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SPN State Fiscal Policy Exchange - Volume 4, Issue 32

Published on Tuesday, August 26, 2008
FISCAL POLICY

 

SPN State Fiscal Policy Exchange - Volume 4, Issue 32

 

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

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SPN 16^th Annual Meeting Register today for the SPN 16^th Annual Meeting, September 11-12, 2008 in Scottsdale, Arizona. This is the premier event for the free market state think tank community. The agenda features expert panels, training workshops and strategy discussions on free market policy issues as well as unparalleled networking opportunities for the over 300 public policy professionals from 150+ organizations in attendance. Find more information at www.spn.org/events.

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Studies/Policy Updates

 

Budget and Tax Reform

• Allegheny Institute for Public Policy: Taxpayers Backstop Casino Pledge to Penguins Arena

• Americans For Prosperity:
• AFP Arizona Releases 2008 Legislative Scorecard
• Venable testifies on revenue caps for local governments in Texas

• Americans For Tax Reform:
• Winners of the Northwest
• New York Assembly Passes Massive Tax Hike...Which is Apparently Called Property Tax Relief
• Obama Will Cut Taxes... Not!
• What Taxes Will Michael Holland (R-Wyo.) Raise in Wyoming?
• Pledge Signers in Today's Primaries
• Coalition of 60 Organizations Urge "Gang of Ten" to Reconsider Proposal
• Other States Definitely Not Dreaming of Californication

• Arizona Free Enterprise Club: Sales Tax Talk

• Bluegrass Institute: Prevailing on taxpayers a labor of love for this Guv

• Buckeye Institute: Tired, so tired

• Cascade Policy Institute: Keep "Double Majority" Voting Rule in Place

• Citizens Against Government Waste: August Wastewatcher

• Evergreen Freedom Foundation:
• What's fair to taxpayers?
• Port of Seattle Spends to Defend Itself
• Gregoire and Rossi answers are up on YouTube

• FreedomWorks:
• Corporations and the Tax Man
• D.C. Group Targets Oregon Energy Issues - The Oregonian
• FreedomWorks Joins 60 Groups in Opposition to Gang of 10 Deal
• Opposition to Proposed North Carolina "Sin Taxes"
• FreedomWorks Hosts John Locke Foundation on Land Transfer Taxes

• Georgia Public Policy Foundation: Less is More in Government

• Heartland Institute:
• Pickens' Windy Scheme Will Leave Taxpayers Holding the Bag
• Port of Seattle Spends to Defend Itself
• Congress Opts for Farm Bill Pork Rather than Reform
• Virginia Special Session Ends With No Tax Hikes
• Online Retailers Sue Over N.Y. Internet Sales Tax

• Heritage Foundation: A senator in the 'no'

• Illinois Policy Institute: Institute E-Letter: A Liberty Agenda for Illinois, Jones's Retirement and Movie Premieres

• John Locke Foundation:
• Agenda 2008 promotes policies that protect taxpayers
• Lawmakers should scrap energy-efficiency mandates

• Mackinac Center for Public Policy:
• Eight Ballot Measures We Would Like to See
• Pulp Fiction
• Changing Direction. Are We There Yet?
• Savings from "Reform Government" Initiative: Four Pennies a Week

• Maine Heritage Policy Center:
• MAINE WATCH - Maine's Tax Burden
• Maine versus New Hampshire VI

• National Taxpayers Union:
• Don't Expand the Sales and Use Tax to Clinical Trials and Drug Samples
• "Gang of 10" Energy Proposal Fails to Deliver on Domestic Production, Taxpayer Group Says

• Nevada Policy Research Institute: New taxes, same old tune

• Rio Grande Foundation:
• Thank you Dan Foley
• Legislature Adjourns: Only Minor Damage
• Lets Drill Our Way to Lower Taxes

• Texas Public Policy Foundation:
• Great Things Going on in Leander
• Charitable Csar

• The Tax Foundation:
• After Tax Foundation Releases Analysis, Obama Campaign Clarifies Tax Relief Plan for Seniors
• Obama Tax Relief Proposal for Seniors Impossible to Implement
• Mississippi Tax Study Commission on the Right Track Towards Reform
• Tax Foundation Launches CompeteUSA Campaign to Highlight "Real-Wallet" Impact of High Business Taxes on U.S. Jobs and Wages

• Washington Policy Center:
• New report on systemic problems with the B&O tax
• DOR supports searchable tax transparency website reform

Education

• Buckeye Institute: Oh, indeed they do

• Evergreen Freedom Foundation: Dr. Vedder meets Twitter

• Grassroot Institute of Hawaii: Shining the Light on Education Spending in Hawaii: Where Do Our Public Education Dollars Go?

