State Governments
Grassroots Revolt Targets Unpopular Property Taxes
Annual tax bills make many homeowners feel more like eternal renters.
California's 'Wealth Tax' Could Cost the State $39 Billion
New study finds that 85 percent of "plausible scenarios" result in negative revenue for the state as wealthy residents flee.
Why Are California's Governments So Lousy at Fighting Wildfires?
Bigger agencies, higher spending, and expanded workforces don't always make government more effective.
The Federal Government Collected $5.4 Trillion. It Still Can't Pay Its Bills.
Entitlement spending, defense spending, and interest payments on the debt continue to climb.
Michigan Congressman Proposes Using Tariff Revenue for Tariff Relief Fund
Rep. John James admits that Trump's tariffs are hurting Michigan businesses. His solution? Make them fill out more paperwork.
New York's Controversial Anti-Swastika Law Turns Prosecutors Into Speech Police
Graffiti vandals are now being investigated for hate crimes.
Police Allegedly Destroyed $37,000 of Legal Hemp. Georgia's Supreme Court Just Upended 60 Years of Precedent.
The ruling has major implications for property owners when the government ruins their possessions in the exercise of "police power."
California Lawmakers Passed a Pension Bomb. Newsom Was Right To Veto It.
Newsom echoes former Gov. Jerry Brown and acts like Sacramento's last adult.
Why Is Seattle Keeping Her From Cleaning Up Trash?
Since 2020, We Heart Seattle has picked up over 2 million pounds of trash. In response, the state government is investigating the group for improper handling of materials.
Is AI Going To Wipe Out Humanity? Don't Build That Bunker Yet.
Measures to slow AI development are more likely to trigger human lawsuits against AI companies than accomplish anything useful.
Montana's Anti-Deepfakes Law Just Hit a First Amendment Roadblock
A federal judge found that the state's restrictions on AI-generated political speech likely violate the First Amendment.
In the Name of Tax Fairness, Politicians Propose Special Tax Penalties on Data Centers
State and federal policymakers are attempting to exclude data centers from run-of-the-mill tax exemptions.
Report: California's Proposed 'Billionaire Tax' Is Based on Bad Research
The planned wealth tax leads slightly in the polls and is already driving capital flight.
How To Get Your Government File
The Freedom of Information Act gives Americans the right to see what records the government has on any subject—including you.
The 'Stop Nick Shirley Act': Yet Another Anti-Doxxing Law That Chills Free Speech
A lawsuit argues that a recently passed law to protect immigration service providers in California is "overbroad and vague."
Supreme Court Blocks Missouri's Messy, Trump-Backed Gerrymandering Fight
The decision ends a yearlong legal war spanning multiple lawsuits, contradictory state and federal court orders, and repeated appeals to the Supreme Court.
Politicians See Opportunity in Data Center Panic
The panic is pretty silly, since these facilities are necessary to power industries that power our economy and fund state budgets.
Can Ohio Tolerate Ramaswamy's Religious Toleration?
In November, we will learn whether Buckeye Republicans have been sufficiently persuaded by a more tolerant vision of the fusion of faith and freedom.
Texas Terrorism Law Chills Speech for Muslim Group
By labeling this group a terrorist organization, the state is chilling more than Muslims' freedom of expression.
Democrats Are Undoing California's Pension Reforms. Why Are Republicans Going Along With It?
Pension changes passed in 2011 have saved California taxpayers from a fiscal crisis, but public sector unions are now pushing to undo them.
Ron DeSantis Says Flock Cameras Are 'Out of Control,' But Florida's Already Flooded With Surveillance
Florida police departments have been adding drones, facial recognition technology, and license plate readers to their arsenals for years.
Data Center Savior
Plus: AOC reaffirms her socialism, Russia-Ukraine war gets even deadlier, and more...
A Federal Judge Just Struck Down Texas' Anti-Drag Law, Again
A Texas law restricting “sexually oriented performances” was struck down after a federal judge said it could apply to everything from cheerleading to karaoke to performances by Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, and Miley Cyrus.
Surveillance Camera Saboteurs Are Getting Government Officials' Attention
Sometimes direct action is the only way to get politicians to consider civil liberties.
California Bill Would Cap Rents During U.S.-Involved War
The war in Iran is causing California lawmakers to consider wider price controls.
A Limited Supreme Court Win for Trump on Mail-In Ballots
But the legal fighting will continue in the lower courts.
The War on Free-Range Kids Makes The New York Times
For too long, the government has acted as if any child venturing out unsupervised is in danger—and has negligent parents.
How Much Does New York Actually Recycle? The N.Y. Comptroller Says the State Doesn't Really Know.
A comptroller audit says New York State's recycling data are unreliable.
Texas Man Arrested After Ranting About Age Verification Laws Blocking His Anime
Did he make a true threat? Or was this just hyperbolic ranting about bad policy?
The 'Affordability' Agenda That Taxes Your Dinner
Food-related taxes are rising in popularity, though they hurt restaurants and customers—and may even fail as a revenue-raising tool.
Why James Madison Wanted Greater Limits on States' Rights
The “father of the Constitution” worried about federal and state overreach.
New York Wants a $36 Billion Cut From Kalshi, Calling It an 'Illegal Gambling Operation'
Casting Kalshi as an out-of-control gambling platform makes it easier for the state to take money from the company and its users.
California's War on Goats Could Worsen the Wildfire Crisis
Standard minimum wage and overtime laws now apply to the state's goat herders, whose animals clear brush and reduce fire danger. The costs are unsustainable.
In 39 States, People Can Be Sentenced to Life for Murders They Did Not Commit
The Sentencing Project highlights the perverse consequences of the felony murder rule, a vestige of British law that still prevails in federal courts and all but two states.
California's Prison Reform Experiment Worked. The State's Crime Rate Has Fallen by 27% in 15 Years.
Facts don't care about the GOP's "crime wave" feelings.
California's Local Governments Want State Taxpayers To Pay More, More, More
California local governments of every size are crying poor as they struggle with budget shortfalls.
Illinois Will Finally Stop Stripping People of Their Home Equity—3 Years After the Supreme Court Outlawed It
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill that promises property owners will receive the surplus proceeds when the government seizes their home to satisfy a tax debt.
States Will Soon Face Huge Penalties for Their Food Stamp Mistakes
More than $1 of every $10 in SNAP benefits went to people who didn't qualify in 2025.
77-Year-Old Florida Veteran Investigated For Sending an Official a Postcard Saying 'You Lack Values'
High-level state officials launched a threat investigation over a harmless postcard to Florida's chief financial officer.
Local Officials Vow To Shield the Public from Virginia's Authoritarian New Gun Laws
A new chapter in the never-ending battle between centralized power and local control.
Buying Beer Is Both Legal and Illegal on Sunday Nights in Minnesota
An unplanned encounter with a silly, arbitrary (and improving) liquor law
Secret Emails Reveal Sketchy Tactics in California Public Health's Tobacco Ban 'Endgame'
Here are the sketchy tactics California’s public health agency is using to convince towns and cities to ban tobacco sales.
Did California's Gubernatorial Race Reveal the Limits of 'Abundance' Politics on the Left?
Matt Mahon tried to chart a reform-minded path, but too often he came across as a mushy moderate in an election that will be determined by partisans.
