Budget Surpluses: How Will Lawmakers Spend Extra Funds?
statecapitallobbyistMany states are ending the 2022 fiscal year with a budget surplus, resulting in significant legislative deliberations about the best way to utilize those funds. During the fiscal year 2021, some states grew their rainy...
State Action on Student Loan Borrowers’ Bill of Rights
statecapitallobbyistSince 1980, the cost of high education has tripled. Further, the average college graduate has $25,000 in debt, despite workforce shortages of college-graduates. While the Biden-Harris Administration’s Student Debt Relief Plan has made news because...
Implementing School Security Initiatives
statecapitallobbyistSecurity and safety protocols in schools have become an increasingly talked-about policy initiative in recent years. The spread of COVID-19 in schools and repeated school shootings have focused significant legislative attention on school security. States...
Weekly State of the States: September 30th Edition
Ryan DeMaraLawmakers and governors around the country were busy this week, particularly dealing with preparing for, and dealing with, Hurricane Ian on the east coast. Additionally, Governor Kim Reynolds in Iowa announced an almost $2 billion...
Wind Energy Legislation: 2022 Update
statecapitallobbyistMany states are considering improving power system resiliency to reduce electrical outages. Several state legislatures are discussing offshore wind energy as a new way of increasing energy sector jobs while simultaneously building a more resilient,...
Lawmakers Looking at Film Production Tax Credits
statecapitallobbyistSince the 1990s, states have offered incentives to lure production companies from other states into their own. In 2020, the U.S. film entertainment revenue amounted to nearly $26 billion. Although in the midst of a...
2022 Special Sessions Update
statecapitallobbyistRoughly forty states have part-time legislatures—the legislative branch only meets for brief periods throughout the year. Usually, these legislatures meet for several months before adjourning. However, in many states, the governor may convene them in...
2022 November General Election Preview
statecapitallobbyistWith fewer than two months until the November 2022 General Election, campaign season is in full swing. These midterm elections will be the first under President Biden, who has maximized razor-thin Democratic majorities in the...
Weekly State of the States: September 23rd Edition
Ryan DeMaraGovernors and lawmakers around the country remained busy this week as we quickly approach the November elections. Notably this week, Colorado will become the first state to accept tax payments in cryptocurrency, Governor Newsom in...
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