Regulatory growth since 1980 has contributed to at least $4 trillion in less U.S. economic output, according to research by the Mercatus Center. To let that sink in, this amount is equal to Germany’s economy, the size of the federal budget, and the combined economies of California and Texas. But, more importantly, it equals lost...
The most recent challenge to the Affordable Care Act, a Texas-led, 20-state lawsuit, made news when the U.S. Department of Justice conceded the unconstitutionality of the individual mandate. This action aroused passion, including concern even from groups opposed to the ACA. But, no one who dislikes the ACA as a policy should worry about the...
So far, Texas has resisted Medicaid expansion with its siren call of “free” federal money and “free” insurance. The San Antonio-Express News Editorial Board is now urging Texas to rethink Medicaid expansion (“Why it’s time for expansion of Medicaid,” July 29). But does Texas really want to rethink the Lone Star State out of the frying pan...
“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” That old adage has been quoted by everyone from war generals to philosophy teachers across the world since the early 1900s. The reason being that, especially in public policy, it is crucial to reflect on what has worked and what has not to...
In April 2016, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the state’s $15-an-hour minimum wage law into effect. As a consequence, the minimum wage went from $10 an hour to $10.50 an hour for businesses with 26 or more employees on January 1, 2017. On January 1 of this year, the minimum wage was hiked again to...
A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted how the $4 trillion in total unfunded public pension debts of cities and states nationwide equals Germany’s economy. The WSJ figure below highlights how this massive sea of red ink means that there could be a tremendous burden on taxpayers as contributions rise or on public sector employees’...
There is no other way to say it: it is hot in Texas this summer. Let's take Sunday, July 22, when the temperature in Austin reached about 105. Electricity use in ERCOT, the competitive portion of Texas’ electricity market covering about 80 percent of Texans, topped out at about 71,444 megawatts. The available capacity, or supply,...
The law takes sides, and that’s even true when it comes to parenting styles. In the latest New Jersey Law Journal, two family law attorneys explain how. “The laws governing family court actions can endorse or discourage a specific parenting style, which can be a factor in how parents are legally permitted to raise their children,” write...
From National Geographic to the praises of Al Gore, Georgetown has caught the attention of the media with its transition to a power supply of 100 percent renewable energy. The city touts the decision as making economic and environmental sense. But do the noble ideals of lower prices and improved environmental outcomes match the real...
In a recent article, Grace Toohey, criminal justice reporter for The Advocate in Baton Rouge penned these words regarding a new reentry program instituted at one of Louisiana’s larger state prison facilities: “In less than six months, one of the most dangerous and dreaded dormitories at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel has become one...
President Trump’s Council of Economic Advisors recently released a report showing that there is a large portion of non-disabled, working-age adults (16 to 64 years old) who are receiving government non-cash welfare payments funded by taxpayers but aren’t working. For example, of those on Medicaid, 53 percent of non-disabled, working-age adults don’t have a job....
During the 2015 legislative session, Texas lawmakers made some changes to the State’s grand jury system. A major change included ending the controversial “pick-a-pal” system, which was criticized for allowing people with conflicting interests to be tapped as jurors. When lawmakers returned to Austin in 2017, grand jury reform bills that would have protected against overzealous prosecution ran out of...