Publications
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Research & Commentary: Obamacare ‘Holdout Governors’ Need Opportunity, Not Punishment
Publication -Research and Commentaries -As pressure builds on the 10 remaining “holdout” states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act ( also known as Obamacare), Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves isn’t just holding his ground, he’s challenging Republicans in his own party to reject what he calls “Obamacare Medicaid expansion.” Mississippi Republicans, who control both the House […] -
Research & Commentary: States Learn from Missouri in Granting ‘Assistant Physician’ Licenses to Unmatched Medical School Graduates
Publication -Research and Commentaries -An aging and declining population throughout rural America is creating a double whammy for those tasked with providing health care. A recent study found that of the 1,810 rural hospitals operating in the United States, 50 percent were operating at a loss and 410 risk closure. As workforce shortages continue to worsen this trend, states […] -
Research & Commentary: States Not Waiting for Federal Ban on Noncompete Agreements in Health Care
Publication -Research and Commentaries -One-in-five (about 30 million) working Americans are bound by noncompete agreements. Noncompete agreements are routinely executed to prevent valuable, and sometimes proprietary, information from traveling with employees when they change jobs. Technology companies thrive in a highly competitive environment where the coin of the realm is novelty. So, it is understandable that many such employers […] -
Georgia moves to reform Certificate of Need (CON) legislation
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Certificate of Need (CON) restrictions prohibit new most proposed medical facilities in Georgia. Diagnostic imaging facilities, surgical centers, nursing homes, birthing centers, and hospitals require burdensome CON approvals before a permit to build is even considered. Hospitals and doctors to go through a governmental approval process, costing time and money. Beginning in 1964 with […] -
Revising Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code to Protect Americans’ Property Rights
Publication -Policy Tip Sheets -Important provisions in Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) contain highly problematic elements that undermine Americans’ individual rights and threaten the stability of the U.S. economy. This Tip Sheet will provide a brief description of those troubling areas of the UCC and propose a set of related concrete policy solutions for lawmakers. The […] -
Research & Commentary: Farmer Protection Act Would Protect South Carolina’s Agriculture Sector from ESG
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the South Carolina House of Representatives, the Farmer Protection Act, which would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure South Carolina’s farmers are not discriminated against by financial institutions based on environmental policy. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly being used by investment firms […] -
Research & Commentary: Universal Expansion of Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program Would be Cherry on Top for Education Freedom in South Carolina
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the South Carolina House of Representatives would expand the Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program (ESTF) so that every South Carolina family can participate in it. ESTF, an education savings account (ESA) program established just last year, covers tuition, fees, and curricula for eligible children at private and parochial schools, as well as tutoring […] -
Research & Commentary: Budget Expansion of Utah Fits All Scholarship Program is Much Needed
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the Utah Senate would nearly double the budget of the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program, an education savings account (ESA) program and double the number of children able to participate in it. The accounts set up by the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program, established just last year, cover tuition, fees, and curricula for […] -
The Georgia House Should Not Consider Minimum Wage Hikes Amid Rising Inflation
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Georgia House of Representatives is considering House Bill 1507, legislation that would raise the minimum wage in the Peach State from its current $5.15 per hour to $8 per hour, effective immediately. Historically, some state lawmakers have advocated for quick “fixes” in response to perilous economic situations, such as minimum wage hikes. However, minimum […] -
The Tennessee House Should Not Consider Minimum Wage Hikes Amid Rising Inflation
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Tennessee House of Representatives is considering House Bill 819, legislation that would raise the minimum wage in the Volunteer State from its current $7.25 per hour to $12 per hour, effective July 1, 2024. Historically, some state lawmakers have advocated for quick “fixes” in response to perilous economic situations, such as minimum wage hikes. […] -
Research & Commentary: Anti-ESG Bill in Georgia Will Ensure Peach State Pension Funds Invested Appropriately
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the Georgia House of Representatives would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure state pension funds are invested solely to achieve the maximum return on investment for pensioners, rather than advancing social or political causes that may likely lead to lower returns and financial underperformance. ESG scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly […] -
Revising the Uniform Commercial Code to Protect Americans’ Property Rights and Impede a U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency
