Archive: Federalism

  • Statement of Principles on States’ Dependence on Federal Funds January 15, 2014

    Statement of Principles on States’ Dependence on Federal Funds Summary This statement of principles highlights the common practice of relying on federal funds to bolster a state’s general revenue for programs, and encourages legislators to evaluate the risk of an unexpected decrease in federal funding and agencies to prepare contingency plans to continue operations. Statement of Principles States must come to grips with the possibility that federal funding assumed by the state’s budget may decrease or be eliminated as federal budget priorities and tax revenues change.  Without careful planning, states that rely too heavily on federal funds may become unable […]

  • Resolution to Reduce the State’s Dependence on Federal Funds January 15, 2014

    Resolution to Reduce the State’s Dependence on Federal Funds Summary Increasingly, states are relying to a greater degree on federal grants and subsidies to cover programs in the states’ budget.  Gridlock in Congress, however, has put the reliability of those funds in jeopardy, risking the possibility that states may budget for federal funds that never arrive.  In order to ensure the continuation of state programs and minimize disruption in the event of a federal appropriations lapse, states must reduce their dependence on federal funds for day-to-day operations. Model Resolution WHEREAS, the Legislature of the state declares that the nation’s fiscal […]

  • Federal Funds Commission Act January 15, 2014

    Federal Funds Commission Act Summary This bill creates the Federal Funds Commission to study and make recommendations on federal funding in a state’s budget, assess risks of a significant loss of federal funding, and contingency plans for continued services from the state in the event of a reduction of federal assistance. Model Policy {Title, Enacting Clause, etc.}   Section 1. This Act may be cited as the Federal Funds Commission Act. Section 2. {Definitions.}   (A) “Commission” means the {insert state} Federal Funds Commission. Section 3. {Commission Creation and Members.} (A) There is created an advisory commission known as the Federal […]

  • Checks and Balances in Government Amendment January 15, 2014

    Checks and Balances in Government Amendment Article 1 Title. This article is known as the “Checks and Balances in Government Amendment.” Article 2 Denial of State Personnel and Resources to Unconstitutional Acts. A.  The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land to which all government, state and federal, is subject. B.  To protect the people’s freedom and to preserve the checks and balances of the United States Constitution, this state may exercise its sovereign authority to restrict the actions of its personnel and the use of its financial resources to purposes that are consistent with […]

  • Resolution Concerning EPA Proposed Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards for New and Existing Fossil-Fueled Power Plants January 15, 2014

    Resolution Concerning EPA Proposed Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards for New and Existing Fossil-Fueled Power Plants Summary: This resolution establishes a state’s responsibility for establishing emission standards and recognizes EPA’s responsibility for establishing guidelines which, when done properly, will lead to cost effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions without requiring units retirement or a curtailment of operations. This resolution is meant to be a template made up of a series of factual statements (“WHEREAS” clauses) and actions statements (“RESOLVED”) clauses, for each state to review after which the state can select the clauses that best reflect the state’s individual priorities while […]

  • Resolution in Response to EPA’s Plan to Regulate Greenhouse Gases under the Clean Air Act January 15, 2014

    Resolution in Response to EPA’s Plan to Regulate Greenhouse Gases under the Clean Air Act WHEREAS, the President has directed EPA to issue regulations setting greenhouse gas emission New Source Performance Standards for new power plants and for modified, reconstructed, and existing power plants under the Clean Air Act; and WHEREAS, EPA has proposed regulations for greenhouse gases from new fossil fueled power plants and has announced its intention to issue proposed regulations for existing fossil fueled power plants by June 1, 2014; and WHEREAS, the U.S. Supreme Court has recently decided to review whether the EPA has the authority […]

  • Resolution Demanding that Congress Convey Title of Federal Public Lands to the States January 1, 2014

    Resolution Demanding that Congress Convey Title of Federal Public Lands to the States Summary This resolution urges the US federal government to extinguish title and government jurisdiction over public lands that are held in trust by the US federal government and convey title and jurisdiction to willing states in which the federal public lands are located as was promised in congressional resolutions in 1780, the Land Ordinance of 1784 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, among others.  Currently, huge swaths (over 50 percent) of the land in our nation’s western states are controlled by the federal government making it impossible […]

  • Compact for America: Balanced Budget Amendment January 1, 2014

    Compact for America: Balanced Budget Amendment Summary The Compact for America initiative condenses four state legislative acts (the Article V application, delegate appointment, prohibition on an invalid convention conducted without authority, ratification) into one legislative act – the Compact for America.  The Compact itself would ultimately unite the 38 signing states into proposing, voting on and ratifying a Balanced Budget Amendment at a convention and appoints all delegates for the signing states, defines the convention rules, and prohibits any signing state from ratifying or participating in any convention that disregarded its state-assigned agenda.  The Compact is designed to give the […]

  • Resolution in Opposition to a Carbon Tax October 11, 2013

    Resolution in Opposition to a Carbon Tax Summary This resolution highlights the important role that energy independence plays in U.S. national security, and that access to electricity is both an imperative for Americans’ well-being and for economic growth.  A carbon tax would have an immediate consequence of increased prices for gasoline and electricity with a costly impact on low-income families and businesses alike.  Such a tax would also be inconsistent with ALEC’s Principles of Taxation, because it would use the tax code as a means of manipulating consumer choices.  For these reasons, the resolution concludes that ALEC should oppose a […]

  • Resolution to Oppose the Multistate Tax Commission’s Effort to Rewrite the Uniform Division of Income for Tax Purposes Act March 15, 2013

    Resolution to Oppose the Multistate Tax Commission’s Effort to Rewrite the Uniform Division of Income for Tax Purposes Act Summary This resolution opposes the effort being undertaken by the Multistate Tax Commission (MTC) to rewrite the Uniform Division of Income for Tax Purposes Act (UDITPA). This resolution recognizes that state tax competition and the fundamental right of states to design their own tax structures to reflect the unique nature of their geographical, cultural, and political climates weighs against the Multistate Tax Commission’s effort to develop a uniform approach to taxing income. Further, this resolution recognizes that Multistate Tax Commission is […]