The States Forum
@statesforum.bsky.social
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📝 157
Catalyzing policy ideas to achieve the American Promise in states. Learn more at StatesForum.org
pinned post!
As the very foundational values of our country are being attacked, achieving the American Promise has never been more urgent. Last month, we convened policy thinkers and state leaders in Philadelphia to explore how we keep that promise alive in the states. Take a look:
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Welcome to The States Forum
YouTube video by The States Forum
https://youtu.be/TgZecPHz7H8
9 months ago
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When Marc J. Dunkelman sat down with Rohit Chopra, people were expecting a fight, but what they got was entirely different. Read more on our Substack:
statesforum.substack.com/p/my-cage-ma...
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10 days ago
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When Marc J. Dunkelman and Rohit Chopra sat down together at The States Forum launch, it was a panel set up for a fight: Two camps of the left going for the jugular. But the fight people might have wanted didn’t end up being the conversation.
11 days ago
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In our current climate, it feels like there's no way to fix Citizens United without a constitutional amendment or a new Supreme Court. But what if states already have the answer, and they've just forgotten that they have it?
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16 days ago
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Data centers need the grid. The grid needs investment. And there’s a deal to be struck to ensure local communities can benefit. But not enough people are paying attention. More from
@janeaflegal.bsky.social
and
@searchlightinst.bsky.social
on our Substack:
statesforum.substack.com/p/states-can...
19 days ago
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While DC stalls, states are stepping up. We hosted a policy accelerator in Ohio this week called “Making States Healthy Again” that brought together activists, lawmakers, doctors, & MAHA supporters to help solve America’s health crisis.
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23 days ago
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The Iran war is already hitting Americans where it always does first: the pump. But there's one energy cost we can actually control, if states just cut the red tape.
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about 1 month ago
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The checks and balances we were taught to trust? They’re not holding. Courts get overruled. Congress is standing down. The Supreme Court is concentrating its own power.
@sarahrknight.bsky.social
But how can states fix it? Let us explain:
substack.com/home/post/p-...
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about 2 months ago
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Robots are, to put it frankly, just better at some things than humans, and can do many things humans cannot. Read Matt Lackey's Latest for The States Forum, Democracy After The Algorithm, at the link in bio
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2 months ago
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“You are what you eat, what you eat is information, and if you eat bad information you do crazy stuff that’s anti-social.” Read Matt Lackey's Latest for The States Forum, Democracy After The Algorithm, at the link in bio
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2 months ago
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Is a pro-social media environment even possible in the future? That’s what Matt Lackey tackles in this week’s Substack, Democracy After The Algorithm
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2 months ago
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Great piece from States Forum Network member
@robertgo.bsky.social
on how governors and mayors need to get serious about delivering excellent public services.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/o...
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Opinion | Mamdani Will Need to Change How He Governs
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/opinion/democrats-public-sector-unions.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
2 months ago
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What if the thing that saves American democracy. . .isn't Washington?
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3 months ago
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You’ll see 3 things on your power bill: • Supply – making electricity • Transmission – big lines • Distribution – neighborhood wires For years T&D drove costs. Now? Supply costs are rising because we’re not building power fast enough. States can fix this.
statesforum.substack.com/p/the-year-o...
3 months ago
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Grid reliability. Utility bills that work for consumers, not investors. Bad Bunny's half time show sent a message about power: all Americans deserve to be able to keep the lights on.
thehill.com/blogs/in-the...
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https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5729747-super-bowl-bad-bunny-halftime-show-puerto-rico/
3 months ago
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If your immigration message fits on a yard sign, you’re losing. Nuance creates consensus. Slogans create backlash. New polling on immigration in this week’s Substack:
statesforum.substack.com/p/americans-...
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Americans’ Views on Immigration Aren’t at Odds—They’re Complex. And Adult.
Slogans create backlash. Nuance builds consensus.
https://statesforum.substack.com/p/americans-views-on-immigration-arent
3 months ago
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AI is already in classrooms. Now we need to decide: whose rules, whose safeguards. States are starting to write the playbook.
www.multistate.us/insider/2026...
