Yearly Archives: 2026
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The FDA’s flavored e-cigarette guidance could keep adult smokers from safer alternatives
The evidence increasingly shows that flavored e-cigarettes help adults quit smoking, yet the FDA’s framework still treats those products as exceptional risks.
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California’s Senate Bill 1050 takes a narrower approach to artificial intelligence advertising disclosure
Senate Bill 1050 recognizes a genuine issue in modern advertising and takes a useful step toward addressing it.
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Air taxis can get fans to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, if regulators don’t get in the way
Southern California policymakers should take care to avoid exposing taxpayers to the risk of vertiport investments.
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Weak transit board oversight is hurting public transportation investment
When a board’s structure does not reflect the complexity of its responsibilities, decisions may not be properly reviewed or enforced.
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How Connecticut’s pre-K endowment raises pension costs
Connecticut remains the second most indebted state in the nation on a per-capita basis, leaving little margin for deviation from its commitment to debt reduction.
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Transit agencies need to focus on transit-dependent riders
Transit-dependent riders should be recognized as the core customer group for most transit agencies.
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West Virginia lowers occupational licensing hurdles for people with criminal records
West Virginia House Bill 4819 makes it easier for formerly incarcerated individuals to reenter and reintegrate into society.
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Debt-ridden San Diego can no longer afford to subsidize the arts
San Diego is facing a $146 million budget deficit, so Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed budget must cut spending.
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Alaska should tax safer nicotine products at lower rates than cigarettes
Taxing safer nicotine products like cigarettes discourages smokers from switching and keeps more people smoking.
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Our privacy laws need upgrades to address the spread of facial recognition tools
Law enforcement agencies are increasingly using facial recognition to identify people in images captured by officers’ body-worn cameras.
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The SECURE Data Act could reduce compliance costs and improve consistency
After a decade of congressional inaction, many states have put together a patchwork of state-level data privacy laws that apply disproportionately across the nation.
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Standardized tracking could help states improve pregnancy care in prisons and jails
The Reporting on Incarceration Pregnancy and Postpartum Outcomes Act would establish a consistent set of standards so that data is comparable across jurisdictions.
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Privacy protections are key to establishing public trust in mileage-based user fees
The architecture of a GPS-enabled mileage-based user fee system can be designed to protect privacy.
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How states can prioritize needed transportation projects and improve the effectiveness of spending
Taxpayers spend billions on infrastructure, but states like Texas allow politics to play a role in determining which projects are chosen.
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LAUSD avoided a strike and now wants a state taxpayer bailout to avoid fiscal disaster
LAUSD projects a $1.3 billion budget deficit this year and a $1.5 billion hole in fiscal year 2027.
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Federal agencies’ next moves to accelerate the availability of psychedelic therapies
Federal agencies have responded to Trump's executive order on psychedelic therapies with a series of related announcements.
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Congress doesn’t need to abandon the “actual knowledge” standard to keep kids safe online
Broadening COPPA’s “actual knowledge” standard would create legal uncertainty that pushes companies to increase privacy risks for everyone.
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Louisiana House Bill 211 would rely on criminal penalties to address homelessness
The bill reflects a desire to improve public safety, but its reliance on criminalization and court involvement risks reinforcing instability rather than resolving it.
