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Colorado’s proposed flavored tobacco ban would worsen public health and criminal justice inequities
A ban on flavored tobacco products would likely lead to the growth of illicit tobacco markets and more policing in minority communities.
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A chance to enter a new era of financial transparency and awareness for public pension plans
Nearly every group of Americans should appreciate the new required public pension disclosure.
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The real danger of mandatory reciprocal switching is freight rail stagnation
The Surface Transportation Board should not amend its reciprocal switching regulations until it can credibly show that the benefits would exceed the costs.
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Class action lawsuits against CUSIP could improve government transparency
In the case of CUSIP numbers, a strong intellectual property claim hinders our ability to monitor state and local debt.
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Why Nashville would get a smaller funding increase than other urban school districts in Tennessee’s education finance reform
A central goal of Gov. Bill Lee's education funding reform is to reduce unfair funding gaps between school districts, so they can’t all receive an equal funding boost.
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California drivers pay nation’s highest gas taxes for roads and bridges in poor condition
In addition to the 18.4 cents a gallon federal fuel tax, California’s drivers pay 51.1 cents per gallon in state gas taxes, plus state and local sales taxes.
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Deferred retirement option plans expose public pensions to unique risks
When looking into public pension plans that offer a DROP, a clear trend emerges: poorly funded plans and a swamp of unfunded liabilities.
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Report finds ‘oversights’ and ‘lack of transparency’ led to Pennsylvania pension system error
The Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) is increasingly dependent on highly specialized and expensive consultants to meet its fiduciary responsibilities.
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S&P Global’s annual pension report projects an uncertain future for pension funds
Market experts are warning that factors such as inflation, rising interest rates, and slower payroll growth could derail public pension systems' funding progress.
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The broken federal budget process gets even worse with $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill
With the last major federal budget reform now 50 years behind us, and after 20 consecutive years of federal budget deficits, the congressional budget process obviously needs an overhaul.
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California is using outdated high-speed rail ridership estimates
As state legislators decide whether to issue another $4 billion of bullet train bonds this spring, they should have the best and most recent possible information to make informed decisions.
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Comparing how much states contribute to public workers’ defined contribution retirement plans
Government employers should ensure their contributions to employees' defined contribution retirement plan are in line with industry best practices.
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New Hampshire bill would legalize marijuana but create a state-run monopoly to sell it
New Hampshire should legalize marijuana but the private sector is far more equipped to effectively serve consumers.
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Alaska pension bill would bring major financial risk and unfunded liability growth
House Bill 55 would commit Alaska to unpredictable long-term costs for public safety workers' pensions so it is crucial to consider the costs over decades, not just a few years.
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Florida bill to expunge juvenile records headed to Gov. DeSantis’ desk, again
In response to Florida Gov. Ron Desantis' claims, the new state bill, House Bill 195, clearly excludes forcible felonies from being expunged.
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Current pension plans aren’t helping recruit and retain teachers
The data show that public pension offerings may be preventing public schools from providing teaching staff what they really want: higher salaries.
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The role of retirement plan design in recruiting workers to the public sector
Colleges and universities have recognized professors need portable retirement plans, but other public sector employers have been slow to adapt.
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BART ridership numbers and projections don’t justify second transbay tunnel
By 2032, BART ridership is projected to reach only 70% of pre-pandemic projections.
