This Is a Compromise?
A year ago, the Arkansas Legislature passed, and the governor signed, the Arkansas LEARNS Act. This comprehensive act addressed a...
As Legislature Returns, Whose Priorities Will Take Priority?
Happy New Year! After a lackluster 2023 legislative session, hope springs eternal for 2024 as the Missouri Legislature returns to...
The Taxman Confuseth
Some Missouri counties are moving forward with passing property tax freezes for seniors. This is unsurprising, as it is a...
A Bandage Approach: Teaching after Retirement
It is quite common for school districts to post advertisements to recruit new teachers. You may have noticed an interesting...
Tensions Simmer as Jackson County Property Taxes Explode
How much of their taxes will the Royals not have to pay? Until recently, that question was the hottest tax...
Legislature Might Look at Indy 500 Winner for Inspiration
I’ve let my feelings be known about how the 2023 legislative session went: poorly. A handful of bills that I...
Optimism and Concern on the Future of Parents’ Bill of Rights Legislation
For those unfamiliar with it, a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” is a law that helps to ensure parents have transparent...
Expanding the VIP List for Charter School Eligibility
In Missouri, only a select few are eligible for the VIP status of charter school eligibility. The “bouncer” until recently...
Will Open Enrollment Create High School Sport Powerhouses?
The Missouri Legislature is currently debating several bills that would create open enrollment for Missouri students. Evaluating open enrollment’s effects...
Statewide Trends and the “Teacher Shortage”
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) recently released demographic and faculty data for 2022. Given the current headlines...
Senate Bill 88 and Licensing Restrictions
Show-Me Institute researchers have been vocal proponents of reducing government barriers to workers, including hair braiders, park photographers, and many...
Breaking: The Actual Starting Teacher Salary According to DESE
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and other major media outlets in Missouri, continually claim that Missouri teachers are, on average, the...
This Is What Number Four Looks Like?
By now, we have all seen that wonderful photo of the young child sitting in the backseat of her parents’...
Agricultural Tax Credits Are Still a Bad Deal
Last week, Governor Parson called a special session of the Missouri Legislature to pass the “largest tax cut in state...
Legislative Results for Licensing Compact
In a legislative session that lacked legislative action, there was a small piece of good news tucked into a large...
The Kansas City Star Is Right
A recent Kansas City Star piece excoriated the Missouri Senate for its behavior and failure in the recently concluded legislative...
Better Late than Never
With just one day left in the session, the Missouri Legislature is on the verge of finally making it easier...
Privacy Is for People, Not Government
Earlier this year, I excoriated a concerning initiative out of the governor’s office that would have brought new barriers to...
In Another Grinding Legislative Session, Missourians’ Priorities Getting Ignored Again
After countless hours of debate and filibuster, the Missouri Senate finally passed a version of a redistricted Congressional map—a regular...
Missouri Use Taxes Should Expand the Tax Base, Not the Size of Government
Use taxes in Missouri are simply sales taxes on goods delivered to your home from out-of-state sellers. Local governments have...