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How States Are Tackling Artificial Intelligence in Education Policy
AI in education policy is evolving, with most states issuing educational AI guidance rather than passing binding state AI legislation for schools. Generative AI classroom regulations remain limited, b...
https://www.multistate.us/insider/2026/1/21/how-states-are-tackling-artificial-intelligence-in-education-policy
3 months ago
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January is long, dark, and freezing—but the ideas in our January Book aren’t. States have real power to take on the cost-of-living squeeze and defend our rights. We’re ending this month with ideas built for this moment. Read below.
www.statesforum.org/january-book/
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January Book - The States Forum
States have power to take on everything from the cost of living crisis to the federal assault on our rights and freedoms. We're embracing solutions for our
https://www.statesforum.org/january-book/
3 months ago
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Former National Security Advisor @AmbassadorRice on authoritarianism, federal power, and the erosion of democratic guardrails. Read an excerpt from her full interview in next month’s edition of The States Forum Journal in this week's Substack:
open.substack.com/pub/statesfo...
3 months ago
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The Virginia state legislature is back — and the early agenda is a clear statement of priorities: civil rights, mental health care, and cost-of-living relief. Not culture wars - governing.
wjla.com/news/local/v...
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A look at bill proposals in the Virginia state legislature
7News is taking a closer look at some of the legislation Democrats in Virginia are focused on off the bat.That includes House Bill 863, which as it stands right
https://wjla.com/news/local/virginia-state-legislature-richmond-mandatory-minimum-sentences-offense-dui-felony-assault-intellection-disability-mental-illness-accountability-jail-prison-crime-safety-driving-drinking-commonwealth
3 months ago
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Alex Brennan of
@futurewise.bsky.social
&
@cityjane.bsky.social
talk about the American housing nightmare and how states can step in to define best practice regulation that increases supply and brings down costs.
www.statesforum.org/january-book...
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Abundant Housing Options Near Opportunity - The States Forum
Download this chapter The idea Across the United States, from big cities to growing suburbs to college, beach, and mountain towns, families and workers are struggling to find and keep homes they can a...
https://www.statesforum.org/january-book/housing/
4 months ago
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Colleges play a vital role in our democracy, and preserving freedom of expression on campus is essential to our future. Dr. Sigal Ben-Porath discusses how states can help protect our students and faculties’ voices.
www.statesforum.org/january-book...
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Protecting Free Expression and Free Inquiry on Campuses - The States Forum
Download this chapter The idea A robust culture of free expression and free inquiry is a central component of democracy, and key to continued development of science, technology, and humanistic ideas f...
https://www.statesforum.org/january-book/free-expression/
4 months ago
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“All we say to America is, ‘Be true to what you said on paper.’” – Martin Luther King, Jr. Teaching U.S. history requires being clear-eyed about our challenges & how we've worked to overcome them. More on what civic education *should* look like:
statesforum.substack.com/p/being-true...
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Being True to America
Towards a Healthy Civic Education
https://statesforum.substack.com/p/being-true-to-america
4 months ago
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Citizen-led ballot initiatives can be a key way to institute the change we want to see at the state level. Read more in
@newamerica.org
about how everyone can join the governing process.
www.newamerica.org/political-re...
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Expanding Citizen-Led Policymaking in the 21st Century
This report explores opportunities and strategies for expanding ballot initiative access to more states.
https://www.newamerica.org/political-reform/reports/expanding-citizen-led-policymaking/executive-summary/
4 months ago
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More from our January book!
@robertgo.bsky.social
discusses how we hire the right people to do the people’s work. Delivering on democracy requires getting the best talent into government - efficiently.
www.statesforum.org/january-book...
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Fixing Government Hiring - The States Forum
Download this chapter The idea If democracy is going to deliver for its citizens, government needs the right people doing the people’s work. Strong staff matter—in the classroom1 or on the beat,2 in c...
https://www.statesforum.org/january-book/government-hiring/
4 months ago
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In this week’s Substack, Marissa Gillett talks investor-owned utilities, why (and how) rates are skyrocketing, and how YOU can get involved in fixing this cost of living crisis.
statesforum.substack.com/p/is-the-sky...
