Maryland’s legislature enacted a new education finance system in 2002. It provides for $1.3 billion annually in additional school funding, and targets this increase to districts with lower wealth and more high-need students. Maryland is one of the first states to reform its school finance system based on the cost of providing every student with the opportunity to achieve the state’s achievement standards.… Read More
New Mexico’s school funding formula has long been considered one of the most equalized in the nation. A state will tend to have more equalized funding when several conditions apply: a) the state takes on a larger share of the funding (as opposed to when individual school districts raise the majority of funds through property taxes); b) states target their funding to poorer districts, and; c) states take into account regional differences in the cost of education (for instance, it is more expensive to educate a child in New York City than in Plattsburgh.)… Read More
Connecticut’s legislature authorized an IDA program in June 2000, through Public Act 00-192. The state Department of Labor manages a reserve fund of both state funds and private sector contributions, and certifies publicly and privately financed programs. Corporations that contribute to the state fund receive tax credits from the state. Donations to IDAs operated by non-profits are tax deductible. Community organizations administer the programs. Financial institutions provide accounts with no minimum balance or monthly fees, at least a market rate of interest, and assistance with the financial education aspects of the programs.… Read More
During the 1980’s farm crisis the idea of a supply management system for agriculture was proposed by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. Bill Alexander (D-AK). In 1985 they introduced the Farm Policy Reform Act(S.1083). Title I of the Act required the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct referendums (in 1985, 1989, 1993, and 1997) to determine by majority vote if a mandatory supply management program should be in effect for the succeeding four-year program period. If the referendum failed, the Secretary would determine the farm program for the succeeding four-year period.… Read More
This Iowa county has a two-pronged policy approach to encourage the production and use of locally grown organic food. First, there is a property tax rebate for farmers who convert from conventional to organic farming practices. The second approach is a mandate that the County purchase locally grown organic food through its food service contractor.… Read More
To meet its goal of replacing 10 percent of its fuel needs with ethanol, in the late 1980s Minnesota instituted a producer payment program of 20¢/gallon on up to 15 million gallons of ethanol per year for a maximum of 10 years. The payment is limited to in-state producers, and the small scale requirement has resulted in the formation of nearly a dozen farmer-owned ethanol processing cooperatives. Minnesota-based ethanol plants, especially coops, benefit the state economy by spending more of their money on raw materials inside the state, and by keeping more of their profits and dividends inside the state.… Read More
In 2002, Missouri enacted two incentive programs that will promote in-state, cooperatively-owned biofuels production. Targeted at increasing homegrown production of ethanol and biodiesel, the five year incentive programs provide grants to producers that are at least fifty-one percent owned by agricultural producers actively engaged in agricultural production for commercial purposes in the state. Ethanol incentives include a payment of 20 cents per gallon for the first 12.5 million gallons and 5 cents per gallon for the next 12.5 million gallons. Biodiesel incentives are 30 cents per gallon for up to 15 million gallons of production.… Read More
In March 2002, Minnesota enacted the nation’s first biodiesel mandate that would require nearly all diesel fuel sold in the state contain at least 2 percent biodiesel by 2005 (earlier if certain conditions are met). Biodiesel is a fuel additive derived from animal fats or plant oil, typically soybeans. Proponents of the biodiesel requirement argue it would be a boon for the state’s farmers and improve the state’s use of alternative fuels. The new law isn’t perfect but a good model for other state’s to work from. The law could be strengthened by adding a provision to require the mandate to be met through biodiesel production from farmer-owned cooperatives.… Read More
In May 2001 the Colorado legislature passed HB 1086, which created the Agriculture Value-Added Development Board within the Department of Agriculture. The Board makes grants, loans and loan guarantees, and equity investments, and also offers tax credits to eligible agricultural value-added cooperatives. The tax credit is available for members of eligible agriculture value-added cooperatives in an amount equal to the lesser of 50 percent of the member’s investment or$15,000, up to a maximum amount per project of $1,500,000 (these are the same limits as the Missouri tax credit). $4 million is available for tax credits on an annual basis.… Read More