State Business Tax Climate Index

The Tax Foundation has issued a survey that rates state tax codes for businesses. The State Business Tax Climate Index (SBCTI) lists New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Ohio, Maine, Kentucky, Nebraska, Iowa and Arkansas as having the "least hospitable" tax environment for businesses. Each state was evaluated on five aspects of its tax system. CNN Money also reports on the story.

Casemaker vs. Fastcase

A few weeks ago, the Ohio State Bar Association announced the addition of New Mexico to the Casemaker Consortium of Bar Associations. Kansas joins the Consortium this week. Kentucky will go active with Casemaker in April 2006 with this content. Casemaker is a free legal resource for Consortium state bar members, where the content of the database is customized for each bar association. This brings the total to twenty-four bar associations that have joined the Casemaker Consortium, where the goal is to include all fifty states.

But, there is competition from Fastcase. The Florida, Iowa, and Louisiana bar associations use Fastcase. And Fastcase shows up in other venues like Boston's Social Law Library, the San Francisco Law Library, the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, the Cincinnati Law Library Association and in the federal government.

To read more see: Web wars: online legal research at the crossroads; Casemaker: Ohio incubates another legal information service; and an evaluation of Fastcase.