Home About Us Contribute My SPN Contact Us

just banner image here

SPN State Fiscal Policy Exchange - Volume 4, Issue 25

Published on Monday, July 07, 2008
FISCAL POLICY

SPN State Fiscal Policy Exchange - Volume 4, Issue 25

Please send any suggestions or news updates (include web link) to Brian Zapotocky at bzapotocky@effwa.org.

Studies/Policy Updates

Budget and Tax Reform

Alabama Policy Institute: Independence Day: The Rest of the Story

Americans For Prosperity:

Americans For Tax Reform: U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann: Just Say "No"!

Blue Ridge Forum: Virginia Republican Legislators - Which Side Are You On?

Citizens Against Government Waste:

Evergreen Freedom Foundation:

FreedomWorks: A Disastrous Budget Process

Heartland Institute:

National Taxpayers Union: An Open Letter to the North Carolina General Assembly: Remember the Taxpayer during Budget Negotiations

Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs:

Rio Grande Foundation: RGF president Paul Gessing discusses eliminating New Mexico's personal income tax on the air

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility:

Texas Public Policy Foundation: Thinking Economically: You Ain't Got the Frills If You Ain't Got the Skills

Education

Allegheny Institute for Public Policy: Misleading Accounting at the Pennsylvania Department of Education

Cato Institute: The Fiscal Impact of a Large-Scale Education Tax Credit Program

Goldwater Institute: Controlling for Demographics is Fantasy

Mackinac Center for Public Policy: Michigan Education Digest July 1, 2008

Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs: Rescue Children from Sinking Ship By Brandon Dutcher

Rio Grande Foundation: Truancy symptom of greater problems - Farmington Daily Times

Transparency

Heartland Institute: McCain, Obama Support Spending Transparency

Nevada Policy Research Institute: Nevada's hidden spending

State News Updates

Alabama

Alabama may have to tap into savings to fund schools in coming year, Birmingham News, July 2, 2008

Alaska

Alaska in '08 likely to earn over $10 billion from oil, gas, Seattle P-I, July 6, 2008

Arkansas

Surplus welcome problem for Ark., Daily Citizen, July 6, 2008
State finishes fiscal year with $176.5 million surplus, Arkansas News Bureau, July 3, 2008
State: Decatur finances worse than expected, Daily Record, July 2, 2008

California

No one tracks state's fuel bill, Sacramento Bee, July 5, 2008
Calif. budget deficit turns spotlight on Prop. 13, Union-Tribune, July 2, 2008
Fiscal year begins with no sign of state budget, San Jose Mercury News, July 2, 2008
GOP balks at Schwarzenegger lottery-loan plan, Sacramento Bee, July 1, 2008

Connecticut

Rell: Cuts Won't Derail Reforms, The Day, July 2, 2008

Delaware

Sports betting, taxes staying on the table, News Journal, July 6, 2008
Spending bills, as usual, loaded with footnotes, News Journal, July 2, 2008
Balanced budget took teamwork, News Journal, July 2, 2008
Budget gaps must be filled tonight, News Journal, June 30, 2008

Florida

Floridians feel squeeze of state's $66 billion budget, Orlando Sentinel, July 6, 2008
Groups try to get 'tax swap' law off ballot, Tallahassee Democrat, July 4, 2008
Court overturns Crist's gambling deal, Tallahassee Democrat, July 4, 2008
Financially, state is betting against a major hurricane this year, Orlando Sentinel, July 1, 2008

Georgia

Agencies asked to submit plans for cutting costs, Augusta Chronicle, July 2, 2008
State tries to cool property tax increases, Atlantic Journal-Constitution, June 30, 2008

Idaho

Idaho floats idea of fee for canoes, kayaks, rafts, Los Angeles Times, July 6, 2008
College of Western Idaho may rethink its property-tax pledge, Idaho Statesman, June 30, 2008

Illinois

Taxpayers on hook for special session costs, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 4, 2008
Blagojevich calls legislators back, halts construction work, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 3, 2008
Glitch in budget bill idles work statewide, Chicago Sun-Times, July 2, 2008
Fiscal year starts with no state budget in place, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 1, 2008

Indiana

Revised assessments bring new problems, Indianapolis Star, July 5, 2008
Challenger urges Daniels to suspend gas tax, Journal Gazette, July 2, 2008

Iowa

Tribe: We'll consider paying taxes, Des Moines Register, July 1, 2008

Kansas

Voters have voice in state's financial future, Wichita Eagle, July 6, 2008
Kansas receives less tax money than expected, Kansas City Star, July 1, 2008

