The Jefferson Journal
Commentary
Can public policy studies make a difference? It appears Jefferson Institute studies do. Former Governor Mark Warner has credited the Thomas Jefferson Institute and the American Legislative Exchange Council with offering the ideas behind what he says are improvements in state government accomplished during his administration. Warner noted, “Your work...
The Chesapeake Bay is one of the greatest natural resources in Virginia, but it suffers from modern environmental hazards. We need a concerted effort to clean it up, but it doesn’t need to cost the billions the state and federal government want to spend. This report says there is an...
Three proposals for funding transportation are now under consideration by the General Assembly. Each of the proposals — one offered by Governor Tim Kaine, one approved by the State Senate and one approved by the House of Delegates — would have a different impact on state revenue, job creation, and...
The House-Senate Budget Conference is currently considering a proposal to provide a small Tuition Assistance Grant to students with disabilities, offering them an opportunity to use an alternative educational placement when their parents are unable to obtain the best education for their child within a traditional public school setting. In...
A new Governor and a new House of Delegates deserve new ideas. The next four years will be challenging ones, and in this “Blueprint”, the Thomas Jefferson Institute and its independent researchers offer ideas for facing those challenges — in Transportation, Education, Government Reform, the Environment, Technology-Based Economic Development, and...
The federal No Child Left Behind Act has been controversial from the start, attracting opposition — and support — from across the political spectrum. In 2007, its reauthorization will come before Congress — but the time for a serious discussion about reforming NCLB needs to take place now, rather than...
Virginia’s budget is incomprehensible to citizens and legislators. Yet, the General Assembly refuses to make it understandable, and Governor Warner has yet to produce a promised overhaul. Isn’t it time to make the budget a management tool?
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The U.S. Supreme Court has granted local governments the power to condemn private property and award it to a higher bidder if the redevelopment would bring in higher taxes. But will state law change to protect Virginians’ property rights?
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Virginians should insist that government programs accomplish what they set out to do by measuring results. Here’s why it matters.
... If you discovered the local grocery store had overcharged you, you’d demand a refund. Isn’t it time to do the same with state government?
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