Latest
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Could a Federal Loan Program Help Fix Ailing State Public Pension Plans?
Federal loans for states with failing pension systems would penalize states that have taken steps to address insolvency and are unlikely to fix the worst-off public pension plans.
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Keeping Auto Safety Regulations Current In a Rapidly Evolving Technology Landscape
There is a growing gulf between automotive technology developers and safety regulators that must be addressed.
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Infographic — Idaho School Finance: How It Works and How to Improve the System
Idaho should streamline its education funding system into a weighted-student formula that allocates dollars based on local students' needs.
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States, and Taxpayers, Need Better Transportation Data
State transportation departments have largely failed to adopt modern data and technology capabilities—and our roads are worse for it.
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Pension Reform Newsletter: Leasing State-Owned Toll Roads Could Help Fund Pensions, Public Pension Investment Returns vs. Assumptions, and More
Plus: California Supreme Court upholds pension reform twice — but the “California Rule” persists, Portland’s pension system is dependent on property values rising, and more.
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Satellite-Broadband Service Is the Best Way to Get Internet Access to Rural America
Throwing billions of taxpayers' dollars at rural broadband projects is not the answer to the digital divide.
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Florida’s Public Pension Investment Return Assumptions Are Too Risky and Driving Debt
Unrealistic investment return assumptions have been the largest contributor to the $30.3 billion in unfunded pension liabilities the Florida Retirement System has accumulated since 2008.
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Public Pension Investment Performance Has Historically Fallen Short of Return Assumptions
Declining interest rates and market volatility over the last three decades have made it harder for public pension plan investment performance to match assumed rates of return - and plans have been slow to lower their assumptions.
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Watch Experts Discuss How Unintended Consequences of Vaping Bans Hurt Public Health
Vaping prohibitions also contribute to over-criminalization and the over-policing of minority communities in your city and state.
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Aviation Policy News: Airline Bailouts and Revenue Sources for Air Traffic Control During Pandemic
Plus: A supersonic project, satellite competition, high-altitude centers, and more.
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Beware of Over-Complexity in Pension Plan Reform Efforts
Promoting government inaction on public pension reform through the presentation of overly complex data is a strategy that needs to be recognized and rebuffed.
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Education Newsletter: School Finance During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Plus: Families considering homeschooling have a variety of options and curriculum choices, targeting education funding to disadvantaged students, and more.
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Marijuana Legalization Could Address Criminal Justice Reform and State Revenue Concerns
Marijuana legalization not only presents the opportunity to generate additional state and local revenue but can also address much-needed criminal justice reform in states like North Carolina.
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Study: States Can Lease Toll Roads to Fund Other Infrastructure, Pay Off Debt
The study finds the middle-range of the net proceeds for these systems varies from $19 billion for the Illinois Tollway and $17 billion for the New Jersey Turnpike to just over $1 billion for the Kansas Turnpike.
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Why Governments Should Lease Their Toll Roads
The nine states studied here would have significant net proceeds from leasing their toll road systems via long-term public-private partnerships—even after paying off outstanding tax-exempt toll road bonds.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Why Should States Consider Leasing Their Toll Roads?
Why lease an asset? Won't toll rates go up? Isn't this a terrible time to consider leasing infrastructure?
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Cigarette Sales Increase as Vaping Bans Push People Back to Smoking
Many public health experts warned that banning vaping flavors would result in more adults smoking cigarettes.
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How the Ballot Language Used For California Initiatives Impacts Fairness
Simply abiding by all the legal requirements already on the books would help ensure we have honest and fair elections with results that reflect the will of the people.
