A former marketing boss for the Sunshine State’s tourism promotion bureau criticized our Feb. 7 op-ed in the Tampa Bay Times titled “Visit Florida not critical to state’s economy or tourism.” Our column was based on the Mackinac Center for Public Policy’s recent study of state-level tourism promotion that analyzed data from 48 states over 39 years.
While Michigan strongly protects people from eminent domain, there are still cases where governments violate the private property rights of citizens. A bill introduced in the House would provide remedies when the state goes too far.
While the practice of government taking private property for “public use” has been allowed since the founding of America, public entities started to expand their definition of the term toward the end of the 20th century. After the Kelo case, where a town took a woman's home to give to a private business for "economic development," citizens across the nation pushed back by passing dozens of constitutional amendments limiting the practice. Michigan passed its own amendment in 2006.
The Michigan House Republicans have released their action plan, which contains their goals for the legislative body for the next two years. Overall, it is very good, as most of the recommendations would lessen the scope and power of state government.
Below are some highlights from the plan, each followed by a commentary.
Some officials have argued lately that the state will see the benefits of new projects — which they label “transformational” — only if taxpayers hand out more in subsidies through measures such as Senate Bill 111 and its companions. But plenty of development is built without direct taxpayer support.
The Michigan Senate has advanced legislation that amounts to handing taxpayer cash over to well-connected developers. According to the nonpartisan Senate Fiscal Agency, the bills would transfer up to $1.8 billion from regular taxpayers to these special interests over the next 20 years.
By Jack McHugh
No bills of general interest were voted on by the full House or Senate this week, which is not unusual for this point in a new legislature. Appropriations committee members have been receiving detailed briefings on a proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
Editor's Note: This piece was originally published by The Hill on February 7, 2017.
Pam Harris, an Illinois mom who made history as the lead plaintiff in a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, has a simple message for President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Tom Price.
The state’s pension fund lost $10 million by investing in a private development deal in Ann Arbor. A diversified pension system ought to make room for some risky investments, but system investors have doubled down on chasing high returns.
MLive.com explains what happened:
By Jack McHugh
(Editor's note: The following is testimony presented to the Michigan House Tax Policy Committee by the Mackinac Center's Senior Legislative Analyst Jack McHugh on Feb. 15, 2017)
In 2007, Michigan’s Legislature approved a “temporary” income tax hike, from 3.9 percent to 4.35 percent. The rate was trimmed 0.1 percent in 2012 and made permanent.
The state of Michigan licenses about 160 occupations while cities, like Detroit, require even more. Occupational licensing is the fees, educational coursework, training and exams that governments mandate before someone can legally perform certain jobs. Mackinac Center policy analyst Jarrett Skorup speaks about why licensing laws in the Great Lakes State are so destructive to consumers and the economy.
Happy Valentine’s Day from the Mackinac Center! You don't require a conviction to take possession of my heart, Valentine. (Read more here).
Unlike the MEDC and its corporate welfare, I can't keep it a secret any longer: I want you to be my Valentine. (Read more here).
If you think states mismanage the pensions of their own employees, just wait until they get their hands on the retirement savings of private sector workers. Thankfully, Congress may undo an Obama-era regulation that could have removed safeguards for private pensions and forced some employers into government-run retirement accounts.
Cigarette tax increases are often justified on the belief that they will force people to quit smoking, but new research from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and the Tax Foundation suggests that many smokers aren’t kicking the habit. Instead, they are turning to the black market for cheaper smokes.
If the first weeks of 2017 are any indication, this could be a banner year for labor reform in the United States.
Days into January, Kentucky became the 27th right-to-work state, sparking what could be a wave of labor reforms giving workers across the country more freedom. F. Vincent Vernuccio, director of labor policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, told The Huffington Post that Missouri and New Hampshire were next in line:
During school hours, in front of students, Vassar Public Schools held an event which explicitly advocated for a school millage request. A panel that featured a private citizen and a group of administrators was videotaped and put up on the district’s Facebook page.
By Jack McHugh
Senate Bill 40, Expand state subsidies for particular companies on state line: Passed 24 to 13 in the Senate
To let particular businesses that are near the state line, and that have been selected by political appointees on a state 'economic development' program board, to each collect up to $10 million in state business subsidies for hiring people who do not live in Michigan.
In a meeting between the new president and law enforcement officials, a Texas sheriff complained about legislation that would require a person be convicted of a crime before the state took ownership of his or her property. President Donald Trump, wrongly, disparaged legislators who support this reform to the forfeiture system.
By Ben DeGrow
The Smith family in DeWitt has endured more than its share of challenging circumstances. But having access to an online charter school has been a great help.
During a single week in 2007, Sandy Smith was diagnosed with breast cancer and her son Andrew was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. After Andrew passed away at eight years old, the Smiths enrolled their two surviving children in a cyber school.
Some modest proposals to reduce the income tax have been introduced in the state Legislature. This triggered a backlash from pundits and politicians as they defend current spending levels by forecasting doom if the state dares to let Michigan families and small businesses keep more of their own money.
On Wednesday, Feb. 1, a bipartisan group of some 70 state House members announced that they would support a package of bills to reform Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act. That could mean more transparency for taxpayers and voters. That is good news. But there is more to be done, and lawmakers should start by opening up the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to more sunshine.
By Jack McHugh
This week the Senate adopted a multi-bill criminal justice, parole and probation reform package, highlights of which are reported here. House members received their committee assignments last week and will hold their first meetings next week.
Senate Bill 19, Cut off parole absconders from welfare: Passed 34 to 1 in the Senate
By Ben DeGrow
In some circles, the myth persists that more money automatically translates into better education results. At a recent legislative hearing to explore changes to the state’s failing-schools law, one education official made a claim that collapses under a brief examination.
The authors believe in free markets and free people, and therefore, peaceful choice in association through legal immigration. The millions of immigrants to the United States every year are powerful evidence that “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is still an unattainable dream for the average person around the world.
Michigan’s 21st Century Infrastructure Commission recently came out with a report that made 107 recommendations to improve the state’s telecommunications networks, energy, transportation, drinking water and sewers. Media and state pundits jumped on it, claiming it says that Michigan needs $4 billion each year in additional infrastructure spending. But that’s not exactly what the report actually says.
As the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee moves closer to a vote on sending President Trump’s nominee to lead the EPA to the full Senate, the battle over Scott Pruitt’s record is being reinvigorated. His Jan. 18 hearing and the responses to his written testimony were predictably combative and just as predictably hyperpartisan. Earlier today, Senate Democrats took a strong stance against Pruitt when all ten members of the Environment and Public Works committee boycotted the vote in an attempt to stall his nomination process.
