Taxes
Covering topics such as bonds, cryptocurrency, federal aid and pensions.
Salem, Ore., is in budget straits, in part because untaxed state buildings make up 8 percent of the property in the city. Tina Kotek is backing a local property tax increase as lawmakers consider ways to help the city directly.
A second Trump administration would likely mean looser regulations and higher tariffs on foreign imports, which would likely benefit health care, banks, cryptocurrency and oil stocks.
The major public funds have almost doubled their investments in high-fee, nontraditional vehicles, and important new research shows how costly it’s been. It’s a wake-up call for greater scrutiny of fee structures and consultants' assumptions.
As cars become more fuel efficient and EVs become more prominent, states will not be able to rely on gas taxes for much longer. But some states are considering fees on Amazon deliveries as part of their road-funding solution.
Voters in at least seven states will decide property tax measures in November. Most would limit what homeowners have to pay, but two would eliminate the tax completely.
Slow rollout of the federal program has frustrated lawmakers, especially those in Michigan, which received $110 million through fiscal year 2026 for EV expansion but has funded no new power stations.
Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick want $5 billion more to expand a low-interest loan program for natural gas power plant construction “as soon as possible.”
Homeowners are being squeezed out of affordable coverage. Sustainable intergovernmental partnerships with the insurance industry offer a solution. And there may be a role for state and local pension funds.
The new agency will combine programs that provide services for children under 6, which had primarily been divided among three different departments.
Hospitals stuck with unpaid bills will sometimes sell to debt collectors at a discount. The county’s investment could erase 100 times as much in medical debt.
Gov. Phil Scott argued that residents need tax cuts, not an increase. Legislators felt they had to act to address increased school spending.
Chris Ailman, the chief investment officer for the giant California teachers’ pension fund, is retiring. He showed the way in navigating a landscape of complexity, hazards and challenges to achieve steady investment success.
Since the Great Recession, states have moved to reform their public pension plans, making tough choices and frequently doing so with bipartisan support. Federal lawmakers should keep these lessons in mind.
Two of the best alternatives for user-paid infrastructure are toll roads and variable-fee express lanes. States with fast-growing populations are embracing toll projects because they can't wait for federal funding, and private capital is eager to invest.
Federal mandates that steer contracts to unionized companies exacerbate the construction industry’s skilled labor shortage. Taxpayers lose when responsible contractors that do a quality job at the best price are frozen out.
With most public retirement systems seeing improved actuarial funding levels, there’s an opportunity to offer options that could make government compensation more competitive. But any impetus for change should come from pragmatic public employers, not partisans or lobbyists.
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