Lunch Links: Gambling Not Fixing State Budgets, Florida vs. California, States Battle Colorado Marijuana Legalization

Today is April 28, the anniversary of the “Dog Tax War”—Maoris announcing that they would resist New Zealand taxes.

• Gambling at the Track Not Paying Off for States’ Budget Problems: Between 2008 and 2015, state government tax and fee revenue from new casinos grew $1.3 billion in states with new casinos but declined $1.4 billion in states with established casinos, for a net decline of 1.5 percent nationally. (New York Post; Rockefeller Institute)
• Senator Wyden Releases Proposed Changes to Cost Recovery: My colleague Alex Durante details what’s in the plan. (Tax Foundation)
• Florida Gov. Scott Tries to Poach Jobs from California: The Palm Beach Post compares the two states on key metrics. (Palm Beach Post)
• Nebraska and Oklahoma’s New Tactic to Overturn Marijuana Legalization: After being rejected by the Supreme Court last month, the two states are intervening in another case to get courts to halt Colorado’s legalized program. (Denver Post)
• Kansas Groups Call for an End to State’s ‘Failed Tax Experiment’: Rejecting the Governor’s three options for closing the $290 million budget gap, the groups are promoting Option 4: rolling back the $200 million-a-year pass-through exclusion and other income tax cuts. Meanwhile, data shows that the tax advantage shifted income from Missouri to Kansas. (Kansas City Star)
• Study: Federal Regs Cost Economy $4 Trillion in One Year: “The Mercatus report does not single out the Obama administration but spreads blame across all presidential administrations since 1980.” (The Hill; Mercatus Center)
• Nine Social Security Myths You Shouldn’t Believe: The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget says that Social Security is paying out $70 billion more in benefits than it receives in taxes and that simple solutions won’t cover the growing gap. (CRFB)
• Two Rights, Wrong Policy: “To justify putting everyone’s tax information in the public domain, the case must be made that it is the best way to achieve a greater good. That case is not compelling enough. A simpler code and more resources for the tax authorities are better ways to reduce tax-dodging than nosy neighbours and social shaming.” (The Economist)