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SPN State Fiscal Policy Exchange – Volume 4, Issue 16

Published on Tuesday, May 06, 2008
FISCAL POLICY

 

SPN State Fiscal Policy Exchange - Volume 4, Issue 16

 

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: Congressman Bachus: Congress Should Not Bail Out Mortgage Industry

• Alleghany Institute for Public Policy: Gaming Board Rolled the Dice on Pittsburgh's Casino License

• Americans For Prosperity:
• AFP Arizona releases 2008 Local Government Tax & Spending Pledge
• Americans For Prosperity, California Calls on State Lawmakers to Stop Treating Taxpayers Like an A.T.M.
• The Biofuels Disaster Must End

• Americans For Tax Reform:
• ATR Will Rate Vote on Gas Tax Holiday Paid for with Pledge-Violatiing Income Tax Hike
• ATR Supports H.R. 5906, the "Small Business Capital Expansion and Improvement Act of 2008"
• ATR Supports H.R. 5908, which would enact a permanent, zero percent tax rate on corporate and individual capital gains
• FCC says enough to runaway growth in the Universal Service Fund.
• Ear to the Ground- State News Roundup

• Arizona Free Enterprise Club: Property Tax Revolt

• Cascade Policy Institute:
• How Much Does State Government Cost Each Oregonian?
• The high cost of "free" health care

• Evergreen Freedom Foundation:
• Proposed Island Home ferries are fuel hogs, require bigger crew
• Will taxpayers pay for politics?
• EFF video update
• Tax Freedom Day finally reaches Washington
• Get Free - With 50% less Ummm. - Episode 4

• Flint Hills Center: Universal Preschool Wastes Money, Imperils the Good Society

• FreedomWorks:
• FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey talks about AngryRenter.com with Glenn Beck
• Public Know Nothings
• Taxes and the Times

• Free State Foundation:
• The Temptation of Media Regulation
• A Good Day for Universal Service Reform

• Georgia Public Policy Foundation: Don't Railroad Taxpayers into Transit Subsidies

• Goldwater Institute:
• Blaming Feds for Budget Deficit Passes the Buck
• No New Tax Needed for Transportation
• $42 Billion Transit Proposal Moves in Wrong Direction
• ‘Tax Cuts for the Rich' Dangerous Rhetoric

• Grassroot Institute of Hawaii: Time To Put Childish Things Away

• John Lock Foundation: New report highlights harm from climate change policies

• Mackinac Center for Public Policy: Much to be Done

• Montana Policy Institute: Challenging the Economics of Montana's Climate Change Action Plan

• National Taxpayer Union: An Open Letter to the Missouri Senate: Give Taxpayers the Chance to Vote on Spending Limit Amendment

• Nevada Policy Research Institute: Was that really so hard?

• Public Interest Institute:
• Fiscal Storm on the Horizon: The Looming Entitlement Crisis
• House File 2645: Iowa's Fiscal Train Wreck
• The Future of Limited Government in Iowa
• The Burden of Government
• The Power is A Already in Your Hands, Have the Courage to Use It!

• Texans for Fiscal Responsibility:
• No Control For You
• Who'll Be A Leader?

• Texas Public Policy Foundation: The Condition of Our Nation: The Press Is Always Wrong

• The Tax Foundation: Case Presents Opportunity to Ensure Uniform Application of Tax Code and Prevent Harm to Taxpayers

• Virginia Institute for Public Policy:
• And Now, A Kind Word about Tolls
• You Call This Conservative?

• Washington Policy Center:
• Washington Policy Center on KING 5's Up Front with Robert Mak
• Promoting Personal Choice, Incentives and Investment to Cut Greenhouse Gases
• Eliminate federal gas-tax
• More on the Baffling Economics of Transportation Policy in Washington State
• The Baffling Economics of Transportation Policy in Washington State
• "Taxes are high because governments spend money"

Education

• Bluegrass Institute:
• The outbreak of a 'Rasche' of common sense?
• Education spending and a respect for the law

• FreedomWorks: School choice back in play in Florida

• Empire Center: NY School Spending Well Above Inflation in 2008-09

• Goldwater Institute: Non-Alignment of Standards Not Culprit for Low Scores

• Public Interest Institute: Higher Education in Iowa: An External Assessment

• Texans for Fiscal Responsibility: School Districts Should Trim Central Office Before Raising Taxes

• Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy: Time to Fund Reading First

