As people around the country bring last-minute work on their tax returns to a close today, the House Republican leaders are gearing up for their annual "Tax Freedom" day – a time for denigrating government spending and the taxes that enable the government to provide the services that help support the country. This year, the legislative focus of their Tax Freedom day is likely to be the introduction, on April 18, of legislation to make permanent last year’s $1.35 trillion tax cut, which expires (or "sunsets") at the end of 2010.

The new "super-waiver" legislation proposed in the House is dangerously broad and should be opposed by all nonprofits concerned with social justice.

The FY 2003 Congressional budget plan is probably not going to be a resolution worth keeping.

A new National Priorities Project report highlights the cuts slated for state and local governments under the President’s FY 2003 budget proposal. These cuts will only further complicate matters for the vast majority of states that are already contending with budget crises. For more on the cuts and there state-by-state impact, see the full NPP analysis. The analysis will continue to be updated over the next 2 weeks, and readers are encouraged to check the NPP website if they do not see their program area covered in the analysis and tables.