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Despite historic 2021 returns, many public pension plans are wisely preparing for lower investment returns
Public pension plans also need to resist the temptation to use last year's one-off, one-year investment return windfalls to fund new benefits like higher cost-of-living adjustments.
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States need permanent reforms to achieve the full benefits of telehealth services
The rapid rise in telehealth adoption during the pandemic was enabled, in part, by emergency regulatory suspensions at the federal level and in nearly all 50 states.
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California financial audit arrives a year late and raises flags about unemployment benefits paid
California's 2020 annual comprehensive financial report took 583 days to produce.
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The needed push to reform Tennessee’s outdated school finance system
Tennessee has an outdated school funding formula that is poorly suited to serve the needs of the state’s public-school students in 2022.
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Follow up analysis of the Texas Sunset Advisory Committee’s recommendations for the Texas Teacher Retirement System
According to the Texas Sunset Commission staff report, the Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased the pension system's alternative investment allocation by 26% between 2010 and 2020.
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Making Tennessee’s school finance system more transparent, flexible and fair
Only three percent of Tennessee's education funding was allocated based on student characteristics like being in a low income family, being in foster care, or needing special education services.
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FAA and FCC failures played key roles 5G rollout problems
Full cooperation between aviation safety regulators and telecommunications regulators enabled 5G towers to be placed with adequate distance from runways in Europe.
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The use and future of artificial intelligence monitoring in prisons
Ultimately, legislators should be very wary of artificial intelligence's current shortcomings before authorizing expansions of its use.
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Pittsburgh bridge collapse highlights how governments put off infrastructure repairs and maintenance
Consistently deferring repairs and maintenance can lead to disaster.
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California should remove outdated barriers to telehealth
Getting rid of arbitrary barriers and enabling cross-state telehealth licensing would help Californians during the pandemic.
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California’s next rail plan needs to consider the state’s population decline and work trends
Rail projects that were conceived in a time of growing population and higher utilization may no longer make sense.
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The bipartisan infrastructure law is likely to drive up costs and restrict highway expansion in growing states
The law could also undermine the Biden administration’s own climate change priorities.
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The Texas teacher pension system makes investment in risky special purpose acquisition company
SPACs are a high risk, high reward investment and can threaten a pension funds ability to pay promised benefits.
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Maryland could pay down some state pension debt by leasing BWI Airport
Long-term airport leases can improve the quality of airport services and provide additional revenue for governments.
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RAISE transportation grants go to non-transportation projects in committee members’ congressional districts
Of the 90 projects funded with Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grants in 2021, only nine projects (10%) were national in nature.
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Congress’ failure to enact an automated vehicle regulatory framework is an opportunity for states
Automated vehicles (AVs) present many challenges to the automotive regulatory ecosystem and current policy must be updated to accommodate them.
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California’s public schools need more transparency
In California, poorly performing public schools are particularly likely to avoid transparency and accountability.
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Mississippi’s medical marijuana disaster
After a popular ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana was struck down, Mississippi policymakers struggle to devise a legislative solution.
