Not rendering correctly? View this email as a web page here.

Connecting today’s news with the research & opinion you need.

Follow the Money

What to Know: Billionaire investor Carl Ichan is leaving New York for Florida—a state without a state income tax.

The TPPF Take: Ichan, like other high-income earners in high-tax states, will save millions on taxes after the move.

“While most taxpayers in New York—and every other state—saw their overall taxes decline as a result of the 2017 tax cut, some wealthy taxpayers in high tax states like New York and California saw a far smaller tax cut or, in a few cases, a tax increase,” says TPPF’s Chuck DeVore. “That’s because the federal tax code no longer provides a generous subsidy—through unlimited state and local tax deductions.”

Mindful of Knowing How to Read

What to Know: One Austin school is spending money (and space) to build a “mindfulness room,” with “yoga mats, sensory activities and places to relax…” and putting “different scents and soft materials into the room to help students focus on the present.”

The TPPF Take: Austin schools need to focus on their core duties.

"For years, families have fled Austin public schools because they haven't been doing their job,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “Schools exist to teach students to read, write and do math. Not to engage in social engineering nor advance an agenda. Austin ISD needs to get back to the basics."

Drug Pricing Plan

What to Know: Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg has released a plan he says will lower the price of medicines. Like the Democrats’ plan announced last month, it relies on price controls.

The TPPF Take: Buttigieg’s plan won’t lower prices.

“Price fixing and pricing caps have done more to inflate costs in healthcare than to help patients achieve more affordability,” says TPPF’s David Balat. “Direct pharmacy or direct dispensing by physicians, on the other hand, have resulted in low-cost medications that are affordable and typically less than a copay.”