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SPN State Fiscal Policy Exchange – Volume 4, Issue 22

Published on Monday, June 16, 2008
FISCAL POLICY

Studies/Policy Updates

Budget and Tax Reform

Allegheny Institute for Public Policy:

Americans For Prosperity:

Americans For Tax Reform:

Arizona Free Enterprise Club: Another Reason to Reject State-Subsidized Theme Parks

Cascade Policy Institute: Does Oregon Spend Too Much?

Empire Center: Senate forecast for schools: partial sunshine

Evergreen Freedom Foundation: Will somebody please put a fence around the city of Seattle?

FreedomWorks:

Free State Foundation: Communications Policy in the Next Administration

Goldwater Institute:

Heartland Institute:

Maine Heritage Policy Center: Maine People's Tax Burden Now The Highest Ever!

National Taxpayers Union:

Nevada Policy Research Institute:

Progress & Freedom Foundation: Pay Me Now Or Pay Me Later

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility:

The Tax Foundation: New Tax Foundation Study Analyzes New York Property Tax Reform Proposal

Education

Alabama Policy Institute: Legislature Stood and Delivered on Tax Break for College Savings

Evergreen Freedom Foundation:

Goldwater Institute: "Green Schools" Legislation Deserves an "F"

John Locke Foundation: Tax credits for special-needs students would help North Carolina

Maine Heritage Policy Center: Reforming Teacher Pay in Maine - Part 1 How Alternative Teacher Compensation Systems are Improving Student Outcomes

Transparency

Americans For Prosperity: Deal to Provide Pork-Barrel Transparency Testament to Power of Grassroots, Americans for Prosperity Says AFP Now Looks Forward to Helping Scour Spending Bills for Waste

Americans For Tax Reform:

Goldwater Institute: Government Transparency is Bipartisan Issue

State News Updates

Alabama

Ala. shoppers turn out in April, Press Register, June 13, 2008
Riley signs health care tax break, Press Register, June 11, 2008
Alabama budgets may drain reserve funds, Birmingham News, June 9, 2008

Arizona

Ariz. Legislature kills Real ID; critics point to heft costs, Arizona Republic, June 12, 2008
Observers advise on Ariz. budget process, Arizona Republic, June 8, 2008

Arkansas

Highway department budget increases because of rising fuel costs, Arkansas News Bureau, June 11, 2008
State cut make for leaner college budgets, Sugg says, Daily Citizen, June 9, 2008

California

California Legislature facing long budget deadlock, Union Tribune, June 15, 2008
State's new Assembly speaker implores Congress on budget, San Jose Mercury News, June 13, 2008
Despite budget shortfall, state government is still hiring, Sacramento Bee, June 13, 2008
Senate Dems call for tax increases, Sacramento Bee, June 12, 2008
Bill would dilute fixes for failing Calif. school districts, San Diego Union Tribune, June 11, 2008
Panel votes to freeze pay for California's top elected officials, Sacramento Bee, June 11, 2008
More rough roads ahead, Los Angeles Times, June 10, 2008
Most California legislators could be hit with pay cut, Sacramento Bee, June 8, 2008

Colorado

Higher-ed fund spurned, Denver Post, June 13, 2008
Ritter renews study panel on transport, Denver Post, June 12, 2008

Connecticut

Legislature Approves Cash Discounts On Gas Purchases, Hartford Courant, June 13, 2008
Special Session Bogged Down, The Day, June 12, 2008
Special session drags out budget battle, Waterbury Republican-American, June 11, 2008
Senate votes to stop gas tax hike, Waterbury Republican-American, June 11, 2008

Delaware

Possible tax hike tough to swallow, News Journal, June 13, 2008
Pension proposal may give city boost, Courier-Journal, June 12, 2008
Del.'s list of requests grows exponentially, News Journal, June 8, 2008

Florida

Crist orders agencies to trim 4 percent, St. Petersburg Times, June 13, 2008
Crist OK's $66B budget with little fanfare, Miami Herald, June 12, 2008
FSU cuts mean fewer students and jobs, less upkeep, Orlando Sentinel, June 11, 2008
Florida businesses oppose plan to end property taxes for schools, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, June 9, 2008

Georgia

Statewide transportation plan in the works, Atlantic Journal-Constitution, June 12, 2008
Georgia senators ask for billions, Chattanooga Times Free Press, June 8, 2008

Hawaii

Stop Rail aims to double signatures, Honolulu Advertiser, June 13, 2008

Idaho

Idaho receives federal charter school grant, Times News, June 13, 2008
Lawmakers seek ethics ruling prior to tax vote, Clarion-Ledger, June 9, 2008

