So-Called "Railway Safety Act" Constitutes a Political Handout to Big Labor That Does Nothing to Improve Safety At All
America as we know it was built largely upon and because of our rail industry, and today it remains a pillar of our economy.
Unfortunately, a destructive proposal before Congress misleadingly named the "Railway Safety Act" (RSA), part of broader surface transportation reauthorization, threatens great harm to our railroads.
Simply put, the bill has nothing to do with improving safety, but has a lot to do with advancing the political agenda of Big Labor. At a moment when inflation burdens American families and fragile supply chains remain vulnerable to disruption, the last thing our economy or rail sector need is another costly federal mandate imposed upon one of the nation’s most important transportation sectors.
As an initial matter, as noted by The Wall Street Journal, the…[more]
“Lost Hospitals, Lost Health Care Services, Lost Jobs…It’s Time to Fully Repeal the Tennessee CON.”
NASHVILLE, TN – Today, the Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF) launched a new digital advertisement in the Knoxville media market as part of its ongoing campaign calling for full repeal of Tennessee’s Certificate of Need (CON) laws. The advertisement highlights how the state’s CON laws have cost Tennessee communities additional hospitals and health care services, as well as hundreds of millions in direct economic investment, along with the untold numbers of jobs that would have resulted from such investment.
“Tennessee’s CON laws have prevented up to 63 additional hospitals from being built across the state, including as many as 25 in rural areas, which desperately need them,” said Jeff Mazzella, President of CFIF, referencing a recent report by the Beacon Center for Tennessee that looked at the impact of the state’s CON laws over the last 20 years.
Tennessee’s CON laws empower a board of unelected bureaucrats to deny new health care facilities and services across the state, restricting access to the high-quality health care on which Tennesseans depend. In 2021, the state legislature made progress by reforming the state’s CON laws. CFIF is urging the legislature to finish the job and fully repeal the state’s remaining CON requirements.
“A whopping 5.5 million Tennesseans have been denied increased access to health care services and Tennessee’s communities have lost over $700 million dollars in direct investment as a result of the state’s CON laws,” Mazzella continued. “That is unacceptable. It’s time for lawmakers to fully repeal Tennessee’s remaining CON laws once and for all.”
"As home values skyrocket, taxpayers grow increasingly frustrated with 'dinner table issues' such as confidence in a secure financial future and anxiety over 'affordability.' Republican-led states enjoy budget surpluses, as a new trend of eliminating property taxes is emerging in red states.On Tuesday, the Florida State Legislature approved a November ballot measure that would abolish property taxes…[more]
