Every Wednesday, The Ferguson Group blog will be posting a series of articles published over the previous week that discuss topics of interest to local governments. Learn about emerging trends and keep up on key policy issues by browsing the TFG Wednesday News Roundup!
House Committee to Take Up Municipal Bonds
The House Ways and Means Committee began their push for tax reforms, as lawmakers quarrel with the decision on whether states and local governments should be able to issue tax-exempt municipal bonds that, if taxed, could generate up to $40 million in new revenue by some estimates. Read More…
Small U.S. Airports Face Tower Closures
Due to recent budget cuts at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), many small airports throughout the country may be forced to close their air traffic control towers. The FAA has assured passengers that safety will not be compromised as a result of the closed towers. Read More…
Senators Expect Clear Path for Water Bill
With strong bipartisan support on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senators believe the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) will soon be ready for the chamber floor. Read More…
Dueling Budget Plans: How the House and Senate Proposals Stack Up on Main Street
Democrats and Republicans have released their budget plans, however the approaches differ greatly, particularly on tax issues. Both parties would like to close various tax loopholes, but Democrats would like to use the added revenue to feed into the federal budget rather than cancel out lower rates for high-income earners and corporations. Read More…
Tax Credits or Spending? Labels, but in Congress, Fighting Words
Whether projects are funded by federal grant money or tax credits does not make much of a difference to taxpayers, however, in Congress it makes all the difference. However, threatening to take away a tax break often means starting a fight with a powerful interest group. Read More…
Senate Gun Bill Won’t Include Assault Weapons Ban
This week the Senate dropped the controversial assault weapons ban from its comprehensive gun reform bill. Although this change will likely make gun reform easier to pass in the Senate, the bill faces a long road to the House. Read More…
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