Transparency

• Evergreen Freedom Foundation: EFF offers suggestions to increase transparency in government

• Georgia Public Policy Foundation: Transparency Can Bring Clarity to Georgia Taxpayers

• Mackinac Center for Public Policy: Show Michigan the Money

• Public Interest Institute: Working to Increase Government Transparency

• Virginia Institute for Public Policy: Pork and Transparency

 

State News Updates

Alabama

• Alabama Senate scuttles sales and income tax proposal, at least for now, Birmingham News, May 1, 2008
• Tax hike for natural gas companies opposed, Montgomery Advertiser, April 28, 2008

 

Alaska

• Budget battle brewing, KTUU.com, May 2, 2008
• Permanent Fund earns high praise in D.C. meeting, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, May 4, 2008

 

Arizona

• States, feds allow assets used in crimes to be seized, Arizona Daily Star, May 4, 2008
• State budget-deficit fix may be insufficient, Arizona Daily Star, May 1, 2008

 

Arkansas

• State revenues beat expectations, rise slightly in April, Arkansas News Bureau, May 3, 2008

 

California

• Governor's budget plan grows green staff, San Francisco Chronicle, May 4, 2008
• Gov.'s staff exploring new taxes, Los Angeles Times, May 1, 2008
• Californians divided over new taxes for schools, poll finds, Los Angeles Times, May 1, 2008
• Schwarzenegger says Calif. faces $20 billion budget deficit, Union-Tribune, April 28, 2008

 

Colorado

• Fiscal fix to go to public, Denver Post, May 5, 2008

 

Connecticut

• Democrats Urge Tax Amnesty, Hartford Courant, May 1, 2008
• Rell says state budget in deficit, Hartford Courant, April 30, 2008

 

Delaware

• Transfer tax fund is shrinking, News Journal, May 4, 2008
• State's colleges tighten budgets, The News Journal, May 1, 2008

 

Florida

• $66.2B budget will roll out Crist's health-insurance plan, Orlando Sentinel, May 3, 2008
• Florida House slashes school funding to balance budget, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, May 2, 2008
• House bill could make it harder for State of Florida retirees to 'double-dip', Tallahassee Democrat, May 1, 2008
• Even in shrinking budget, there's $2.5-million for Rep. Young earmark, St. Petersburg Times, May 1, 2008
• S. Fla. stuck with $3 billion sewage bill, Miami Herald, May 1, 2008
• Crist pushes gas tax holiday, St. Petersburg Times, April 29, 2008

Georgia

• Richardson vows to try to eliminate car taxes again, Atlantic Journal Constitution, May 3, 2008

Illinois

• Illinois budget in a hole, next fiscal plan in flux, Chicago Tribune, May 4, 2008
• Illinois legislators may get another raise, Chicago Tribune, May 1, 2008

Indiana

• Bigger IU budget to benefit faculty, Indianapolis Star, May 5, 2008

Iowa

• Governor to approve big salary hikes for himself, other top officials, Radio Iowa, April 28, 2008

Kansas

• House rejects Senate's budget changes, Wichita Eagle, May 4, 2008
• Lawmakers OK fee increase for Kansas driver's licenses, Wichita Eagle, May 1, 2008

Kentucky

• Tuition hearing turns tense, Courier-Journal, May 1, 2008

Louisiana

• Analysis: Jindal proposes budget changes -- with control, News Star, May 5, 2008
• Lawmakers deciding on bill to scrap income tax, New Iberian, May 4, 2008
• Tuition plan squeaks by panel, Times-Picayune, May 1, 2008
• House budget panels recommend $101 million in cuts, News Star, May 1, 2008

 

Maine

• Coalition begins challenge to new taxes on soda, beer, wine, Portland Press Herald, May 5, 2008
• State sees good news in recent revenue, Portland Press Herald, May 1, 2008

Maryland

• Gas tax holiday not in state's future, Capital, May 5, 2008
• Schools use cash as an incentive to boost attendance and scores, Christian Science Monitor, April 29, 2008

Michigan

• Granholm vetoes funding for 2 business incubators, Crain's Detroit Business, April 30, 2008

Minnesota

• Governor, leaders hold more budget talks; no breakthrough, Star Tribune, May 5, 2008
• Pawlenty's health care proposal has a ring familiar to McCain's, Star Tribune, April 30, 2008

 

