Author Archives: matt ohern

JLARC Report on Licensing: Useful, But a Missed Opportunity

As the old saying goes, you find what you look for. And in its examination of occupational licensing in Virginia the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) largely found what it was looking for — inefficiencies and overcharges. Conducting … Continue reading

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Family Incomes Doing Well

Families in the Richmond region saw the rate of their inflation-adjusted incomes having the second fastest growth among all 383 metro areas in the nation. Median household income rose 5.3 percent in the Richmond metro area in 2017 compared with … Continue reading

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Unconventional Vehicles: Two Radically Different Visions

There is no question that personal transportation will undergo significant changes in coming decades. Three such changes will be the advent of affordable electric vehicles, fully autonomous vehicles, and mobility as a service (MaaS) in which people opt to rely … Continue reading

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Obama WOTUS Rule Temporarily Reinstated

A U.S. District Court in South Carolina last month revived President Obama’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule in 26 states (now 23 states due to another decision.) The decision is a temporary setback. This, from the court: “The … Continue reading

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Tax Conformity Alone is Not Enough

When the General Assembly meets in January 2019, it should fully conform Virginia’s tax system to the new federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but it should not stop there.  It should also take immediate steps to reduce the tax … Continue reading

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