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Is the Sky Blue?
A call to public action for utility rate case intervention
https://statesforum.substack.com/p/is-the-sky-blue
4 months ago
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In this piece, Danielle Allen argues that President Trump’s recently coined ‘Donroe Doctrine’ is a dagger aimed at the heart of American democracy.
statesforum.substack.com/p/on-the-don...
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On the Donroe Doctrine
And Its Domestic Implications
https://statesforum.substack.com/p/on-the-donroe-doctrine
4 months ago
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From the January Book: Paul Monteiro writes about service and helps us deeply engage in civic life, and how states like Maryland, California, and New York are instituting programs to support young people in strengthening their communities.
www.statesforum.org/january-book...
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The Service Year - The States Forum
Download this chapter The idea Service has been a defining American characteristic that has long provided a path of opportunity. For more than 30 years, AmeriCorps has formally engaged more than 1.4 m...
https://www.statesforum.org/january-book/service/
4 months ago
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As the cost of living continues to increase, January Book contributor
@choprausa.bsky.social
is looking to the states & the powerful—& often overlooked—tools they have to drive down the costs families face. And, the benefits come much sooner than you’d think.
www.statesforum.org/january-book...
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De-Gouging the Economy - The States Forum
Download the full paper The idea Since the pandemic, families are angry about the increasing costs of everyday essentials and monthly bills. Given the lack of meaningful rationale for rising prices, m...
https://www.statesforum.org/january-book/cost-of-living/
4 months ago
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It’s simple: cheap and abundant electricity is good! In our January Book,
@janeaflegal.bsky.social
discusses the growing need for energy, the policy challenges thwarting new supply, and how we move towards more cheap AND clean energy.
www.statesforum.org/january-book...
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Cheap and Abundant Electricity Is Good - The States Forum
Download the full paper The idea Energy is the lifeblood of the modern economy. Electricity powers homes, factories, and our digital world, allowing us to enjoy comfortable lives in a competitive coun...
https://www.statesforum.org/january-book/energy/
4 months ago
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“States create new possibilities. Meaningful civil rights infrastructure at the state level includes nondiscrimination protections & a functioning & transparent enforcement apparatus.” Catherine E. Lhamon & Katy Joseph talk about how states protect civil rights.
www.statesforum.org/january-book...
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State-Based Civil Rights Enforcement to Fill the Federal Vacuum - The States Forum
Download the full paper The idea At a crucible moment in American history, after the nation witnessed firehoses wielded against children seeking justice, a governor blocking a schoolhouse door, and br...
https://www.statesforum.org/january-book/civil-rights/
4 months ago
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Kicking off the new year the only way we know how: with a collection of policy ideas sure to make life better and more affordable! Introducing…The January Book!
www.statesforum.org/january-book/
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January Book - The States Forum
States have power to take on everything from the cost of living crisis to the federal assault on our rights and freedoms. We're embracing solutions for our
https://www.statesforum.org/january-book/
4 months ago
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Effective government means thinking not just about policy design but also policy *implementation*. An interesting read on how we streamline state government systems.
law.yale.edu/yls-today/ne...
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Students Take a Deep Dive into Connecticut Policymaking
A new course taught by Professor Zachary Liscow uses Connecticut as a case study for understanding how state government can work more effectively.
https://law.yale.edu/yls-today/news/students-take-deep-dive-connecticut-policymaking
5 months ago
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A more efficient state government is a more effective state government! More from
@pahlkadot.bsky.social
on how we clean up policy clutter to deliver for Americans.
www.statesforum.org/journal/issu...
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Let’s Tidy Up State Government - The States Forum
As the pandemic put millions of people out of work, states developed a backlog of unemployment insurance claims. Many governors blamed COBOL, a programming
https://www.statesforum.org/journal/issue-1/lets-tidy-up-state-government/
5 months ago
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We disagree with Vivek Ramaswamy on a lot of things, but here's one thing he's saying that we agree with wholeheartedly: what makes you an American is your embrace of American ideals, not your heritage or your ethnicity.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/o...
