Government-owned networks (GONs) are an expensive and ineffective response to broadband affordability concerns. On August 31, 2026, the James Madison Institute released a policy brief outlining how municipal broadband projects crowd out private sector investment and leave local taxpayers and energy ratepayers footing the bill. In Ocala, Florida, local officials are proposing to spend an […]
As the lure of socialism grows across America, “free” grocery stores, transportation, housing, and even diapers sound enticing. Politicians have been promising these and other giveaways to garner support for their elections. It all sounds good on the surface, but they come with a cost that is not always disclosed to the public until it […]
The Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (PITFA) made permanent the moratorium on state and local internet access taxes and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce. The legislation, which was signed into law on February 24, 2016, continues to protect consumers from taxation on their internet services and taxes on internet advertising that could be […]
Federal programs administered by state and local governments distribute an estimated $1.2 trillion annually. An August 7, 2026, Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found significant fraud risks in the 20 largest of these programs. The report was a revision to GAO’s July 23, 2026, report. The 20 federal programs constituted 9.8 percent of the 203 […]
The enactment of a comprehensive national data privacy framework to replace the complex and costly patchwork of state laws has eluded the past three sessions of Congress. Hoping to achieve that objective in the 119th Congress, on June 3, 2026, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade held a hearing, “Examining […]
American consumers are worried about affordability, but their list of serious concerns does not include broadband. According to US Telecom’s May 19, 2026, Broadband Pricing Index (BPI) report, for the 11th straight year broadband prices have decreased and speeds have increased. It was therefore not surprising that the nationwide poll included in the BPI report […]
Kids in the lower-income households of Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas may find their Easter baskets a little less sweet this year. Across the country, state policymakers are pushing legislation requesting the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to restrict what Americans receiving federal food assistance can buy with their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program […]
Missouri is moving ahead with the process of eliminating the state income tax. In his January 13, 2026, State of the State Address, Governor Mike Kehoe (R) called for the income tax to be eliminated over five years. The process would require the approval of voters in the November 2026 election. On January 28, 2026, […]
Welcome to This Week in Waste, a series by Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) that highlights how taxpayer dollars are being wasted in the federal, state, and local levels of government and efforts to fight back against this spendthrift behavior. Trump Administration Cancels Green New Deal Loans After conducting a first-year review of the Department of […]
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has confirmed that the state proposals for funding under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program are projected to save more than $20 billion and could reach $22 billion after the last remaining state, California, submits its final bid. Texas alone saved more than $2 billion of […]
