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Facing state Supreme Court decisions demanding both equitable financing
of public schools and reforms to the state property tax, the special
session in the Lone Star State accomplished one big item
of business yesterday -- reforming the bizarre loophole-ridden state
franchise tax and actually...
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Yesterday, the Washington Post reported that with the federal government failing to act on immigration issues, states are taking the lead. Unfortunately, the Post
quickly turns the article into the same tired dichotomy of bills either
"get[ting] tough" or "making life easier"...
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The story of American democracy is one of heroes and disappointments.
Every day in this great nation, elected leaders make their constituents
proud by fighting for democracy, working families, and American
families. And then there are the disappointments: the elected officials
who play politics...
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After the botched Massachusetts health care bill, it's nice to see Wisconsin is stepping up with a really bold health care plan.
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"Today we march, tomorrow we vote!" - the chant at the recent immigration rights rallies -- may translate into a changed electoral landscape in many states across the country.
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What was once a brilliant line from a screenwriter is now a solid rule
of politics: "Follow the money." And true to that adage, when the
federal government scaled back the estate tax, eighteen billionaire
families were behind it, as documented in a new report
by Public Citizen and United...
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Republican Former Illinois Governor George Ryan was convicted this week on eighteen counts,
including racketeering, mail fraud, false statements, and tax
violations. His crime? Selling out the public for profit gain. While
the Governor awaits sentencing -- his crimes may earn him as much as
ten-...
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For the right wing in the Arizona state legislature, their only
response to sweatshop employers using low-wage undocumented immigrants
has been to try to make criminals of the undocumented workers
themselves, even as they've opposed raising minimum wage standards to
eliminate the sweatshops which...
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There's a piece of rhetoric out there that smart growth policies
increase housing costs, therefore driving working families out of urban
areas to the exurban fringe. Daniel Goldberg of Smart Growth America responds with this post
emphasizing that the real problem is that the principles of smart...
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Does it take two to tangle? Two New Jersey legislators are embarking on a six-month project to evaluate whether New Jersey can copy Massachusetts'
recently adopted plan. Before they start hustling around the state,
they ought to take a look at whether the Massachusetts plan is even
going to work...
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Hawaii is the latest state moving in that direction with a proposed Hawaii Innovations Fund which could grow to $200 million in government funds over four years to invest in Hawaii's renewable energy, life science and technology companies.
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