What Should St. Louis County Do about Its Budget Shortfall?
The two largest counties in Missouri are both having difficulties. Over in Jackson County, the assessment system is still a...
Eliminating Missouri’s Income Tax, Subsidies for Gas Stations, and Early Literacy Reform
David Stokes, Elias Tsapelas, and Avery Frank join host Zach Lawhorn to outline what a responsible plan to eliminate Missouri’s...
Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right
A proposed bill in St. Louis County would mandate the imposition of several burdensome regulations on many more projects and...
The Long Fight for Educational Freedom with Neal McCluskey and James Shuls
Learn more about the book here: www.cato.org/books/fighting-freedom-learn Susan Pendergrass speaks with James Shuls, fellow at the Show-Me Institute and head of...
Use Taxes on the Ballot in Missouri This November
There are several cities seeking to impose use taxes during special elections on November 4. These cities include Ladue and...
The Free-City Project for Missouri
A version of the following commentary appeared in the Columbia Missourian. In 2001, a group of very libertarian-minded activists launched...
What Are My Schooling Options as a Missouri Parent?
Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking with a parent who wanted to know what schooling options were available...
A Free-Market Guide to Zoning with David Stokes
Susan Pendergrass speaks with Show-Me Institute Director of Municipal Policy David Stokes about his new paper in the Free-Market Guide...
Municipalities Should Not Be Commercial Landlords (I’m Looking at You, Chesterfield)
Chesterfield, which is poised to be the largest city in St. Louis County, is attempting to get into the commercial...
In St. Louis County, Who Will Audit the Auditors?
A version of this commentary appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. When one thinks of no-show political jobs in Missouri government,...
Shutting Down Dissent in Sedalia
There have been numerous public concerns about government actions in Sedalia for the past year or so. I wrote about...
The Final Weeks of the 2025 Session
David Stokes, Elias Tsapelas, and Avery Frank join Zach Lawhorn to discuss: the final stretch of Missouri’s legislative session, including...
Earmarks Come to St. Louis County
The St. Louis County Council just passed a bill to give $3.2 million in tax money to privately owned farms...
Jackson County Assessment Disputes Will (Hopefully) Lead to Real Change This Time
A version of this commentary appeared in the Examiner. It’s an obscure state law that every article about government and politics...
St. Louis County is Right to Be Concerned about Volunteers at the Animal Shelter
There are major changes coming to the St. Louis County animal control operation. The Animal Protective Association (APA) of Missouri...
HB 1044 and Expanding Charter Schools in Missouri
Senate Bill (SB) 727, passed into law last year, allows any state-approved sponsor to authorize a charter school in Boone...
An Update on Land Banks in Missouri: From Bad to Worse
What do you do with a program that has failed repeatedly and led to corruption and cronyism? Well, if you...
Is Professional, Non-Partisan Management the Solution for St. Louis Government?
Both the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County are debating whether or not to adopt a city manager...
Does St. Louis Need a City Manager?
A version of this commentary appeared in the St. Louis Business Journal. Back in 2022, in response to the seemingly...
Missouri’s Mean Streets
Traffic fatalities in both Kansas City and St. Louis have seen significant increases, drawing concern from local leaders and community...
