New York Gov. Hochul Begs 'High-Net-Worth' Refugees To Return and Be Taxed
Hochul invited those who opposed her policies to leave. Many did. Now she wants them back.
State Governments
California Democrats May Have To Choose Between 2 Republicans in November's Gubernatorial Race
California initiatives will fuel an already fiery November election, and the state's top-two primary might end up excluding Democrats in the governor's race.
Facing a Budget Squeeze, New Jersey Decides To Go After Big Tech
Gov. Mikie Sherrill called Big Tech worse than Big Tobacco before proposing measures to regulate social media platforms.
Here Are 12 Bills Democrats Just Passed To Trample Gun Rights in Virginia
Some gun-rights activists are blaming immigrants, but the real culprits are Virginia Democrats.
Louisiana Requires 500 Hours of Training To Braid Hair Professionally. This Bill Would Increase It.
Many states have deregulated hair braiding, but Louisiana lawmakers want to tighten regulations by demanding more coursework, including on the ancient origins of braiding.
The 'Fairness' Law That Could Raise Grocery Prices for New Yorkers
Legislators are trying to pass their own state version of an outdated antitrust law—one that is dead at the federal level for a reason.
California Billionaire Wealth Tax Would Cost the State $25 Billion, New Research Finds
"If Californians approve this measure in November, they may discover too late that the wealth they hoped to tax has already left the state—with jobs and economic opportunities not far behind."
Lawsuit: Trump's Newest Tariffs Are an 'Exercise of Completely Unrestrained Executive Power'
The lawsuit, filed by attorneys general and governors from 24 states, claims that Trump is once again trying "to usurp the taxing power that the Constitution vests in Congress."
Politicians Consider Soviet-Style Controls on 3D Printers
Panic over guns drives government officials to propose restricting popular technology.
Virginia Democrats' Push for Mandatory Government Unions Is Not an 'Affordability' Agenda
The legislation would almost certainly lead to a higher cost of living in the form of substantial tax increases.
Judge Orders Takeover of Arizona Prison Health Care Following Years of Barbaric Medical Neglect
A federal judge ruled in 2022 that "no legitimate humane system would operate" like Arizona's prison health care system. Three years later, that same judge found the problems still hadn't been fixed.
States and Local Governments Are Still Sitting on Billions of Dollars of 'Emergency' COVID Relief
The Biden administration said the $350 billion bailout was urgent and necessary. Five years later, that doesn't seem true.
What a $500 Billion Fraud Reveals About Our Broken System
Government agencies rarely check whether their handouts go to the right people. Why?
Blame Overregulation for High Child Care Costs
Politicians like New York’s Mayor Mamdani promise to solve a problem that they created.
Can Congress Get 'YIMBY Grants' Right?
Plus: The House passes housing reform, Florida advances ADUs, and Zohran Mamdani hosts show trials for bad landlords.
The Supreme Court Is Poised To Remind States That the Constitution Doesn't Stop at the Liquor Store
Lower courts keep inventing loopholes to uphold discriminatory booze regulations.
Trump Wants To 'Take Over' State Elections
It's a bad idea, just like it was a bad idea five years ago when Democrats proposed something similar.
Dumping State Income Taxes Could Mean High Sales Taxes—or an Opportunity for Smaller Government
A new report warns that some plans for replacing income tax revenue rely on unrealistic assumptions.
Democrats Advance 7 Bills Restricting Gun Rights in the Virginia State Senate
They’re not getting the whole “shall not be infringed” part of the U.S. and Virginia constitutions.
South Carolina Gave $1.3 Billion to Scout Motors. It's Already $150 Million Over Budget.
The company is backed by Volkswagen but still received considerable funding from state taxpayers.
Trump Says States Are Required To Enforce Federal Immigration Laws. He's Wrong.
"The Framers...designed a system in which the State and Federal Governments would exercise concurrent authority over the people," wrote Justice Antonin Scalia.
Why Can't New York Get Rid of 2-Person Subway Crews?
Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill mandating two-person subway crews, but union contracts and bipartisan support ensure New Yorkers will keep paying for them anyway.
The Minnesota Fraud Scandal Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Medicaid fraud has been endemic at the state and federal levels for decades. Focusing on a single official or state misses a deeper lesson.
The Minnesota Welfare Fraud Story Is Really About a Broken Medicaid Bureaucracy
Federal Medicaid policy creates little incentive for states to stop potential fraudsters. Fixing that should be the priority, not demonizing Somali immigrants.
MAHA Republicans Are Imposing New Food Labeling Mandates
New Louisiana and Texas laws will require businesses to disclose the use of seed oils, certain dyes, and many other ingredients.
Donald Trump Tries To Override State AI Regulations via Executive Order
Only time will tell if the president's order achieves its stated purpose of checking state laws that threaten to stymie innovation.
Sweating the Little Things
The freedom to build in-law suites and home additions is crucial, even if it doesn't get us all the way to housing "abundance."
Virginia's New Blue Trifecta Puts Right-To-Work on the Line
Democrats retook full control in Richmond and are already advancing right-to-work repeal, testing whether incoming Gov. Abigail Spanberger will stand by her campaign promise.
Texas Governor Strips 2 Muslim Groups of the Right To Buy Land in the State by Calling Them Terrorists
You don't have to like the Muslim Brotherhood or the Council on American-Islamic Relations to think the government should be required to prove accusations before punishing people.
Leaving AI Regulation to the States Could Strangle AI
Without federal preemption, a regulatory thicket of state AI laws threatens to slow the technology's development.
Self-Driving Cars Will Make the World Safer for Cats—and Humans Too
The accidental death of one cat in San Francisco is triggering calls for banning Waymo. That would be a huge mistake.
Why DOGE Mattered
It didn't meaningfully cut spending or reduce the size of government, but the DOGE project proved that politicians shouldn't be scared of doing those things.
Thanksgiving Traffic Shows the Highway Trust Fund Is Running on Empty
Federal gas taxes no longer cover the cost of highways, leaving taxpayers to fill a growing multibillion-dollar gap.
California Clears Path for Gig Unions
Even after the Prop 22 rebuke, California is pushing a system that could standardize schedules and undermine gig work.
New Jersey Becomes First State To Bar 'Shaken Baby Syndrome' Testimony at Trial
Dozens of "shaken baby syndrome" convictions have been overturned over the years, but until now, no state court system has limited its use in criminal prosecutions.
California's Fast-Food Minimum Wage Hike Is Killing Jobs
You can’t legislate your way to prosperity.
California's Aggressive Regulations Put Burgeoning AI Industry at Risk
Overly strict or poorly designed rules could slow beneficial uses of AI in healthcare, education, infrastructure, and public safety.
Washington's State Capital Just Voted Against Increasing the Minimum Wage, Unemployment
Olympia residents apparently learned from Seattle’s experience that minimum wage hikes do not improve the welfare of the worst off in society.
Abigail Spanberger Wins Virginia, Offers Democrats an Alternative to Mamdani's Socialism
"I don't care that much about what happens in the city of New York," Spanberger said on the campaign trail. Other Democrats should listen.
Oklahoma's Obscenity Bait and Switch Could Ban Pride Parades and Public Drag Shows
These lawmakers expect local authorities to ban "obscenity" before it happens—a recipe for chilling a wide variety of legal speech.
About 1 in 5 Kids Are at Risk of Losing SNAP. Centralized Control Keeps Failing Low-Income Families.
The best way to ensure healthy outcomes and protect children from the partisan crossfire of D.C. politicking is to break the federal grip on nutrition programs.
Don't Panic Over Federal Cuts for Homeless Programs
The federal cuts amount to little more than a rounding error in most state or big city budgets.
When the Government Censored Dracula, Frankenstein, and King Kong
Remembering a monstrous era of American history
Maybe AI Therapists Will Suck. That Doesn't Mean We Should Ban Them.
It is possible to be both skeptical of the supposed effectiveness of AI therapy and wary of sweeping state regulations.
