MSPC's inaugural Spring Dinner a blockbuster success
More than 400 of our closest friends joined us in Coeur d'Alene Friday for Mountain States Policy Center's first Spring Dinner.
top of page
THE BLOG
Chris Cargill
- Apr 26
- 1 min
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.
Chris Cargill
- Apr 25
- 2 min
One of nation’s top research analysts joins MSPC as Vice President & 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.
Chris Cargill
- Apr 24
- 1 min
Quick compare of Idaho, Washington final budgets
The legislative sessions in Washington and Idaho have wrapped up with polar opposite decisions regarding government spending.
Chris Cargill
- Apr 21
- 2 min
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.
Chris Cargill
- Apr 20
- 2 min
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.
Chris Cargill
- Apr 19
- 1 min
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
- 1 min
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.
Chris Cargill
- Apr 17
- 1 min
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.
Chris Cargill
- Apr 13
- 2 min
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...
Chris Cargill
- Apr 10
- 2 min
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%.
Chris Cargill
- Apr 10
- 1 min
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....
Chris Cargill
- Apr 10
- 1 min
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...
Chris Cargill
- Apr 5
- 1 min
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...
Chris Cargill
- Apr 3
- 2 min
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...
Chris Cargill
- Apr 3
- 3 min
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...
bottom of page