Morning Bell: Beware the Internet Sales Tax
The Internet sales tax is back, and it could be the next big vote in the Senate. The proposed law would enable states to force… Read More
Morning Bell: Revealing What States Are Hiding
How much are we spending on education? Actually, far more than we know—because as it turns out, states are hiding some of the teachers’ benefits…. Read More
Morning Bell: Obamacare’s Medicaid Trap
While Members of Congress are arguing about defunding parts of Obamacare, the rubber is meeting the road in the states. Governors and state legislatures are… Read More
Obamacare and the Medicaid Expansion: How Does Your State Fare?
The Medicaid expansion is touted by proponents of Obamacare as a “no-brainer.” While it is true that some states may see projected savings, it is… Read More
Morning Bell: Voting Rights at the Supreme Court Today
To understand what’s going on in the Supreme Court today, we have to go back in time. The year was 1965. Hundreds of people gathered… Read More
Morning Bell: Responding to Newtown
When confronted with the murder of children, the only reaction is anger, shock, and grief. Since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown,… Read More
Response to Newtown: Addressing a Complex Issue
Americans of all political and philosophical convictions have grieved over the killing of innocent schoolchildren and adults in Newtown, Connecticut. In responding to this attack,… Read More
Morning Bell: Don’t Raise Debt Ceiling Without Balancing the Budget
All across America, families are balancing their budgets and even paying off debt. Since the financial panic of 2008, personal debt has fallen as Americans… Read More
Obamacare Exchanges: State of the States
Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) gave seven more states “conditional approval” to operate state-run Obamacare exchanges. The announcement came two… Read More
Hearing Exposes Obamacare’s Implementation Challenges for States
Yesterday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing to discuss the implementation of Obamacare’s exchanges and Medicaid expansion, both of which are slated… Read More
Morning Bell: Deadline for States to Claim Their Role in Obamacare
Tomorrow is an important day for Obamacare. It’s the deadline for states to declare their intentions about setting up their own health insurance exchanges for… Read More
Second Amendment: Illinois Gun Ban Struck Down
On December 11, in a major win for Second Amendment rights, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals threw out Illinois’s… Read More
The Supreme Court’s Challenge: Restore Marriage Decisions to Citizens
The Supreme Court announced today that it will hear cases dealing with the definition of marriage during its current term. The Court will consider challenges… Read More
Obamacare Insurance Exchanges: States Have Options
Governor John Kasich (R) is expected to opt not to set up a state Obamacare exchange. This is the right decision for Ohio. The President’s… Read More
IEA Says U.S. to Become Energy Independent by 2030; Obama Administration Says Not So Fast
The International Energy Agency (IEA) released its Annual World Energy Outlook this week with the headline that the U.S. could become a net exporter of… Read More
The Election’s Major Implications for Education
What can we expect for education policy during President Obama’s second term? From No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waivers to school choice, education policy will… Read More
News
Lincoln: The Movie, the Man
Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln debuts in Washington, D.C., this week. It features a stellar cast: Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn, Sally Field, and Daniel Day-Lewis as… Read More
Health CareNews
Morning Bell: What Does the Election Mean for Obamacare?
What’s next for Obamacare now? The bad news is that many of the health care law’s serious effects were delayed until after the election. Ten… Read More
Education Ballot Measures in the States
Numerous education-related amendments, ranging from ballot initiatives and charter school authorizers to spending and collective bargaining reform, are under consideration in the states. It’s not… Read More
Family Fact of the Week: Americans Take to the Polls on Marriage and Life
Whatever the outcome of today’s elections, Americans can be sure of nonstop electoral analysis and number crunching from pundits and pollsters for at least the… Read More
Let States Oversee the Energy Revolution
Dismal jobs reports and high unemployment continue to weigh down the U.S. economy, but there are a few bright spots. Most notable among them: energy… Read More
Family Fact of the Week: Marriage Is the Greatest Weapon Against Child Poverty
New research shows that marriage is the nation’s best antidote to child poverty. This holds true in every state across the country. On Wednesday, The… Read More
Court Strikes Down EPA’s Abuse of Power
A major component of the Obama Administration’s regulatory crackdown on fossil fuels was struck down Tuesday by a federal appeals court panel that ruled the… Read More
Obamacare Limits Children’s Access to Care
Last Wednesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee released a grim report showing a reduction in the availability of child-only policies for parents… Read More
Taxed Too Much: Board of Trade Parent Company May Leave Chicago
It’s not every day that a company with roots as deep as the CME Group, Inc.—the parent company of the famous Chicago Mercantile Exchange and… Read More
Morning Bell: D.C.’s Mayor Arrested for Not Understanding the Constitution
The federal government might not have shut down on Monday, but rush hour traffic stopped in our nation’s capital when the mayor of Washington, D.C.,… Read More
Medicaid Flexibility Still Missing from Wyden-Brown
On Monday Politico ran a column by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) taking issue with my critique of his proposal to accelerate the granting of waivers… Read More
How the States Can Carry the Torch to Repeal Obamacare
Last night, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2, which would scrap Obamacare in its entirety. Regardless of whether this legislation makes it to the… Read More
Daniels vs Obamacare: Why Wyden-Brown Will Not Work
In 2007, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) passed the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) which helps Hoosiers who do not qualify for Medicaid to enroll in… Read More
Health CareNews
List of 27 States Suing Over Obamacare
Last March, Virginia and Florida (joined by 12 other states) filed suit against Obamacare, challenging its constitutionality. Since that time, many other states have joined… Read More
