil drilling off the coast of Santa Barbara. -
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: The Failures of Smart Growth
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Government planners have coined the term "smart growth" to justify a litany of intrusions into the economic planning of our communities. Billions of taxpayer dollars are spent every year in various "smart growth" projects around the country. -
Climate Change Reconsidered
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The American Clean Energy Security Act--better known as "Waxman-Markey"--has been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and is pending in the Senate. -
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. -
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.