• Heartland Institute: Public School System, Not Vouchers, Is What's Unfair

• Illinois Policy Institute: Give students the choice to attend charter schools where kids perform well

• Nevada Policy Research Institute: Read it and weep

• Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs: The audacity of HOPE - The Oklahoman

• Texans for Fiscal Responsibility: Quarter Million Dollar Man

• Texas Public Policy Foundation: Calculating the Demand for Charter Schools

• The Tax Foundation: Tax Foundation Urges Indiana Supreme Court to Avoid Education Finance Chaos

Transparency

• Buckeye Institute:
• A little test too
• Striking a blow for transparency

• Evergreen Freedom Foundation: Union campaign contributions compromise integrity

• Illinois Policy Institute: Sun-Times Provides Some Sunlight

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State News Updates

Alabama

• Birmingham-area cities report savings from four-day workweek, Birmingham News, August 19, 2008

Arizona

• Voucher program for disabled children gets funded, Arizona Republic, August 25, 2008

California

• Tough talk raises the heat, Sacramento Bee, August 23, 2008
• American Express warns California over nonpayment, Sacramento Bee, August 23, 2008
• Governor may seek special election for budget, San Francisco Chronicle, August 22, 2008
• Sales tax hike back in play, Sacramento Bee, August 21, 2008
• Governor, legislative leaders still at impasse on state budget, Union-Tribune, August 20, 2008
• Schwarzenegger's push to hike sales tax riles GOP, Los Angeles Times, August 20, 2008

Connecticut

• Rell, GOP Legislators Unveil Energy Aid Proposal, Hartford Courant, August 20, 2008

Florida

• Crist looks to reserves, tobacco settlement to fund part of deficit, Orlando Sentinel, August 20, 2008
• US Sugar buyout: sweet deal for the Everglades?, Christian Science Monitor, August 20, 2008

Georgia

• Budget cuts could close 13 state parks, sites, Atlantic Journal Constitution, August 22, 2008
• College tuition increase recommended by state regents, Macon Telegraph, August 21, 2008
• Possible cuts put schools on alert, Augusta Chronicle, August 20, 2008
• Perdue: Tax relief grants fail to help homeowners, Atlantic Journal Constitution, August 20, 2008
• In Georgia budget crisis, tax breaks, 'pork' are safe, Atlantic Journal Constitution, August 18, 2008
• Regents to reveal budget cuts, Athens Banner-Herald, August 19, 2008

Hawaii

• Libraries plot ways to manage slimmed budget, Star Bulletin, August 20, 2008

Idaho

• Otter orders changes at Idaho State Tax Commission, Idaho Statesman, August 20, 2008

Illinois

• Fuel costs exhaust budgets of schools, parents, Chicago Tribune, August 21, 2008
• Chicago Urban League sues state over school funding, Chicago Tribune, August 21, 2008
• Senate rejects tax plan for injured vets, Quad-City Times, August 20, 2008

Indiana

• New deal lets Colts rake in cash, Indianapolis Star, August 24, 2008
• Long Thompson calls for review of privatization efforts, Indianapolis Star, August 21, 2008

Kansas

• University presidents tell Kansas regents how budget cuts will hurt, Wichita Eagle, August 21, 2008

Louisiana

• New rules placed on non-state agencies, News Star, August 25, 2008

Maryland

• Projection: Bay Bridge toll collections down $1 million, The Capital, August 24, 2008
• Ballot wording links slots to education, The Capital, August 19, 2008

Massachusetts

• State payroll swells as economy tanks, Boston Herald, August 25, 2008
• Transportation head puts brakes on I-93 toll idea, Boston Herald, August 20, 2008

