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. -
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: 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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
Research & Commentary: Optional Federal Charter: The Future of Insurance Regulation?
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945 ushered in the current era of state regulation of the insurance industry. -
“Sin Taxes” Are Flawed Tax Policy
Publication -Research and Commentaries -More than 20 states are considering “sin taxes”—such as excise taxes on tobacco, beer, and spirits—in order to shore up their budget deficits. But such taxes are badly flawed and likely to do far more harm than good to a state’s economy. -
Research & Commentary: Windstorm Expansion of the National Flood Insurance Program
Publication -Research and Commentaries -In an effort to address the concerns of coastal residents and respond to political pressure to subsidize the risk posed by hurricanes, the national government is considering proposals to expand its role in coastal insurance. -
Research & Commentary: April Fool’s Day Tobacco Tax Hike—The Joke’s On States
Publication -Research and Commentaries -A 62-cent increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco products, intended to fund the expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), goes into effect April 1. -
Illinois Cannot Afford Governor Quinn’s Budget
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Tough decisions are a part of governing, and Illinois’ $11.5 billion budget shortfall will undoubtedly force many of them. -
Research & Commentary: The Best And Worst Ways To Eliminate A Budget Deficit
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Research & Commentary: The Best And Worst Ways to Eliminate a Budget DeficitLegislatures in at least 39 states will have to take steps by the end of this fiscal year to eradicate budget deficits totaling nearly $50 billion.
