At the end of July, Alabama’s labor force participation rate was 57.2%. The national average was 62.1%. Just four states rank below Alabama. When Alabama’s labor participation rate is low, we all pay the price. Businesses continue to struggle with st ...
Bold tax reform should be at the top of Alabama lawmakers’ agenda
“Alabama budgets are in great shape.” That was the message last week from the Alabama Legislative Services Agency’s deputy director Kirk Fulford to a joint meeting of the legislative budget committees in Montgomery. If you are in favor of growing Ala ...
Why Medicaid expansion is a bad idea for Alabama
As the Legislature heads toward its 2023 regular legislative session, calls for Medicaid expansion are likely to increase. Alabama remains one of 12 states that has not expanded coverage under Obamacare. The question is, will state lawmakers continue ...
The truth behind inflation and the impending recession
Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced that the country’s economic growth rate had dropped by 0.9 percent, falling for the second straight quarter. While the White House and others claim that the country is not experiencing a reces ...
Georgia’s Gov. Kemp suspends gas tax through mid-September
On Wednesday, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) announced that he is extending his state’s gas tax holiday through Sep. 12 by executive order. The gasoline tax was originally suspended in March as residents in the Peach State began to bear the high cos ...
Alabama Department of Labor overpaid unemployment recipients by more than $164 million in 2020-21
According to recent data from the U.S. Department of Labor, Alabama overpaid unemployment compensation benefit recipients by more than $164 million in 2020 and 2021. Now the Alabama Department of Labor wants some of that money back, sending bills, so ...
Did the World Games live up to the promises made to taxpayers?
When Birmingham won its bid to host the 2021 World Games in 2015, it was expected to be a major boon for the area. At the time, organizers projected that the economic impact would be $256.5 million against a projected cost of $75 million. But now ...
Illinois eliminating grocery tax for a year
Starting this month and lasting a year, Illinois residents will not pay the state sales tax on groceries. The Illinois legislature, which is dominated by Democrats, voted almost unanimously in favor of suspending the 1% sales tax on groceries in ...
Legislature should not seek permanent solutions for temporary problems
Last week, the Alabama Legislature held the second in a series of informal budget hearings aimed at determining how inflation and the possibilities of a recession are impacting state agencies. Much like the first hearing, the general theme ...
Florida is using Covid funds for tax relief
$1.24 billion in tax relief is soon headed to Florida residents. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in May signed a bill that will provide no less than ten statewide sales tax holidays that begin this summer, with some running through 2024. “In Florid ...