Expanding Choices with Education Savings Accounts
Some states looking to expand educational choices beyond traditional school vouchers are introducing educations savings accounts (ESAs). Rather than restrict state support to private school tuition, such programs allow parents to use ESA funds for products and services related to educating their children, such as online courses, textbooks and tutoring.

Benefits and Limits of Abuse-Deterrent Painkillers
Abuse of opioid prescription products, meant to reduce pain, is a growing problem in the United States. An emerging approach to combatting such abuse is to offer patients abuse-deterrent drugs. These painkillers are made with special formulas that make them more difficult to chew, liquefy or crush—common methods used to expedite a “high.”

Allowing Voters to Register Online
The biggest trend in election administration in the last few years has been online voter registration. Thirty states and the District of Columbia allow it, with two more teed up to join the crowd. Along the way, state lawmakers have had to answer questions related to the digital divide, costs, politics, security, and whether—and what kind of—legislation is needed to make it work.

States Eye Tax Havens
Six states and the District of Columbia have enacted tax haven laws and five others considered legislation in 2015. Their common goal? To stop the revenue drain that results when multinational corporations avoid paying state income taxes by shifting income earned domestically to low-tax jurisdictions.