Marc A. Levin is the Chief Policy Counsel at the Council on Criminal Justice and Senior Advisor to Right on Crime.
Texas’s business franchise tax is costly, complicated, and time-consuming to observe. Its negative and distortionary effects should motivate policymakers to eliminate it entirely. Key points: Because of the substantial costs, large and small business owners can often spend more on compliance than on paying the franchise tax itself. Phasing out or repealing the tax altogether...
Bring Home the Mississippi Miracle: A Texas Triumph in Early Literacy Texas lacks a coherent third-grade literacy standard and statewide implementation system. Restoring a mastery-based promotion gate and aligning coaching, screening, and funding can reverse stagnating reading outcomes. Key points: Texas removed its third-grade promotion requirement, weakening the connection between reading mastery and grade advancement....
The “toxic” and “unsettling” behavior of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner was revealed last week in The New York Times. Following months of speculation, the report details multiple women who accuse the local oysterman of leaving a trail of alleged violence and mental abuse. Platner, who has remained under public scrutiny for sporting a (supposedly...