Kentucky

State budget cuts expected to bring few layoffs, Courier-Journal, July 4, 2008
Property Tax Rate Drops, Kentucky Post, July 1, 2008
Public defenders sue state over funding, Lexington Herald-Leader, July 1, 2008

Louisiana

Private schools may file for grants, Times Picayune, July 3, 2008
Levee budget decision puts state in pinch, Times Picayune, July 2, 2008
Firms can't collect N.O. taxes, judges rule, Times Picayune, July 2, 2008

Maine

Court rejects Christian school tuition subsidy, Bangor Daily News, July 2, 2008

Massachusetts

Budget hangs on golf course plans, Boston Globe, July 2, 2008
State's $28b budget delayed, Boston Globe, July 1, 2008

Michigan

Rising tuition threatens Michigan education goals, Booth Newspapers, July 1, 2008
State freezes $34M in revenue sharing to Detroit, Detroit Free Press, July 1, 2008

Missouri

Blunt signs bill that makes sweeping changes in Missouri's property-tax system, Kansas City Star, July 1, 2008

Nebraska

What should state leaders do with Nebraska's expected $574 million cash reserve?, Lincoln Journal Star, July 5, 2008

Nevada

Governor signs seven bills passed during special session, Las Vegas Review-Journal, July 1, 2008

New Hampshire

Anti-tax group sets up in N.H., Nashua Telegraph, July 2, 2008
Cigarette taxes on rise, Concord Monitor, June 30, 2008

New Jersey

6 cities get biggest slice of state 'distressed' aid, Star Ledger, July 4, 2008
Corzine dislikes gas tax hike for transit upgrade, Star Ledger, July 3, 2008
Corzine signs a 'painful' budget, Star Ledger, July 1, 2008
Tax bills to be key test of budget, Asbury Park Press, June 30, 2008
NJ governor to sign $32.8B budget, Asbury Park Press, June 30, 2008

North Carolina

N.C. House passes emergency tax cap on emergency vehicles, Star-News, July 7, 2008
Tax credit stalls for special needs, News & Observer, July 3, 2008
NC budget votes won't happen this week, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, July 2, 2008
Easley presses budget, Winston-Salem Journal, June 30, 2008

North Dakota

N.D. governor wants to dump income tax credit plan, Bismarck Tribune, July 3, 2008

Pennsylvania

Rendell signs $28.2 billion state budget, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, July 5, 2008
Rendell approves overhaul of wage tax collection, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 3, 2008
Details on $28.2 billion Pa. budget still lacking, Philadelphia Inquirer, July 3, 2008
Critics of Pa.'s $28.2 billion deal blast sketchy details, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, July 1, 2008
Deal on state budget averts threatened shutdown, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 30, 2008

Rhode Island

R.I. municipalities facing big fiscal pinch, Providence Journal, July 6, 2008

South Carolina

Sanford signs bill, blasts legislators, Greenville News, July 3, 2008

South Dakota

Dakota State powers up fundraising, Argus Leader, June 30, 2008

Texas

State audit finds startup problems with $863 million IBM project, Austin American-Statesman, July 3, 2008
All that glitters isn't black gold, San Antonio Express News, June 30, 2008

Vermont

Vt., N.H. cigarette taxes will be rising, Times Argus, June 30, 2008

Washington

Initiatives may worsen state budget woes, Tri-City Herald, July 6, 2008
Prisons take fresh look at conservation, The Olympian, June 30, 2008

West Virginia

W.Va. sees tax revenue record, Charleston Gazette, July 2, 2008
W.Va. food tax goes to 3 percent, Charleston Daily Mail, June 30, 2008

U.S.

States' unemployment funds dwindling, Detroit News, July 3, 2008
Sour economy limits states' options in '08, Stateline.org, July 2, 2008
Budget Pain Hits States, With Relief Not in Sight, New York Times, July 1, 2008
State workers: Thank God It's Thursday, Stateline.org, June 30, 2008

SPN Research Forum listserv: The research forum listserv is an email-based conversation hosted by the John Locke Foundation. Post messages and get responses to issues of importance in your state and across the country. With participants from other SPN think tanks and associate SPN member organizations, the Forum can help with background for your papers or ideas on what's worked in other states. Learn from other think tanks. Share your research ideas. Discuss timely issues. To join the conversation, email Daren Bakst dbakst@johnlocke.org.

Links of Interest

Top

SPN Headquarters:
2020 North 14th Street
Ste 250
Arlington, VA 22201

Phone: (703) 243-1655
Fax: (703) 740-0314
info@spn.org

West Coast Office:
PO Box 5208
Richmond, CA 94805

Phone: (510) 965-9700
Fax: (510) 965-9701

Copyright © 2008
State Policy Network

Terms and Conditions