The Heartland Institute

This likely represents the final edition of the Consumer Power Report prior to the Supreme Court’s ruling on President Barack Obama’s health care law. As I’ve noted in the past, the likeliest outcome is a partial strikedown – one that eliminates the individual mandate as well as the attached requirements of community rating ...

In New Jersey, a ticket for failing to wear a seat belt costs $46, but failing to buckle up your pet can land you in jail for up to six months or fines ranging from $250 to $1,000. Failing to restrain pets in cars is considered animal cruelty. Special pet seats and harnesses can be purchased to attach directly to ...

Many hospitals and doctors offer cash discounts for medical bills for their patients, regardless of income. But there's a catch: The lowest price is usually available only if the patients don't use their health insurance. The savings are impressive in some states. A Long Beach hospital recently charged a patient $6,707 for ...

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and minimum wage laws have been two of the primary mechanisms the federal and state governments have used to help low-income families move out of poverty. A debate is currently ongoing in many state legislatures and Congress over which of these two policies is more effective and should ...

The central component of California’s Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32) takes effect this year, and with the state facing a $15.7 billion deficit, political leaders have ended a long debate over how to spend revenue the Act is expected to generate. The central component is “cap and trade,” a complex system aimed at reducing ...