Republican lawmakers introduced an amendment Thursday that would apply the Hyde Amendment to the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill. “Unfortunately, House Democrats did not include Hyde Protections in the $1.9 trillion reconciliation bill,” Republicans Reps. Jackie Walorski, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and Virginia Foxx said in a statement. Lawmakers have previously quarreled over COVID funds going to abortion groups. In May, Republicans accused Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of removing protections in her $3 trillion coronavirus bill preventing cash flow to Planned Parenthood. Republican lawmakers introduced an amendment Thursday that would apply the Hyde Amendment to the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill. The amendment to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 prohibits the gigantic relief bill from using any federal funds for abortions. The bill is more than twice as large as the stimulus plan produced during the Great Recession and almost half the cost of the United … [Read more...] about Democrats Removed Pro-Life Protections From Massive COVID Bill, GOP Lawmakers Say
Loan repayment
No bribes or cities named “Amazon”: Colorado’s pitch to get the next headquarters touts incentives that could exceed $100M
There were no promises to create a Colorado city called Amazon. There were no bribes from the state like the 21-foot cactus an Arizona city sent to get the massive retailer to build a second headquarters there. And there was no way Colorado was going to touch one state’s lavish offer of $7 billion in public incentives. Colorado, which doesn’t plan to ask taxpayers for more funding to lure Amazon, on Wednesday submitted a more subdued proposal that state officials hope will attract a new employer and bring up to 50,000 jobs to the Denver region. The state emailed the official bid a day before Amazon’s deadline, as well as mailed five paper copies overnight to the Seattle retailer’s headquarters. “Colorado’s proposal does not lead with incentives. It leads with talent,” said Sam Bailey, who led the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp. in working with the state to submit the official bid. “Ultimately, 50,000 jobs shouldn’t be led with incentives but a community that has the … [Read more...] about No bribes or cities named “Amazon”: Colorado’s pitch to get the next headquarters touts incentives that could exceed $100M
Colorado wants more precision in economic development incentives
The Colorado Economic Development Commission approved a new scoring matrix for its popular Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit program, one designed to more precisely target state incentive awards. “It aligns incentives with the benefits to Colorado,” Jeff Kraft, director of business funding and incentives at Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, said Thursday at the commission’s monthly meeting. Under the JGITC program, employers make a request listing the number of new jobs they plan to provide in Colorado versus another state. If they create those jobs, they can claim a rebate on a portion of the payroll taxes paid during an eight-year window. The program has brought thousands of high-paying jobs to the state since the last recession and kept Colorado competitive with more deeply endowed states in its recruiting efforts. For some, the state’s efforts are looking a little too successful, creating congested classrooms, crowded roads and housing … [Read more...] about Colorado wants more precision in economic development incentives
Why college costs soared as more students enrolled
By John Thelin , Special to The Washington Post Today’s college students and recent alumni often look wistfully to the 1960s. By today’s standards, the price of a college education at the time was amazingly low. A student applying to a state university that charged no tuition had total annual expenses ranging from $1,100 to $1,500, or the equivalent today of $9,460 to $12,900. By contrast, today’s state university students typically spend $30,000 per year on tuition and expenses. Even at elite private colleges, tuition in 1963 was a mere $1,760 — the equivalent today of $14,500 for tuition. That pales in comparison to what actual students pay in 2018: about $55,000 to $60,000 per year for an Ivy League undergraduate. But the situation for students looking to go to college in the 1960s wasn’t all good. While the decade witnessed an explosion in the number of young Americans who were able to go to college — the percentage of high school graduates continuing to a college … [Read more...] about Why college costs soared as more students enrolled
