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How ‘kitty cats’ are wrecking the home insurance industry
May 16, 2024 | News, FinanceSupercharged thunderstorms and tornadoes are ravaging the Midwest, driving insurance costs to record highs.
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State Medicaid costs poised to surge from pandemic lows
May 15, 2024 | News, FinanceState costs rose by 13% in fiscal 2023 and are expected to increase by an additional 17.2% in fiscal 2024 thanks to the phaseout of enhanced federal aid, provider rate increases and slowing but still elevated enrollment levels.
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Why income discrimination laws hurt poor renters
May 14, 2024 | News, FinanceCOMMENTARY| Laws that ban discrimination against voucher holders can push smaller landlords out of the low-income housing market, decreasing the amount of affordable housing.
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Neediest areas are being shortchanged on government funds
May 06, 2024 | News, FinanceCOMMENTARY | A recent study of the Community Development Block Grant program showed that neighborhoods with the largest share of low- to moderate-income families were less likely to receive CDBG funds than communities that were closer to the 51% threshold.
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As property tax bills rise, states look for long-term solutions
May 02, 2024 | News, FinanceLawmakers in the Mountain West seek to provide permanent tax relief without harming local revenue.
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State, local govs crack down on menthol cigarettes by pumping prices up
| News, FinanceSetting minimum retail prices and increasing taxes can help officials address public health concerns surrounding menthol cigarettes.
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New Maryland law enables local jurisdictions to impose higher taxes on vacant properties
| News, FinanceThe legislation aims to reduce the number of lots and houses that sit vacant for years on end in an effort to solve the state's affordable housing shortage.
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Measuring and managing risk in the quest for resilience
May 01, 2024 | News, FinanceCOMMENTARY | Incidents like the Baltimore bridge collapse should motivate local leaders to think carefully about risk management, prevention and mitigation.
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Virginia’s ‘tech tax’ ignites debate on business taxes
April 30, 2024 | News, FinanceMany states are extending sales tax to digital services, but the Virginia Senate’s attempt to expand it to cover business-to-business transactions raised eyebrows.
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US long-term care costs are sky-high, but one state’s plan to help pay for them could be nixed
| News, FinanceCOMMENTARY | Washington state's WA Cares Fund collects a 0.58% tax out of residents’ paychecks to fund a new long-term care social insurance program. It’s not clear, however, whether the state’s strategy is going to work out.