TaxVox: State and Local Issues

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The voices of Tax Policy Center's researchers and staff

State and Local Issues

Improving State Tax Collections Don’t Let Congress Off the Hook on COVID-19 Relief

November 19, 2020 –
As the lame duck Congress considers further stimulus for an economy that is rebounding but still deeply troubled , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)...
State and Local Issues

Why Do States Tax Illegal Drugs?

November 18, 2020 –
Say you came into possession of some illegal drugs. What’s your next move? According to some states, you should immediately pay the state’s tax on...

State Ballot Initiative Results: Tax Cuts for Some, Tax Hikes for Others, and Marijuana Taxes For All

November 16, 2020 –
In addition to that other election you might have followed last week, Americans voted on a whole bunch of state tax measures . And while...
State and Local Issues

Big Tax Hikes and Lots of Sin: Your Guide to 2020’s State Ballot Measures

October 27, 2020 –
There are a lot of state ballot measures affecting tax policy this year. Most were introduced before the pandemic, but all of these votes took...
State and Local Issues

Four Decades After Proposition 13’s Tax Revolt, Will California (Split) Roll It Back with Proposition 15?

October 26, 2020 –
On the California ballot this year is an initiative that could partially unravel what is possibly one of the most consequential ballot initiatives.
State and Local Issues

Budget Transparency In a Pandemic: A Steeltown Story

October 7, 2020 –
Pittsburgh faces a choice confronted by hundreds of other cities and counties as it works to set its operating budget for 2021: Cut spending on services or raise taxes. Are its residents willing and able to weigh in?
State and Local Issues

Fines and Forfeitures and Racial Disparities

August 14, 2020 –
Some evidence suggests that fines and fees, much like policing, are also closely intertwined with issues of structural racism.
State and Local Issues

Trump Executive Action Shows Why Congress Should Federalize More of Unemployment Insurance

August 12, 2020 –
President Trump’s August 8th executive action creating a new supplemental weekly unemployment benefit has created mass confusion.
State and Local Issues

Lights Flashing, Sirens Blaring: State and Local Governments Need Federal Aid

August 5, 2020 –
Congress is nowhere near an agreement on how much additional federal aid to send to state and local governments. It’s been a worrying situation for months. Now, we should be alarmed.
State and Local Issues

COVID-19 Pandemic Could Slash 2020-21 State Revenues By $200 Billion

July 1, 2020 –
Revised forecast data from 27 states suggest tax revenues are expected to fall $34 billion short of pre-COVID-19 forecasts in fiscal year 2020.