North Dakota the First to Pass New Tactic Against Federal Debt

By Fergus Hodgson

04/12/2011

The National Debt Relief Amendment, which would mandate state approval before increases in the federal debt limit, has now passed in North Dakota. At least seven other states have equivalent resolutions either pending or with pledged sponsors, for what would be the first ever state initiated amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

TAGS: Curtis Olafson, Kirk Talbot, National Debt Relief Amendment, Nick Lorusso, North Dakota

Commentary: Louisiana Can Sidestep and Delay ObamaCare Regulatory Requirements

By Kevin Mooney

01/28/2011

State Lawmakers can resist grants with “Federal Strings” and suspend rule-making. Earlier, bipartisan legislation from Louisiana has indicated the plausibility of such tactics.

TAGS: American Legislative Exchange Council, Christie Herrera, Kirk Talbot, Michael Tanner, ObamaCare

Commentary: ALEC Releases Guide to Repealing ObamaCare

By Kevin Mooney

01/19/2011

Just as the “Hippocratic Oath” counsels medical professionals to avoiding doing any harm to patients before beginning surgery, state lawmakers should guard against harmful policy measures that inflate costs and undermine service.

TAGS: American Legislative Exchange Council, Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act, Kirk Talbot, Medicaid, ObamaCare

Commentary: HB 1474 Would Help Protect Autonomy of States and Individuals

By Jamison Beuerman

06/16/2010

As early as today the Louisiana Senate will be voting on Rep. Kirk Talbot’s HB 1474, which would protect our state against the unconstitutional government micromanagement of intrastate commerce and personal choice also known as the individual mandate for health insurance coverage. The timing of Rep. Talbot’s bill could not be better. As reported by...

TAGS: Cato Institute, HB1474, Health Insurance, individual mandate, Kirk Talbot, Michael Cannon, ObamaCare

Commentary: Weak Case for Individual Mandate Highlighted by HB1474 Hearing

By Jamison Beuerman

06/07/2010

Last week at the State Capitol, Rep. Kirk Talbot’s HB1474 received a brief hearing in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. While efforts to stall hearing the bill resulted in it being holed up in the back of the agenda, the truncated hearing it received brought to light several points which beg to be addressed....

TAGS: Gonzalez v. Oregon, HB1474, individual mandate, Karen Carter Peterson, Kirk Talbot, ObamaCare

A Tax Plan for Our Brighter Future

A Tax Plan for Our Brighter Future paper-digital In Louisiana’s Comeback: A Tax Reform for Our Brighter Future, the Pelican Institute identifies the state’s significant tax problems and proposes a path to set the state in a brighter direction, including flattening the personal and corporate income taxes to 3.5% rates, reducing the number of tax preferences, eliminating...

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