From the Competitive Enterprise Institute

California’s Latest Anti-GMO Push

Two years ago, voters in California narrowly defeated Proposition 37, a ballot initiative that would have required labeling of most — but not all — genetically engineered foods (sometimes called bioengineered, genetically modified or GMO). Arguably the most important reason for Prop 37’s defeat was the fact that most newspapers in the state, including all but one major paper, editorialized against the measure. (The sole exception was the San Francisco Chronicle, which did not take a position.)  Anti-technology activists weren’t satisfied, however, so now they’re pushing a bill in the state legislature that would require what a majority of state voters rejected less than two years ago. Fortunately, the Los Angeles Times reprised its role in educating voters about GE food labeling, editorializing against the bill. The editorial is worth the read and I’m not just saying that because it includes several of the points I’ve been making for years…..

Washington, D.C., Imposes One Percent Obamacare Health Insurance Tax

The costs of Obamacare keep rising. The Council of the District of Columbia has imposed a one percent tax on all health insurance policies to pay for costs associated with the Affordable Care Act. The Washington Post reports that this is a first in the nation tax on all health insurance products is needed to cover the costs of D.C.’s health insurance exchange.” (This tax is in addition to the fee of $63 per insured person already imposed nationwide by the Obama administration. Obamacare already contains many other taxes at the federal level, including seven taxes that apply to people that apply to people making less than $250,000 a year.)  The Wall Street Journal notes that D.C.’s new Obamacare tax, which was designed……

Labor/Employment Scorecard Now Includes Votes on David Weil to Head DoL’s Wage and Hour Division

In our scorecard of the United States Senate’s labor and employment votes, CEI’s WorkplaceChoice.org has included voting on the movement of David Weil’s confirmation to be Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor.

Strictly Partisan Confirmation

In vote # 110, a strictly partisan vote of 51-42 on April 28, 2014, the U.S. Senate confirmed controversial professor David Weil to administer the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, which implements such policies as overtime, prevailing wages, family and medical leave, migrant worker programs, and minimum wage. Seven Senators did not vote.

Nuclear Option Controversy

The controversy over Weil’s nomination was inflamed by the nuclear option, a new strong-arm tactic implemented by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for the first time this Congress to prevent filibustering lightning-rod personnel. The nuclear option effectively lowers the vote threshold for approving nominees to a simple Senate majority (51 votes) from the 60 votes previously needed. Thus on vote # 109, the cloture motion to end any filibuster, the same strictly partisan 51-42 vote manifested the deep division on Weil’s propriety.......

Federal Financial Aid Policies Punish Marriage

At the economics website E21, Jared Meyer describes the massive marriage penalties found in student financial aid programs, and how federal financial aid policies discourage marriage:  What is the cost of getting married? When it comes to sending your children to school, it can be in the tens of thousands of dollars. . . Consider Monica (not her real name), the African American mother of two daughters. An immigrant from Cote d’Ivoire, she is an American success story, gaining her citizenship and raising two daughters on her own. One is a college junior, the other a high school senior trying to decide between colleges. Before getting married in July, Monica’s income made her eligible for financial aid which brought her yearly tuition liability to $15,000. If she had not got married, her per-student tuition liability would have likely remained the same, so she would have been responsible for $30,000 a year for both of her daughters combined.  Instead, her daughter’s university wants her to contribute $25,000 for each child because of her new husband’s income. This increase happened even though Monica’s new husband is not the biological or legal father of her daughters, and he has children of his own to support. Cohabitation without marriage pays. If her daughters were to attend the same school, Monica would have to pay an extra $50,000 in college tuition over the course of her daughters’ educations–just because she got married........