Mississippi

• Hospitals want cigarette tax in Medicaid talks, Daily Journal, May 1, 2008

Missouri

• Lawmakers agree to hike Medicaid payouts, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 1, 2008
• Legislators balk at huge tax break, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 1, 2008

Montana

• Natives & newcomers: Taxes are key, Billings Gazette, May 5, 2008

New Hampshire

• Anti-tax group: Cap is a good fit, Union Leader, May 4, 2008
• Senate backs lifeline for charters, Concord Monitor, May 2, 2008
• Lynch: This is how to fix budget, Concord Monitor, May 2, 2008
• Sin tax to save the day in NH?, Union Leader, May 2, 2008

New Jersey

• Corzine says Clinton's gas-tax holiday is unlikely to happen quickly, Star-Ledger, May 5, 2008
• Overtime for NJ state workers rose $16M last year, Star-Ledger, May 5, 2008
• Corzine Weighs Options on Toll Increases, New York Times, April 30, 2008

New York

• $147M in pork headed home, Times Union, May 3, 2008
• State Officials Predict a Deep Recession, New York Times, May 2, 2008
• Amazon Sues Over State Law on Collection of Sales Tax, New York Times, May 2, 2008
• State Could Save $1 Billion a Year by Consolidating Services, Report Says, New York Times, May 1, 2008

Ohio

• Ohio Lawmakers Seek to Raid Anti-Smoking Funds, National Public Radio, April 29, 2008

Oklahoma

• State House budget effort outpaces last year's, Oklahoman, May 2, 2008

Oregon

• $1.5 million keeps Cascadia open, Oregonian, May 2, 2008

 

Pennsylvania

• Budget, health care high on agenda as lawmakers return, Morning Call, May 5, 2008
• Bridge repairs in state require $11 billion, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, May 4, 2008
• Sluggish economy hinders turnpike-leasing plan, Philadelphia Inquirer, May 2, 2008
• Property tax relief set at $612.9 million, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, May 2, 2008
• Pa. slots to shave millions off taxes, Philadelphia Inquirer, May 2, 2008

Rhode Island

• Carcieri signs midyear budget, Providence Journal, May 2, 2008

Tennessee

• Tuition costs likely to rise, Commercial Appeal, May 5, 2008
• Bredesen: State must tighten like a business, Tennessean, May 5, 2008
• State Funding Board projects revenue shortfall, Knoxville News Sentinel, May 2, 2008

Vermont

• Lawmakers: Fiscal year 2010 'looks troubling', Rutland Herald, May 5, 2008
• Legislators approve a sales tax holiday, Times Argus, May 2, 2008

Virginia

• Va. Legislators Try to Map Strategy on Roads, Washington Post, May 2, 2008
• Kaine May Float Gas-Tax Increase to Offset Shortfall, Washington Post, April 30, 2008

West Virginia

• Rockefeller wants to help poor buy gas, Charleston Daily Mail, May 5, 2008

 

Wisconsin

• Budget blow off?, Wisconsin Radio Network, May 2, 2008
• Doyle: Expect roadwork delays, unpaid bills if no budget deal is reached, Wisconsin State Journal, May 2, 2008

 

U.S.

• Fiscal Pressures Lead Some States to Free Inmates Early, Washington Post, May 5, 2008
• Value of college tuition is called into question, USA Today, May 1, 2008
• Many States Ring Up Lower Sales-Tax Revenues, Wall Street Journal, May 1, 2008
• Hiring leaps in public sector, USA Today, April 30, 2008
• Study Warns Job Losses Will Strain Government Health Programs, New York Times, April 29, 2008

 

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Links of Interest

• Alliance for Workers Freedom
• American Legislative Exchange Council
• American Shareholders Association
• Americans for Limited Government
• Americans for Prosperity
• Americans for Prosperity Texas Blog
• Americans for Tax Reform
• BNA State Tax Highlights
• Budget and Tax News

• BusinessNevada

• Carolina Journal
• Citizens Against Government Waste
• COST Tax Updates
• EFF Updates
• EFF Blog
• FreedomWorks
• Foundation for Economic Education
• Independence Institute Updates
• Insider Online
• Media Freedom Project
• National Tax Limitation Committee
• National Taxpayers Union
• PolicyBot
• Property Rights Alliance
• Ronald Reagan Legacy Project
• SPN blog
• State Tax Updates (ATR)
• Tax Bytes (Institute for Policy Innovation)
• Tax Foundation
• Townhall
• Washington Policy Center Blog
• Young America's Foundation

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