Michigan

• Tax credits boost $68-million project in Dearborn, Detroit Free Press, August 20, 2008

Mississippi

• Tax study group recommends 50-cent tobacco tax increase, Hattiesburg American, August 20, 2008

Nevada

• Cuts aren't the way out of the hole, Guinn says, Las Vegas Sun, August 21, 2008
• Gibbons: Chop salaries to meet cuts, Nevada Appeal, August 21, 2008
• Tax amnesty plan beats expectations, Las Vegas Review-Journal, August 20, 2008

New Hampshire

• NH gov orders agencies to prepare tight budgets, Concord Monitor, August 24, 2008
• Heads up for tax caps on the Seacoast, The Wire, August 21, 2008
• Toll hike keeps NH's revenue up, Union Leader, August 19, 2008

New Jersey

• New analysis adds $551M to state's pension shortfall, Star-Ledger, August 23, 2008
• Property taxpayers told of new relief, Philadelphia Inquirer, August 21, 2008
• Corzine plan will fund road projects, not debt payments, Philadelphia Inquirer, August 20, 2008

New Mexico

• Special session ends on 'modest' note, Santa Fe New Mexican, August 19, 2008
• Group's Web Site to Track Legislation, New Mexican, August 17, 2008

New York

• Paterson, legislators: More budget cuts may be needed, Newsday, August 21, 2008
• NY Assembly, Senate divided on property tax relief, Syracuse Post-Standard, August 20, 2008
• NY Legislature, Paterson agree to budget cuts, Syracuse Post-Standard, August 20, 2008
• Dems OK Millionaire Tax, New York Post, August 20, 2008
• Legislators Are Negotiating to Cut Budget by $1 Billion, New York Times, August 19, 2008
• State budget faces knife, Times Union, August 19, 2008

Ohio

• Tax credits proposed for college graduates who stay in Ohio, Plain Dealer, August 21, 2008
• Ohio jobless benefits fund could seek taxpayer help, Plain Dealer, August 19, 2008

Oregon

• November tax initiative seen slicing $1 billion or more from Oregon budget, Oregonian, August 20, 2008

Pennsylvania

• 3 casino delays stall tax cuts, Patriot-News, August 19, 2008

South Carolina

• SC senators reviews school funding, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, August 21, 2008
• SC gov calling targeted budget cuts, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, August 21, 2008

South Dakota

• Judge will decide if schools can finance lawsuit, Rapid City Journal, August 20, 2008

Tennessee

• Tennessee: Streamlined sales tax aims to rope in online retailers, Chattanooga Times Free Press, August 25, 2008
• State cracks down on untaxed diesel use, The Tennessean, August 25, 2008

Texas

• Texas' share-the-wealth school finance law, Dallas Morning News, August 21, 2008

Utah

• Legislators boost staff salaries, Deseret News, August 25, 2008
• Fee-way: Could toll roads replace gas taxes in Utah?, Salt Lake Tribune, August 21, 2008
• State budgets feeling pinch of high gas prices, Deseret News, August 20, 2008
• Senators say Utah fiscally prepared, Deseret News, August 19, 2008

Vermont

• Administration proposes budget cuts, Boston Globe, August 25, 2008
• Lawmakers to discuss $30 million spending-cut plan, Rutland Herald, August 20, 2008

Virginia

• Va. budget deficit could force cuts, Richmond Times-Dispatch, August 25, 2008
• Kaine warns: Taxes not bringing in enough, major cuts ahead, Virginian-Pilot, August 19, 2008

Washington

• State would get $200 million for Asarco cleanup, News Tribune, August 24, 2008
• Audit rates agencies good at collections, The Olympian, August 18, 2008

West Virginia

• State consumers to get tax break on energy-saving appliances, Charleston Daily Mail, August 20, 2008

U.S.

• Why presidential elections matter to states, Stateline.org, August 22, 2008
• Higher bridge tolls, PATCO fares approved, Philadelphia Inquirer, August 21, 2008
• A Tax Revolt Is Quietly Brewing, Wall Street Journal, August 20, 2008 

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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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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
• Sam Adams Alliance
• 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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