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The Criminal Justice Implications of Raising the Tobacco Age to 21
Do we really want to give 20-year-olds criminal records for vaping?
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Market-Driven Water Pricing Could Help Solve Florida’s Water Problems
Privatization, improved water pricing, and innovative wastewater reuse technologies can help deal with rising demand and population growth.
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Green Municipal Bond Raises Questions About Pension Fund Borrowing
The California State Teachers Retirement System's use of innovative financing is notable for its environmental aspects and its implications for pension finance.
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Proposed PERA Reform an Important Step Toward Pension Solvency in New Mexico
New bill would address the Public Employees Retirement Association's systemic issues by improving funding policy and adopting a more sustainable benefit adjustment mechanism.
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New York City’s Unfunded OPEB Liability Surpasses $100 Billion
The city’s unfunded other post-employment benefits liability exceeds that of any other local government in the country, as well as that of most states.
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LAO Report: California’s Taxes and Rules Mean Legal Marijuana Can’t Compete With Black Market Prices
"Even if the state eliminated its cannabis taxes entirely, other costs— such as regulatory compliance costs and local taxes—likely would keep legal cannabis prices higher than illicit market prices.”
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Michigan Tries to Force Marijuana Businesses to Reach Labor Peace Agreements
There is a long series of legal precedents demonstrating that Gov. Whitmer’s proposed rule is unconstitutional.
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The Trump Administration’s Ban of Flavored Vaping Cartridges Is Bad for Public Health
While Trump's policy isn't the worst possible outcome it's still a terrible blow for public health.
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How Puerto Rico’s Debt Problems Could Have a Major Impact on Local Governments Across the US
A congressional proposal aimed at easing Puerto Rico's problems could create widespread issues for bond markets and municipal governments.
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Reforming the Postal Service’s Pension and Retiree Health Care Benefit Systems
In absolute numbers, USPS faces $50 billion in unfunded pension liabilities plus $70 billion in unfunded liabilities for retiree health care.
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Rethinking Student Loans and Financial Aid Could Reduce the Cost of College and Student Debt
It’s hard to find another sector in which the market for loans is so unresponsive to return on investment than it is with student loans in higher education.
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Financially-Distressed Local Governments Can Learn From Top Performing Cities and Counties
Best practices include funding infrastructure through the budget rather than borrowing via bonds and writing and abiding by strong financial reserve and rainy-day policies.
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The Downward Trend in U.S. Life Expectancy and Its Uncertain Impacts on Public Pensions
A recent Society of Actuaries mortality study found that public sector employees have longer life expectancies than the general population.
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PG&E’s Settlement Won’t Fix Its Problems and Consumers Deserve Choices
Routine power outages and rolling blackouts appear to be Californians’ new normal for at least another decade.
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Sen. Warren’s Education Plan Significantly Contradicts Her Immigration Plan
Warren’s logic that families must stay put and fix their own public schools mirrors a common nativist talking point: immigrants should stay put and fix their own countries instead of coming here.
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Updated: The Washington Post Corrects an Inaccurate Claim About Education Spending
Inflation-adjusted, per-pupil education spending has actually increased by at least 36 percent since the 1980s.
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Sensible Education Reforms to Complement School Choice
Conservatives, libertarians and progressives all agree that tax dollars should be distributed fairly so that all students are treated equally and disadvantaged kids aren’t shortchanged.
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Illinois Embraces Pension Consolidation, But Needs to Do Much More
The pension consolidation plan is a good idea, but dramatic changes will be needed to extricate the state from its pension crisis.
