Latest
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California legislature was wise not to issue the remaining $4 billion of high-speed rail bonds
Without the bond proceeds, the California High-Speed Rail Authority will not be able to meet its intermediate objective of establishing service along 171 miles of electrified track between Merced and Bakersfield.
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Congress considers tobacco tax increase
Cigarette taxes would double to more than $2 per pack under the House proposal.
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Spending data show the U.S. has not been defunding public education
When looking at the data, the verdict is clear: nearly every American state has increased per-pupil revenues in the last two decades, often by substantial margins.
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Benefit costs, not school choice programs, are the real drain on public education spending
Benefit costs, not school choice programs, are draining new funding from K-12 public schools.
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Scammers take advantage of California community colleges’ inadequate cybersecurity measures
California’s community college system could identify and even thwart bots much more easily if the state implemented and followed a full cybersecurity plan.
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New York City’s misguided automated vehicle rules
The new rule means automated vehicle developers would face legal uncertainty and may be deterred from testing their technologies in the city at all.
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Three reasons why public pensions still need reform
Despite realizing excellent investment returns in 2021, public pension plans are still in need of reforms to prevent future debt and ensure they can pay out promised benefits.
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Privatization and Government Reform News: Transportation P3s, solutions for space debris, and more
Plus: Capitol Hill’s spending spree continues amid inflation concerns, anticompetitive California EMS bill gets (some) redemption, and more.
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Putting a year of good investment returns for public pension plans in perspective
This year's exceptionally high investment returns are good news for struggling pension plans, but they do not mean all is right in the public pension world.
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Aviation Policy News: Responses to airport lease study, airport security since 9/11, and more
Plus: Airport security since the 9/11 attacks, how climate change policies impact air travel, a better way to deal with in-flight turbulence, and more.
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California passes EMS bill but doesn’t address anti-competitive landscape
If fire agencies want to fully take over emergency medical services, they should face a competitive landscape that ensures they are tested against the best competition in the EMS industry.
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The FDA has decimated the e-cigarette market
The FDA has not authorized a single e-cigarette for sale and denied more than a million vape products from the market.
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California’s failed mandates offer some lessons for President Biden’s vaccine mandate
The Biden administration could save America from a lot of regulatory, legal and political fighting over its proposed COVID-19 vaccine mandate by recognizing how this mandate approach failed in California in the past.
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Ohio’s teacher retirement system lacks investment transparency
For the 2020 fiscal year, STRS reported paying $175 million in fees to alternative investment managers.
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Delaware tries to improve transparency on state spending
Delaware's Gray Fox will contain ARPA spending data from the state, 19 K-12 school districts, 23 charter schools, three counties, and 57 municipalities.
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Comments on the proposed pesticide experimental use permit for Oxitec
The EPA should move forward as quickly as possible in approving Oxitec’s request for an experimental use permit to undertake additional field trials in Florida and California.
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Surface Transportation News: Problems with electric vehicles, freight rail innovation in jeopardy, and more
Plus: Virginia embraces per-mile charging, the return on investment for passenger rail systems, and more.
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Federal legalization of marijuana and the Commerce Clause
The most expeditious method of legalizing marijuana at the federal level is to deem any state-approved marijuana product acceptable for trade in interstate commerce.
