Columbia city officials have taken a major step toward heavier use of taxpayer subsidies, which already have been proven to fail in Saint Louis and Kansas City.

A proposal to increase Missouri’s cigarette tax rate by 429 percent could divert both sales and state tax revenue to neighboring states.

While the intent of Tax Increment Financing is to promote development and spur the economy in blighted areas, in reality, it favors the politically-connected and diverts funding from certain taxing entities.

The health care law should be struck down on practical grounds even more than on legal grounds. It violates multiple principles of sound policy-making. It is truly unaffordable.

School choice by mortgage is the current system in Missouri and has been for decades.

The Philadelphia City Council’s proposed land banking ordinance incorporates the most harmful practices of the oldest land bank in the United States, the Saint Louis land bank.

Despite the successes that Michigan has witnessed with its own land banking system, the process has proved to be a failure in Missouri for more than four decades.

The proposed streetcar on Main Street in Kansas City is just the latest big idea in a long-line of irresponsible city projects. Time to pull the cable and get off this crazy train.

The Missouri Senate deserves praise for approving a measure that prohibits Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon from creating a health insurance exchange for the state without legislative or voter approval.

Tax Increment Financing has failed as an engine of economic growth. The Saint Louis County TIF commission and the city of Ellisville should reject the proposed TIF for the southwest quadrant of Clarkson and Manchester Roads.

The Missouri Legislature is considering legislation that would reform the state’s teacher tenure laws. Teacher tenure would be eliminated in favor of a performance-based evaluation system.

No strong evidence has been provided to show that the Jackson County Land Trust has failed, nor that a land bank could do a better job of getting vacant, city-owned property back into private, productive use.

Missouri lawmakers have a big challenge in front of them to close a half-billion dollar budget deficit. But that did not stop them from wasting $ 7  million or more on Tuesday’s presidential primary election.

Officials for the city of Arnold, Mo., are considering privatizing the city’s sewer system. There are several reasons this is a good idea.

The Missouri Legislature needs to act now and allow students in the unaccredited Saint Louis and Kansas City public school districts to attend alternative schools that have a proven track record of providing a good education.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon mentioned the word jobs no fewer than 39 times in his State of the State address. He (and the current occupant of the White House) should take a less-is-more cue from a former U.S. president in thinking and talking about job creation.

MoDOT is considering charging a toll on I-70 in Missouri. This move is a positive change for Missourians, and good economic policy for our state.

Recognizing that the state of Missouri is in a budgetary hole, the Show-Me Institute has prepared a list of five New Year’s resolutions for lawmakers, educators and other public servants.

There is a new obsession in American political life — a rising concern over the issue of “fairness.” But how fair is “fair”?

The Missouri Supreme Court has recently engaged in substantial judicial activism in its effort to circumvent the legislature and solidify collective bargaining rights for public school teachers.