<ul> <li><a href="http://www.usaspending.org/">USASpending.org</a>—the federal government’s new searchable database providing information about all federal grant and contract spending above $25,000—is launched. This year’s Coburn-Obama Act required the creation of the database.</li> <li><a href="http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2007/12/house-passes-re.html"> House of Representatives votes 226-193</a> to pass a one-year revenue-neutral AMT patch, which would increase taxes in other areas. White House issues a <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/legislative/sap/110-1/hr4351sap-h.pdf"> veto threat</a>.</li> <li>Oregon Supreme Court orders that the official summary of a proposed referendum that would require voter approval for tax increases is misleading and must be rewritten. <em><a href="http://www.publications.ojd.state.or.us/S55264.htm"> Wolf v. Myers</a></em>.</li> <li>The <a href="http://www.lincolninst.edu/pubs/PubDetail.aspx?pubid=1308">Lincoln Institute of Land Policy reviews</a> recent efforts to reduce reliance on local property taxes for school funding and cautions against swapping property taxes for greater reliance on state funding or sales taxes.</li> <li><a href="http://services.taxanalysts.com/taxbase/tbnews.nsf/Go?OpenAgent&2007+STT+241-21"> Wyoming proposes</a> raising the beer tax from 2 cents per liter to 6.5 cents per liter, with the money funding substance abuse programs.</li> </ul>
