Author
Blue and red states slash taxes despite warnings of hard times ahead
With a $750 million budget surplus on hand, there was little doubt whether North Dakota lawmakers would cut taxes earlier this year — the question was how much. “The surplus was strong, and we believe it’s going to be sustained into the future,” said state Rep. Craig Headland. “So, it just made sense to cut […]
Billions of dollars to clean up abandoned oil and gas wells will only make a dent
An infusion of federal money has helped Louisiana plug nearly 500 abandoned oil and gas wells this year. That number doesn’t come close to the 4,500 abandoned wells that pock the state’s terrain, leaving the potential for groundwater contamination and the near-certainty of greenhouse gas emissions. But the money has allowed the state to nearly […]
Seeing ‘Red’ after Taylor Swift debacle, lawmakers weigh concert ticket rules
There’s no question what motivated state Rep. Kelly Moller to push for changes in Minnesota law on concert ticket sales. “Really, it was the Taylor Swift debacle for me,” she said. A self-professed Swiftie, the Democrat found herself among millions of other Americans unable to buy tickets last year to Swift’s Eras Tour. She preregistered […]
High housing costs could be reason why Boise lost (yes, lost) population last year
The latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates show the city of Boise lost nearly 1,400 residents from 2021 to 2022, while all of the other top 19 most populated Idaho cities gained residents. Overall, the state’s population is still growing, but the pace of that growth has slowed from recent years, according to a press release […]