Author Archives: Stephen Rupp
Author Archives: Stephen Rupp
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2021 Laffer-ALEC Report on Economic Freedom, Grading America’s Governors
Who are the best governors in America? States have long been incubators of policy innovation. In that context, Governors, even those overseeing historically disadvantaged states or cooperating with unwilling legislatures,…
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2021 States and Nation Policy Summit Media Policy
ALEC Media Policy 2021 States and Nation Policy Summit ALEC provides social, traditional and online journalists with the data, tools and analysis needed to accurately cover stories involving state legislatures.
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Should the Government Negotiate Prescription Drug Prices?
When Medicare Part D was passed in 2003, lawmakers included the “non-interference clause,” which essentially prevents the federal government from stepping in to negotiate prescription drug prices. Allowing the drug…
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State Leaders Urge Privacy Protection in Consumer Banking
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 28, 2021 Contact: Stephen Rupp Email: [email protected] ARLINGTON, VA – (OCTOBER 28, 2021) In swift response to invasive financial surveillance provisions being discussed…
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Resolution Urging Congress to Protect Consumer Privacy in Banking and Financial Transactions
Resolution Urging Congress to Protect Consumer Privacy in Banking and Financial Transactions WHEREAS, the Biden Administration and some in Congress have proposed changes to tax information reporting which…
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Another Damaging Policy Idea: Burdensome Regulations for Child Care Providers
Elected officials in Washington are currently considering a slew of policy ideas that would create more burdensome licensing regulations. One such proposal would require that states either maintain or create…
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Alleviating Poverty and Freeing the American Dream
October 17th was World Poverty Day. First observed in 1987, World Poverty Day recognizes the challenges facing those struggling with poverty, and it provides an opportunity to discuss reforms…
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Letter: Bilateral Trade with Taiwan
Today, ALEC Action released a letter signed by 215 state lawmakers representing 39 states urging the Biden Administration to prioritize negotiations on a US-Taiwan Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). America’s economic partnership with…
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Embracing Parole Reform Across the States
Over the past few years, many states have enacted new laws reforming parole and probation. These reforms tackle a myriad of problems, but their main objective is to improve public…
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The Reconciliation Spending and Health Care
The $3.5 trillion reconciliation package contains costly policy proposals which could stifle economic growth. Many have balked at the spending, which has prevented the package from being rushed through.
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Why Programs like Universal Pre-K and Tuition-Free College Risk Student Outcomes
President Biden made tuition-free community college and universal pre-k the cornerstone issues of his 2020 campaign. And now, these programs are part of budget reconciliation discussions happening in Washington. These…
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New Model Policies from the Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force at the 48th ALEC Annual Meeting
This July at ALEC’s 2021 Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, our Energy, Environment and Agriculture (EEA) Task Force was thrilled to have rich policy discussions on topics ranging…
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Governor Cox Discusses the Secret to Utah’s Success at ALEC 48th Annual Meeting
Governor Spencer Cox addressed the ALEC 48th Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City. He cheered on Utah’s successes, including earning a number 1 ranking in the ALEC-Laffer Annual Report Rich…
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Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development at the 48th ALEC Annual Meeting
ALEC’s 48th Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, UT in July was a great success, with public and private sector guests attending from across the states—and even the globe. At…
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Governor DeSantis Continues to Empower Students and Families
ALEC was thrilled to have Florida Governor Ron DeSantis join us at our 48th Annual Meeting. In his remarks, Governor DeSantis discussed Florida’s unique approach to education during the COVID-19…
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Governor Abbott Talks Texas Success at ALEC Annual Meeting
At the 48th ALEC Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas discussed economic prosperity in Texas. He noted that he was ranked first in the…
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40th Anniversary of Reagan’s Economic Recovery Tax Act
This week marks the 40th anniversary of the Economic Recovery Tax Act. President Ronald Reagan signed this groundbreaking tax legislation into law on August 13, 1981 from his beloved Rancho…
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OPEB: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Center for State Fiscal Reform at the American Legislative Exchange Council recently released “Other Post-Employment Benefit Liabilities: The Continuing Need for OPEB Reform,” the latest in a series of ALEC annual publications examining growing state financial liabilities.2 Our report continues to find that states with some of the highest tax rates (for example, California, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York) have some of the highest unfunded OPEB liabilities as well.
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Innocent Victims of California Civil Asset Forfeiture Laws
This year many states—Alabama, Arizona, North Dakota and Utah among others—have adopted legislation to limit civil asset forfeiture and government’s ability to seize private property. The…
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Secretary of Energy Rick Perry on Secrets to Success and Making Government Work
At ALEC’s 2021 Annual Meeting last week in Salt Lake City, UT, I had the privilege of interviewing former Governor of Texas and former Secretary of Energy, Rick Perry. In…