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The Blog at MSPC
Farm workers are missing out on income
The recent passage of agricultural overtime laws in California, Washington, and Oregon has limited the hours of farm workers.
May 15, 20233 min read
Five reasons why ranked choice voting is a bad idea
Ranked choice voting (RCV) may be the bigger issue here. Idaho legislators passed a bill this session that outlaws ranked choice voting.
May 8, 20233 min read
How many introduced bills actually become law?
Lawmakers across the region have introduced more than 4,000 new laws in 2023 legislative sessions.
May 3, 20231 min read
Charter schools have a future in Montana
It appears Montana will soon join 45 other states in permitting public charter schools.
May 2, 20231 min read
Foreign policy, education and elections - our conversation with U.S. Senator Jim Risch
Idaho Senator Jim Risch joined us at our inaugural Spring Dinner in Coeur d'Alene last week.
May 1, 20231 min read
MSPC's Spring Dinner: A Resounding Success Leaves Attendees in Awe
More than 400 of our closest friends joined us in Coeur d'Alene Friday for Mountain States Policy Center's first Spring Dinner.
Apr 28, 20231 min read
Ed choice breakthrough in Montana - ESA's for special needs children
The Montana Senate today signed off on a bill to provide Education Savings Accounts for special needs children. The vote was 26-24.
Apr 26, 20231 min read
MSPC welcomes top research analyst as VP and Director of Research
Mountain States Policy Center (MSPC) – added to its staff today with the hiring of Jason Mercier as Vice President & Director of Research.
Apr 25, 20232 min read
Quick compare of Idaho, Washington final budgets
The legislative sessions in Washington and Idaho have wrapped up with polar opposite decisions regarding government spending.
Apr 24, 20231 min read
Rich states, poor states rankings: where we stand
The research shows both Idaho and Montana need to work on lowering personal income tax rates and the cost of worker's comp.
Apr 21, 20232 min read
Washington's gas price pain is Idaho's gain
There's always been a difference between Idaho and Washington prices - after all, Washington's gas tax is nearly 20 cents more per gallon.
Apr 20, 20232 min read
Education choice opponents use same old arguments to fight Montana special needs bill
The Montana Senate is now considering a bill that would offer special needs children access to ESA worth roughly$6,816.
Apr 19, 20232 min read
Top 10 Idaho general fund spending
Idaho’s general fund budget increased to $5.1 billion this session, a 12% hike from the year before.
Apr 18, 20232 min read
It's tax filing week - when is tax freedom day?
But tax freedom day also varies by state, as each state has its own localized tax burden.
Apr 17, 20231 min read
Medicaid expansion is a huge state budget weight
When Idaho voters passed Medicaid expansion in 2018, a lot of promises were made. Few, however, have panned out. There were promises of...
Apr 13, 20232 min read
Idaho's K-12 state allocation is up 106% in past decade
Ten years ago, Idaho was spending $1.3 billion. Over the past decade, K-12 state spending has ballooned 106.2%.
Apr 10, 20232 min read
Education savings accounts for special needs children moving in Montana
The Montana House has approved a bill that would offer special needs children access to Education Savings Accounts worth roughly $6,816....
Apr 10, 20231 min read
Are advisory votes a good idea? It depends
Lawmakers in Washington State are moving forward with a bill to abolish the state's requirement for non-binding advisory votes on tax...
Apr 10, 20231 min read
Too much legislation? For citizens, it can be overwhelming
It’s almost unbelievable. Lawmakers across our region have introduced some 4,000 new laws over the past three months. That’s more than 40...
Apr 5, 20231 min read
Here come the expanded income taxes in Washington
They said it wouldn’t happen. It only took a few weeks to prove they were wrong. Following the Washington State Supreme Court’s ruling on...
Apr 3, 20232 min read
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