Wayne Winegarden
California
Wayne Winegarden Breaks Down California’s Billionaire Tax on the Ray Appleton Show
PRI Senior Fellow in Business and Economics Wayne Winegarden discusses California’s proposed billionaire tax on the Ray Appleton Show. He examines what the proposal could mean for investment, jobs, and taxpayers, including why a tax aimed at the wealthiest Californians could ultimately affect families across the state.
Business & Economics
You’re Next: New PRI Study Finds Wealth Taxes May Start with Billionaires, But Average Families Could Pay the Price
SACRAMENTO – A new Pacific Research Institute study released today finds that average Californians could ultimately bear significant economic costs from a wealth tax – through fewer job opportunities, weaker income growth and increased fiscal pressure that could eventually reach their own tax bills. The study, “You’re Next: How a ...
California
Making income tax surcharge permanent with Prop. 3 hurts state
Would you move to Florida for $100,000 a year? Because of California’s steeply progressive income tax rates, that’s the question many are asking. For an increasing number of taxpayers, the answer has become yes — which is why Proposition 3 is so consequential. In 2012, voters approved Proposition 30, which ...
Biosimilars
Biosimilars offer NC rare opportunity to save millions without cutting care
As healthcare costs continue to rise, North Carolina lawmakers face a difficult and increasingly ongoing challenge: how to preserve quality health coverage for more than 750,000 teachers, state employees, retirees and their families without asking taxpayers to spend more or patients to pay higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs . . ...
Biosimilars
PBM’s Drug Cut Exceeds the Total Cost of Medicines In Most Other Countries
Another fundamental problem is these comparisons rely on U.S. medicines’ gross (or list) price. But list prices do not account for the complex U.S. drug supply chain, where manufacturers receive only a portion of the gross price and intermediaries, such as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), receive a disproportionate share. As ...
Drug Innovation
Unauthorized GLP-1 Knockoffs Risk Patient Safety and Future Innovation, New PRI Brief Warns
As federal regulators intensify enforcement against companies selling unauthorized knockoffs of blockbuster weight-loss drugs, a new Pacific Research Institute brief warns that the booming GLP-1 knockoff market is creating patient safety risks while undermining future breakthrough medicines. “GLP-1s are among the most promising medical breakthroughs in decades, helping patients struggling ...
Blog
Higher Energy Prices Could Cost Families Over $1,100 in 2026
Californians face a $1,518 increase in energy costs – higher than the $1,120 increase faced by the average U.S. family and much higher than $809 increase New York residents will see.[1]The below map illustrates the estimated increase in annual energy expenditures between 2025 and 2026 should the current elevated prices ...
Blog
Spending Watch
Spending Watch: Stock Market Volatility Is a Growing Threat to California’s Upcoming Budget
Stock Market Volatility Is a Growing Threat to California’s Upcoming Budget Wayne Winegarden March 2026 Warren Buffett famously noted that “when the tide goes out, you discover who’s been swimming naked.” Heeding Buffet’s wisdom, we will soon discover whether Governor Newsom and state legislative leaders are in need of some ...
Blog
Spending Watch
Spending Watch: Californians Will Pay a High Price for Tom Steyer’s “Split-Role” Proposal
Californians Will Pay a High Price for Tom Steyer’s “Split-Role” Proposal Wayne Winegarden March 2026 Gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer supports “a special election to raise corporate taxes in his first year as governor.” Specifically, he favors removing the Proposition 13 tax limitations for commercial properties – an idea referred to ...
Blog
We Should Call February 20th Tariff Liberation Day
This decision will limit one of the Administration’s major anti-growth policies. The immediate benefits will be muted because, also as expected, President Trump is pushing alternate ways to try and raise tariffs. He has announced, under another statute, that he has imposed an across-the-board 15 percent global tariff. The catch ...
Wayne Winegarden Breaks Down California’s Billionaire Tax on the Ray Appleton Show
PRI Senior Fellow in Business and Economics Wayne Winegarden discusses California’s proposed billionaire tax on the Ray Appleton Show. He examines what the proposal could mean for investment, jobs, and taxpayers, including why a tax aimed at the wealthiest Californians could ultimately affect families across the state.
You’re Next: New PRI Study Finds Wealth Taxes May Start with Billionaires, But Average Families Could Pay the Price
SACRAMENTO – A new Pacific Research Institute study released today finds that average Californians could ultimately bear significant economic costs from a wealth tax – through fewer job opportunities, weaker income growth and increased fiscal pressure that could eventually reach their own tax bills. The study, “You’re Next: How a ...
Making income tax surcharge permanent with Prop. 3 hurts state
Would you move to Florida for $100,000 a year? Because of California’s steeply progressive income tax rates, that’s the question many are asking. For an increasing number of taxpayers, the answer has become yes — which is why Proposition 3 is so consequential. In 2012, voters approved Proposition 30, which ...
Biosimilars offer NC rare opportunity to save millions without cutting care
As healthcare costs continue to rise, North Carolina lawmakers face a difficult and increasingly ongoing challenge: how to preserve quality health coverage for more than 750,000 teachers, state employees, retirees and their families without asking taxpayers to spend more or patients to pay higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs . . ...
PBM’s Drug Cut Exceeds the Total Cost of Medicines In Most Other Countries
Another fundamental problem is these comparisons rely on U.S. medicines’ gross (or list) price. But list prices do not account for the complex U.S. drug supply chain, where manufacturers receive only a portion of the gross price and intermediaries, such as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), receive a disproportionate share. As ...
Unauthorized GLP-1 Knockoffs Risk Patient Safety and Future Innovation, New PRI Brief Warns
As federal regulators intensify enforcement against companies selling unauthorized knockoffs of blockbuster weight-loss drugs, a new Pacific Research Institute brief warns that the booming GLP-1 knockoff market is creating patient safety risks while undermining future breakthrough medicines. “GLP-1s are among the most promising medical breakthroughs in decades, helping patients struggling ...
Higher Energy Prices Could Cost Families Over $1,100 in 2026
Californians face a $1,518 increase in energy costs – higher than the $1,120 increase faced by the average U.S. family and much higher than $809 increase New York residents will see.[1]The below map illustrates the estimated increase in annual energy expenditures between 2025 and 2026 should the current elevated prices ...
Spending Watch
Spending Watch: Stock Market Volatility Is a Growing Threat to California’s Upcoming Budget
Stock Market Volatility Is a Growing Threat to California’s Upcoming Budget Wayne Winegarden March 2026 Warren Buffett famously noted that “when the tide goes out, you discover who’s been swimming naked.” Heeding Buffet’s wisdom, we will soon discover whether Governor Newsom and state legislative leaders are in need of some ...
Spending Watch
Spending Watch: Californians Will Pay a High Price for Tom Steyer’s “Split-Role” Proposal
Californians Will Pay a High Price for Tom Steyer’s “Split-Role” Proposal Wayne Winegarden March 2026 Gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer supports “a special election to raise corporate taxes in his first year as governor.” Specifically, he favors removing the Proposition 13 tax limitations for commercial properties – an idea referred to ...
We Should Call February 20th Tariff Liberation Day
This decision will limit one of the Administration’s major anti-growth policies. The immediate benefits will be muted because, also as expected, President Trump is pushing alternate ways to try and raise tariffs. He has announced, under another statute, that he has imposed an across-the-board 15 percent global tariff. The catch ...