April - 2023

MSPC's Spring Dinner: A Resounding Success Leaves Attendees in Awe

Apr 28, 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.

Ed choice breakthrough in Montana - ESA's for special needs children

Chris Cargill

Apr 26, 20231 min read

EDUCATION

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.

MSPC welcomes top research analyst as VP and Director of Research

MSPC Newsroom

Apr 25, 20232 min read

NEWSROOM

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.

Quick compare of Idaho, Washington final budgets

Chris Cargill

Apr 24, 20231 min read

BUDGET/TAX

Quick compare of Idaho, Washington final budgets

The legislative sessions in Washington and Idaho have wrapped up with polar opposite decisions regarding government spending.

Rich states, poor states rankings: where we stand

Chris Cargill

Apr 21, 20232 min read

BUDGET/TAX

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.

Washington's gas price pain is Idaho's gain

Chris Cargill

Apr 20, 20232 min read

BUDGET/TAX

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.

Education choice opponents use same old arguments to fight Montana special needs bill

Chris Cargill

Apr 19, 20231 min read

EDUCATION

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.

Chris Cargill

Apr 18, 20231 min read

BUDGET/TAX

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.

It's tax filing week - when is tax freedom day?

Chris Cargill

Apr 17, 20231 min read

BUDGET/TAX

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.

Medicaid expansion is a huge state budget weight

Chris Cargill

Apr 13, 20232 min read

BUDGET/TAX

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...

Idaho's K-12 state allocation is up 106% in past decade

Chris Cargill

Apr 10, 20232 min read

EDUCATION

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%.

Education savings accounts for special needs children moving in Montana

Chris Cargill

Apr 10, 20231 min read

EDUCATION

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....

Are advisory votes a good idea? It depends

Chris Cargill

Apr 10, 20231 min read

GOVERNANCE

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...

Too much legislation? For citizens, it can be overwhelming

Chris Cargill

Apr 5, 20231 min read

GOVERNANCE

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...

Here come the expanded income taxes in Washington

Chris Cargill

Apr 3, 20232 min read

BUDGET/TAX

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...

Idaho needs a major reset on education choice conversation

Chris Cargill

Apr 3, 20233 min read

EDUCATION

Idaho needs a major reset on education choice conversation

The 2023 Idaho legislative session is ready to adjourn with barely any movement on advancing education choice options for families. While...

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