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Federal Judge Questions Use of Mandatory Minimum Sentencing for Nonviolent Offenders
Federal Judge Mark Bennett of Iowa strongly stated his opposition to mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenses in an interview with National Public Radio. Since the 1980s, these…
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Taxes, Pensions and Free Speech On Display in Salt Lake City
The ALEC Center for State Fiscal Reform recently hosted a successful regional Tax and Fiscal Policy Academy, with Utah legislative hosts Senator Wayne Niederhauser, Senator Stuart Adams and Representative Kim…
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ALEC-FreedomWorks Legislator of the Week
Representative Heath VanNatter is a native of Indiana born in Howard County. He is currently serving in his fourth term representing the 38th District of the Indiana House of Representatives.
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Congress Seeks to Expand Eligibility for Expungements for Nonviolent, First-Time Offenders
Congress is considering expanding the eligibility for an expungement for first-time, nonviolent drug offenders. The Renew Act, sponsored by U.S. Representative Hakeem Jefferies and cosponsored by Representative Trey Gowdy, would…
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The Paris Climate Agreement is a Bad Deal for America
Last year, candidate Trump campaigned clearly and forcefully in opposition to the Paris Agreement. Trump called the agreement “bad for business” and repeatedly pledged to cancel the agreement…
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ALEC-FreedomWorks Legislator of the Week
Matthew Harper has represented California’s 74th Assembly District since 2014. He began his career in public service in 1998 when he was elected to the Huntington Beach Union High School…
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Statement on FCC Decision to Restore Internet Freedom
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) welcomes the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to move forward in the process of Restoring Internet Freedom. The FCC’s actions today build upon Chairman Pai’s…
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United States House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means Written Testimony
Dear Chairman Brady, Ranking Member Neal, and Members of the Committee, Thank you for the opportunity to comment throughout this important policy discussion. By way of background, my name is…
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Macron inspires France to rise
The national movements launched by France’s President Emmanuel Macron and the United States’ Donald Trump, ultimately culminating in their presidencies, provide an unparalleled view…
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State of the State: Ohio
A renewed focus on reforms-rather than government micromanagement-can ensure the governor’s homestretch is one of continued economic renewal.
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FTC Takes on Economic Liberty with Introduction of New Task Force
On March 16, 2017, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) concurrently rolled out a task force and accompanying resource webpage focusing on economic liberty, with a concentration on occupational licensing…
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State of the State: New Hampshire
Despite the Granite State’s strengths and Sununu’s proposals, there remains work to be done. For example, the top marginal tax rate for corporations is a steep 8.2%; and although New Hampshire doesn’t have a personal income tax or sales tax, it does have the highest property tax burden in the nation. New Hampshire also ranks a lackluster 37th in the nation in terms of burdensome regulations according to the Pacific Research Institute. Furthermore, the recently released ALEC report Unaccountable and Unaffordable 2016 ranks the state’s pension funding level at 43rd nationally. Using a risk-free rate of return of 2.344 percent, New Hampshire’s state pensions are unfunded in excess of $13,000 per capita with a funded ratio of just 28 percent.
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The Williams Report
General: Huffington Post Bob Williams column: How to address states’ budget deficits: performance-outcome budgeting Budget: Alabama: Lawmakers pass Alabama state budget Arizona: Governor signs $9.8 billion state budget…
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State of the Commonwealth: Massachusetts
Overall, however, the state’s steps towards economic competitiveness are yielding results. Governor Baker rightfully recognized this achievement, “We built a bipartisan team, worked in partnership with the legislature and looked for common ground.” Shrinking the state’s budget gap by over $1 billion without tax or fee increases is just one example.
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State of the State: Vermont
With Vermont’s economic outlook continuing to languish at 49th (according to the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Rich States, Poor States publication), legislators may be ready to take the governor’s charge to heart: “We must act now, and begin our ascent.”
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State of the State: Michigan
Fortunately, the governor recognizes that the government can best enable growth by removing artificial obstacles to entrepreneurs: “Over the last few years we dumped the dumbest tax in America, we cut needless regulations, we started paying down our long-term debt, we started saving for the future, we laid the groundwork for success we have today so our businesses could create jobs. We create the environment for job creation, we don’t create those jobs.”
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DRAFT Resolution in Support of Nonprofit Donor Privacy
Summary In response to attempts to expand the scope and application of donor disclosure requirements of nonprofit tax-exempt organizations, the American Legislative Exchange Council resolves to oppose such efforts…
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Accessing Pirated Content Is Not Worth the Risk
A report published by Digital Citizens Alliance has found that websites dedicated to distributing illicit movies, television shows and other pirated content are also more likely to infect their…
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A Balanced Budget Amendment – A 2017 Recap of the Road to 34
The 2017 legislative session was filled with action for the balanced budget amendment (BBA) campaign. Going into January, BBA had 28 of the 34 state Article V applications needed to…
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Forming Open and Robust University Minds (FORUM) Act
WHEREAS, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and the Constitution protect the rights of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of association and…