Illinois

Illinois lawmakers bring home the bacon, State Journal-Register, June 8, 2008

Indiana

Will politicians get on board with rail?, Indianapolis Star, June 13, 2008

Iowa

Lawmakers consider ways to give storm help, Des Moines Register, June 13, 2008

Kentucky

Some universities cut jobs, ditch raises, Courier-Journal, June 13, 2008
State's retirement investments lagging, Courier-Journal, June 13, 2008

Louisiana

Voucher proposal passes in Senate, Times-Picayune, June 12, 2008
Committee OKs bill for school aid, Advocate, June 12, 2008
Jindal won't stop raise, Advocate, June 12, 2008
Income tax break clears Senate, Times-Picayune, June 11, 2008
La. gas-tax relief measure delayed, Advocate, June 10, 2008
House approves state tuition increase, Times-Picayune, June 10, 2008
Charter Schools' Big Experiment, Washington Post, June 9, 2008
Republicans oppose pay raise, Times-Picayune, June 8, 2008

Massachusetts

Murray: Fight tax repeal, Boston Herald, June 13, 2008
Audit: Road spat between agencies cost Mass. $8.3 million, Boston Herald, June 10, 2008

Michigan

Prison costs may hit $2.6B in '12, Detroit News, June 13, 2008

Missouri

Revenues collections look good for Missouri, bad for Kansas, Kansas City Star, June 8, 2008

Montana

Ranch owners offer to sell land to state, Independent Record, June 12, 2008

Nevada

Official: Prepare for additional 2 percent budget cut, Nevada Appeal, June 14, 2008
Opposition to room tax hike building, Las Vegas Sun, June 12, 2008
Regents to decide where to trim $193 million from budget, Reno Gazette-Journal, June 12, 2008
NEVADA ECONOMY: Gaming revenues tumble again, Las Vegas Review-Journal, June 12, 2008
Budget cuts finally entered into state books, Nevada Appeal, June 10, 2008

New Hampshire

Lynch signs bill to borrow for budget, Telegraph, June 12, 2008
Businesses in Coos get tax credit, Concord Monitor, June 10, 2008
Lynch lets school plan go into law, Concord Monitor, June 10, 2008

New Jersey

Panel votes to bar educators' bonanzas, Star-Ledger, June 13, 2008
Camden school budget pared down, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 10, 2008
Lawmakers talk of a budget deal, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 10, 2008

New York

MTA projects budget gap of $500M to $700M for 2009, Newsday, June 12, 2008
NY gov criticizes Legislature over tax cap, Forbes, June 11, 2008

North Carolina

Panel OKs repeal of land transfer tax option, News & Observer, June 12, 2008

Ohio

Plunging real estate values crash into property tax ballot issues, Plain Dealer, June 15, 2008
Strickland vetoes items, signs plan to create 50,000 jobs, Dayton Daily News, June 13, 2008
State construction budget, water pact near, Columbus Dispatch, June 10, 2008

Oklahoma

State chief financial officer: $31.2 million already spent, Oklahoman, June 11, 2008

Pennsylvania

Senate OKs borrowing to fix dams, water, sewer systems, Morning Call, June 12, 2008
Officials want I-80 toll law rescinded, Morning Call, June 10, 2008
State firms criticize tax climate: Group pushes to grow economy, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, June 10, 2008

Rhode Island

Taxpayers get break on pension costs, Providence Journal, June 12, 2008
New budget plan avoids tax hike, cuts programs, Providence Journal, June 12, 2008
State budget set for release, Providence Journal, June 10, 2008

South Carolina

State-issued cell phone review calls for savings, Post & Courier, June 12, 2008

South Dakota

SD communities receive grants for mosquito control, Argus Leader, June 12, 2008

Utah

Utahns' tax burden 8th-highest in U.S., Deseret News, June 10, 2008
Utah works a 'gotcha' on 1,500 tax rebates, Deseret News, June 10, 2008

Vermont

Current use tax to include ecologically sensitive land, Times Argus, June 12, 2008
Economic indicators bode ill for Vermont, Times Argus, June 10, 2008

Virginia

State tax revenue takes hit in May, Washington Times, June 15, 2008

Washington

Sales tax deduction battle: Here we go again, News Tribune, June 15, 2008
Ideas for state education wouldn't come cheaply, Seattle Times, June 10, 2008
Earmarks help South Sound in surprising ways, Olympian, June 8, 2008

West Virginia

Waiting game pays off in school funding, Charleston Gazette, June 15, 2008
State taxes not so high, report says, Charleston Gazette, June 15, 2008

Wisconsin

State fund to fix stressed dams has been empty for years, LaCrosse Tribune, June 15, 2008

U.S.

New Legislation Planned on Bond Ratings, Wall Street Journal, June 12, 2008
Tax hikes rare among states - so far, Stateline.org, June 12, 2008
Gas taxes set to rise in some states, Macon Telegraph, June 9, 2008
States Seize Stimulus Checks to Pay Back Taxes, NPR.com, June 9, 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.

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