Asbury Park Press--NJ Property Taxes: Will federal tax bill spark property tax reform?
Before the last property tax prepayments reached the coffers of local municipalities last week, fresh discussion had begun anew on how to solve New Jersey's never-ending property tax dilemma.
Elected officials, think tanks and academics all agree that renewed attention is being paid to New Jersey's sky-high property taxes, in light of the tax overhaul's sharp new limitations on housing-related deductions.
But they said it remains to be seen if the upcoming $10,000 cap on federal tax deductions for local property taxes will be enough to spark real reform — for long at the top of the list of New Jersey voters' concerns. Shore residents flooded local tax collectors' offices last week, looking to get ahead of the new limitations,
Austin Bogues, @AustinBogues Published 6:00 a.m. ET Jan. 1, 2018 | Updated 1:35 p.m. ET Jan. 2, 2018
Education Week--Trump, Congress, and Education in 2018: Eight Big Questions
There's plenty of suspense heading into President Donald Trump's second year in office when it comes to education, and some big issues on the horizon for the GOP-controlled Congress as well.
What will be the fate of the U.S. Department of Education's budget? Will U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos get to applaud any new school choice initiative? And will Congress prevent hundreds of thousands of "Dreamers" from being deported?
Here's a rundown of what to watch for in Washington over the next 12 months when it comes to K-12:
Will the Education Department get a $9.2 billion cut?
Way back in the spring, Trump proposed slashing the Education Department's roughly $68 billion budget by $9.2 billion. He put some key programs on the chopping block, including Title II, a $2 billion program that helps states train teachers and reduce class size, as well as the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, a $1.1 billion after-school and summer learning program.
It looks like the cut to the after-school program isn't happening, since bills in both the House and Senate keep the program in place. But Title II is more of a cliffhanger. The Senate kept the program intact, but the House voted to kill it. And there are other programs that could be eliminated or cut drastically.
Lawmakers might pass a final fiscal 2018 budget this month, so we may get some answers soon. And whatever Congress passes will impact the 2018-19 school year.
Alyson Klein on January 1, 2018 2:45 PM