Publication -Policy Tip Sheets -Important provisions in the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) contain highly problematic elements that undermine Americans’ individual rights and threaten the stability of the U.S. economy. This Tip Sheet will provide a brief description of those troubling areas of the UCC and propose a set of related concrete policy solutions for lawmakers. The UCC was created […] -
Research & Commentary: The Time is Now For Universal Education Choice in Alabama
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the Alabama Senate, the Creating Hope & Opportunity for Our Students’ Education (CHOOSE) Act, would create an education savings account (ESA) program that would be open to all Alabama children by the 2027–28 school year. These accounts would cover tuition, fees, and curricula for children at private and parochial schools, as well as […] -
Farmer Protection Act Would Protect States’ Agriculture Sectors from ESG
Publication -Policy Tip Sheets -ESG Basics Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores are the chief mechanism by which ideologically aligned influential interests and powerful institutions working through unelected supranational organizations are attempting to “reset” the global financial system to their advantage. At its core, this emerging design circumvents national sovereignty, free markets, and individual rights by altering traditional financial […] -
Mail-in Voter Fraud Was Rampant in 2020: Here’s How to Stop It in Future Elections
Publication -Policy Tip Sheets -In November and December of 2023, The Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports conducted a landmark survey of voters, which former President Donald Trump called “the biggest story of the year” and “the most important poll released in the last 20 years.” According to the results of the survey, a massive number of voters who cast […] -
The Mississippi House Should Not Consider Minimum Wage Hikes Amid Rising Inflation
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Mississippi House of Representatives is considering House Bill 16, legislation that would raise the minimum wage in the Magnolia State from its current $7.25 per hour to $15 per hour. Furthermore, HB 16 would require that on September 30, 2024, and on September 30 of each subsequent year, the Mississippi Department of Employment Security […] -
Who Really Won the 2020 Election? Measuring the Effect of Mail-in Ballot Fraud in the Trump-Biden Race for the White House
Publication -Policy Studies -Impartial elections are absolutely essential to a cohesive and fruitful society. Historically, Americans have generally trusted that national elections have been free, fair, and secure, as well as bereft of widespread fraud. For generations, the majority of Americans have trusted that the electoral results delivered to the public were an accurate reflection of the will […] -
The Mississippi House Should Not Consider Minimum Wage Hikes Amid Rising Inflation
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Mississippi House of Representatives is considering House Bill 67, legislation that would raise the minimum wage in the Magnolia State from its current $7.25 per hour to $15 per hour. Furthermore, HB 67 would require that employers with tipped employees be exempt from the requirement to pay the state minimum wage and to establish […] -
The Mississippi House Should Not Consider Minimum Wage Hikes Amid Rising Inflation
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Mississippi House of Representatives is considering House Bill 306, legislation that would raise the minimum wage in the Magnolia State from its current $7.25 per hour to $8.50 per hour. Furthermore, HB 306 would require that employers with tipped employees be exempt from the requirement to pay the state minimum wage and to establish […] -
The Mississippi House Should Not Consider Minimum Wage Hikes Amid Rising Inflation
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Mississippi House of Representatives is considering House Bill 584, legislation that would raise the minimum wage in the Magnolia State from its current $7.25 per hour to $10 per hour. Furthermore, HB 584 would require that employers with tipped employees be exempt from the requirement to pay the state minimum wage and to establish […] -
The Mississippi House Should Not Consider Minimum Wage Hikes Amid Rising Inflation
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Mississippi House of Representatives is considering House Bill 71, legislation that would raise the minimum wage in the Magnolia State from its current $7.25 per hour to $10 per hour. Furthermore, HB 71 would require that employers with tipped employees be exempt from the requirement to pay the state minimum wage and to establish […] -
Research & Commentary: Anti-Economic Boycott Bill Will Protect Oklahoma Economy, Ensure Sooner State Pension Funds Invested Appropriately
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the Oklahoma House of Representatives would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring regimes by ensuring that taxpayer dollars do not fund commercial boycotts that reduce economic growth, cause job losses, and shrink Oklahoma’s tax base. ESG scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly being used by investment firms and financial institutions […] -
Protecting Private Property Through the Uniform Commercial Code
Publication -Policy Briefs -Dear State Legislators and Other Elected Officials, Questions are now being raised about important laws that have been added to state codes in all 50 states over the past 25 years. These laws were deliberately designed to abrogate private property rights and could in the future be used to harm all Americans who hold investment […] -
Research & Commentary: Anti-ESG Bill in Ohio Will Ensure Buckeye State Pension Funds Invested Appropriately
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the Ohio General Assembly would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure state pension funds are invested solely to achieve the maximum return on investment for pensioners, rather than advancing social or political causes that may likely lead to lower returns and financial underperformance. ESG scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly […]