From the Swamp to the States- an ATR Podcast

Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Derek Cohen joins From the Swamp to the States to talk Texas. We cover protecting taxpayers from local govt and taxpayer-funded lobbying, and the state’s chances for a school choice win, their success on criminal justice, & more.

Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist joins From the Swamp to the States to talk about state income tax cuts. How tax cutters are winning and how will the losers who fall behind handle dwindling population.

A government takeover of the energy utility on Long Island would risk higher costs, & less accountability. Why are government takeovers of utilities a bad idea? Empire Center’s James Hanley discusses on #SwamptotheStates.

Big tax hikes are on the ballot & cuts as well. Colorado and Massachusetts tax policies are covered by Paul Craney, Mass Fiscal Alliance, & Ben Murrey, Independence Institute. South Carolina Policy Council kicks things off with rainy day fund measures that will enable tax cuts.

Ballot measures have become the latest battleground for election integrity. Dave Guenthner, Mackinac Center, & Jason Snead, Honest Elections Project, discuss.

Tax hikes, election reforms, attacks on free speech, #Arizona has the busiest ballot this year. Jenna Bentley with the Goldwater Institute discussed on the From the Swamp to the States podcast.

This Illinois ballot measure would make big unions more powerful than the state legislature. Mailee Smith Illinois Policy Institute explains on the "From the Swamp to the States" podcast.

Amendment 1 is a big opportunity to limit regulatory overreach in Kansas this election cycle. Liz Patton with Americans for Prosperity Kansas joins to explain how the fight is unfolding.

End it for Good President Christina Dent talks drug policy & fixing the addiction crisis, live on the Swamp to the States podcast.

Most states allow the government to hire lobbyists to push for more taxpayer handouts to the government. Texas Rep. Mayes Middleton & Elizabeth Stelle from Commonwealth Foundation join From the Swamp to the States to discuss fixing this conflict of interest.

A constitutional spending cap is a deal Pennsylvania Republicans need to jump on, and the clock is ticking. AFP’s Ashley Klingensmith joins us for a livestream podcast to discuss as Swamp to the States returns!

We were joined by PEW experts Tracy Velasquez and Connie Utada to talk about new data showing opportunities many states are missing to improve probation practices and public safety along the way.

Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist, FanDuel's Andrew Winchell, and Jessica Feil with American Gaming Association talk about how states can win with low taxes and good regulatory policies for sports betting during a recent panel event.

Election Day is almost here! For voters in some states, ballot questions offer the chance to save taxpayer dollars, but others would drastically change the election process. How would radical reforms like ranked choice voting change elections forever? Former Representative Bruce Poliquin joins the podcast to discuss!

ATR’s 2020 State Ballot Measure Guide is out (ATR.org/ballotguide), covering all the key measures taxpayers need to know before they head to the polls. Sal Nuzzo from the James Madison Institute joins to discuss Florida’s proposed Amendments, and we run down some of the big tax hike threats.

The spending, borrowing, and taxing continue in New Jersey. The Garden State just added a tax on healthcare, wants a piece of your retirement investments, & the legislature has yet to wrangle with Gov. Murphy’s budget plan tax hikes. Garden State Initiative’s Regina Egea joins to discuss.

Government employees get raises in the middle of a pandemic, some fraudulently claim unemployment. Just a sample of the challenges Connecticut faces. Yankee Institute’s Carol Platte Liebau joins the podcast to talk about fixing Connecticut and lessons for other states.

Policing in the U.S. is facing blame – often for problems driven by overcriminalization, and aggressive revenue grabbing practices, that they did not create. Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress block reforms they used to support for cynical political reasons. We discuss reforms that are on the table with Jeremiah Mosteller of the Due Process Institute (idueprocess.org).

It has been a rough pandemic for Las Vegas, and the state of Nevada. Now, the Governor has pressed legislators back for a special session to cut spending, and potentially hike taxes. Is this a sign of things to come in other states? Nevada Policy Research Institutes’ Michael Schaus explains.