On Thursday, 10 large public university systems announced plans to offer MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Course, through the for-profit Coursera. The list includes: Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Tennessee and West Virginia. The offerings differ widely from state to state, but the emphasis on MOOCs continues to grow.

The Department of Health and Human Services on May 15 released a highly anticipated proposed rule for allocating cuts to hospitals that handle a disproportionate share of uninsured patients. The cuts were included in the Affordable Care Act—called the ACA—as a way to compensate for the cost of expanded coverage. While the big news was that the department chose not to penalize states that have opted out of expanding Medicaid programs, the scale and scope of the proposed cuts ultimately will weigh on policymakers in all 50 states for years to come.

All women should be screened for diabetes after 24 weeks of pregnancy, whether they are exhibiting any symptoms or not, according to the latest draft recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on May 28.  

The Task Force reached the recommendation after study of the latest comparative effectiveness review. The draft recommendation reverses a 2008 finding that there was insufficient evidence to recommend for or against routine screening.

The new recommendation can provide state policymakers leverage to add a requirement to screen for gestational diabetes to public health and Medicaid prenatal care programs.

                On Tuesday the North Carolina House Education Committee voted 27-21 to allow for a plan to allow low-income children to attend private schools.

According to a report by the State Higher Education Executive Officers, total education revenue per Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) in public higher education from 2007 to 2012 is 7.9% lower than in 2007 and 1.6% lower than in 2011.

As an increase in subsidized student loan interest rates from 3.4% to 6.8% is looming, the amount of student debt continues to increase.  

For Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, the decision to take the federal government up on expanding Medicaid just made sense.

“By expanding Medicaid just slightly beyond what Arizona voters have twice mandated at the polls, we can draw down nearly $8 billion of our own tax dollars from the federal government,” she said.

Since the federal government will cover individuals earning up to 138 percent of federal poverty level, Brewer said that influx of money will cover costs the state was incurring as people without health insurance sought care in emergency rooms—the least affordable option.

It is an oft repeated truism that "states are the laboratories of democracy." It is also undeniable that tax policies often engender some of the most heated debate with passions running high on both sides. As battles between President Obama and House Republicans have shown, arguments about taxes reflect much more than mere budgetary math and "appropriate rates." It also touches upon political philosophy/ideology, notions of fairness and differing economic theories. But this battle isn't just taking place at the federal level- it is also raging in the states.