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Opinion | What Is an American?
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/opinion/republican-identity-divide.html
5 months ago
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reposted by
The States Forum
5 months ago
Really proud that I could contribute some ideas to add to the incredible portfolio that The States Forum have been putting together!
add a skeleton here at some point
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So many states (especially in the South!) have found efficient and effective ways to address education and literacy for their kids. We’re excited to see how that can be adapted and adjusted for teens.
coloradosun.com/2025/12/11/o...
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Opinion: Colorado must ring the alarm bells on our state’s adolescent literacy crisis
New study in Colorado aims to use research to fight for literacy legislation that expands focus to include 9-to-13-year-old students
https://coloradosun.com/2025/12/11/opinion-colorado-adolescent-literacy-crisis-alarm-bells/
5 months ago
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While the chasm between citizens & government widens with every news cycle, how do we rebuild trust in our democracy? From fixing the 311 system to crowdsourcing policy suggestions, Dae Yi explains how we renovate our democracy, digitally.
open.substack.com/pub/statesfo...
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Rebuilding Trust, One Pothole at a Time
The State-Level Apps That Renew Democracy
https://open.substack.com/pub/statesforum/p/rebuilding-trust-one-pothole-at-a?r=5x6dqv&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay
5 months ago
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As the federal government cuts funding and access to Medicaid, states can continue to step up in creative ways to ensure their people are getting the care they need.
www.milbank.org/publications...
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Policy Strategies for State Medicaid Agencies to Advance Community Health and Well-Being | Milbank Memorial Fund
Copublished with the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy Abstract Recent federal policy reforms and funding reductions pose significant
https://www.milbank.org/publications/policy-strategies-for-state-medicaid-agencies-to-advance-community-health-and-well-being/
5 months ago
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For too many American families, finding affordable child care is nearly impossible. In
@the-renovator.bsky.social
, TSF contributor Danielle Allen talks about child care as a public good & how states like New Mexico are passing policies to make it accessible.
substack.com/@thestatesfo...
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The States Forum (@thestatesforum)
For too many American families, finding truly affordable child care is nearly impossible. In the latest edition of The Renovator, TSF Journal contributor, @Danielle Allen talks to @Anne-Marie Slaugh...
https://substack.com/@thestatesforum/note/c-186732199?r=5x6dqv&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
5 months ago
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In just 10 years, 1 million workers have saved $2 billion for retirement with State Automated IRA programs. That’s a big deal. We talk to Kim Olson of
@pewtrusts.org
and Hunter Railey about how Auto-IRAs work, and why every state should be adopting them.
open.substack.com/pub/statesfo...
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How Workers in Some States are Saving Billions
Automated Retirement Savings Programs, explained
https://open.substack.com/pub/statesforum/p/how-workers-in-some-states-are-saving?r
5 months ago
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State governments are central to housing reform: they build infrastructure, allocate funding & set regulatory standards. But most states lack the policy infrastructure to support needed change.
@dcpolicycenter.bsky.social
chimes in with some solutions.
www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications...
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Strengthening state-level policy for growing housing supply - D.C. Policy Center
Strengthening state-level policy for growing housing supply - D.C. Policy Center
https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/strengthening-state-level-policy-for-growing-housing-supply/
5 months ago
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One area with actual bipartisan support (yes, really!) is the ongoing effort to curb social media companies’ grip on children. Rep.
@repauchincloss.bsky.social
’s trio of new tech bills could prove that on some topics, bipartisan consensus isn’t 100% impossible.
time.com/7337866/big-...
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Lawmakers Unveil New Bills to Curb Big Tech’s Power and Profit
Rep. Jake Auchincloss and bipartisan co-sponsors introduced three bills to curb social media companies’ legal immunity, strengthen safeguards for kids, and tax their ad revenues.
https://time.com/7337866/big-tech-social-media-regulation/
5 months ago
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A new way to track policies moving across all 50 states? We’ll be keeping both eyes on this new tool. 👀 And you should too - check out what's moving in your state ⬇️
www.reuters.com/press-releas...
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USLege Now Tracks Legislation in All 50 States, Expanding Real-Time Policy Intelligence Nationwide
AI-powered platform brings full nationwide visibility to state legislative action, helping policy professionals stay informed, ahead, and everywhere policy is happening.
https://www.reuters.com/press-releases/uslege-expands-real-time-policy-intelligence-nationwide-2025-12-01/
5 months ago
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Have you heard of balcony solar panels? Well, more and more states are passing policies to make alternative energy more accessible (and lower energy bills!) with these plug-in solar panels.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
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Power surge: law changes could soon bring balcony solar to millions across US
Tweaks to state laws mean many Americans will be able to benefit from small, simple plug-in solar panels
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/30/balcony-solar-power-states-laws
5 months ago
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States are reshaping the non-compete landscape, and for good reason. Noncompetes snuff competition, consumers suffer, and small businesses can’t get off the ground. State lawmakers are finding innovative policy solutions to curb their impact.
www.promarket.org/2025/12/01/s...
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States Are Reshaping the Noncompete Landscape Even as a Federal Ban Disappears - ProMarket
In new research, Norman Bishara and Lorenzo Luisetto analyze the nature and proliferation of state legislative activity to regulate noncompete agreements since 2009. In the absence of a federal rule, ...
https://www.promarket.org/2025/12/01/states-are-reshaping-the-noncompete-landscape-even-as-a-federal-ban-disappears/
5 months ago
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Liberals may not like what Trump is doing, but as TSF contributor Marc Dunkelman argues, "he’s effectively freeing the stuck wheels of bureaucracy." Change requires elected leaders learn to deploy the resources they have to actually...make it happen!
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/o...
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Opinion | What the Left Could Learn From Trump’s Brutal Efficiency
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/opinion/trump-liberals-government.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
5 months ago
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@auffhammer.bsky.social
offers some simple advice to energy companies to… simplify their messages. As energy bills spike, the least companies could do is help us understand what we’re actually paying for:
energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/12/01/a...
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A Small Beautiful Bill
It would be nice if I could understand my energy bill. This is the time of the year where we are gathered around tables – mostly with loving family and tasty food- and then someone says…
https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/12/01/a-small-beautiful-bill/
5 months ago
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A harrowing report on the aftermath of the Texas abortion ban shows how, when state policy is deliberately vague and punitive, doctors are completely at the mercy of their own legal departments.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...
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Why Hospital Policies Matter in States That Ban Abortion
Our first-of-its-kind data analysis found that a seismic split emerged in how medical institutions in Texas' two largest metro areas, Houston and Dallas, treated miscarrying patients — and in their ou...
https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-abortion-ban-sepsis-rates-dallas-houston
5 months ago
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From consulting with the state’s Public Service Commission on reducing the environmental impact of data centers to protecting kids, here’s how Kentucky state lawmakers are stepping up to protect people when it comes to AI policymaking.
kentuckylantern.com/2025/11/13/p...
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Protecting kids, planning for data centers among AI issues KY legislature urged to tackle • Kentucky Lantern
Kentucky lawmakers studying artificial intelligence issue recommendations to protect minors exposed to AI online and laws about data centers.
https://kentuckylantern.com/2025/11/13/protecting-kids-planning-for-data-centers-among-ai-issues-ky-legislature-urged-to-tackle/
5 months ago
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A topic for Thanksgiving dinner for sure: New Jersey governor-elect Mikie Sherrill floated the idea of no longer paying federal taxes if the White House keeps cancelling state funding: “If they’re not gonna run the programs, then what are we paying them for?”
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
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New Jersey may stop paying federal taxes under new governor
Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill said on a podcast with Jon Stewart it's a "great idea."
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/21/sherrill-considers-new-jersey-stop-paying-federal-taxes-00665244
5 months ago
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