56th Annual Spring Symposium Program

Schedule is subject to change.

Thursday, May 7, 2026

Time

Function

8:50 AM – 9:00 AM

Welcome

9:00 AM – 10:15 AM

Session #1 (75min): 

THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL: IMPACTS & IMPLICATIONS (Panel Session)

Moderator:
Andy Duehren, New York Times

Panelists:
Drew Lyon, Economist
William Gale, Brookings Institution
Chye-Ching Huang, The Tax Law Center at NYU Law
Erin Towery, University of Georgia 
Jared Walczak, Tax Foundation

10:15 AM – 10:30 AM

Break

10:30 AM – 11:45 AM

Session #2 (75min): 

CHANGING TAX AND TRANSFER PROGRAMS AND FAMILY WELLBEING

Shared Parenting and Divided Policy
Maria Cancian, Georgetown University
Molly Costanzo, University of Wisconsin

Evidence from Baby’s First Years
Hema Shah, Duke University

Title Forthcoming
Laura Dague, Texas A&M University

How we Move Forward from OBBBA to Support Families
Elaine Maag, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
Margot Crandall-Hollick, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center (co-author)

11:45 AM – 12:00 PM

PRESENTATION OF THE DAVIE-DAVIS AWARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE TO JAMES MACKIE
Presented by John McClelland, Congressional Budget Office

12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

What is left of the Tax Reform Act of 1986: Implications for Future Tax Policy 
Alan J. Auerbach, Professor of the Graduate School in the Department of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley

12:45 PM – 2:00 PM

Lunch

2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Session #3 (90min): 

TAXING THE EMERGING ECONOMY: INNOVATIONS IN STATE AND LOCAL TAXATION

Tax and Incentive Environments for Data Center Investment in 15 Leading and Emerging States
Caroline Sallee, EY
Ian Chin, EY (co-author)
Alex Rosaen, EY (co-author)

 

Tax Incentive Evaluation: Georgia Data Center Sales & Use Tax Exemption
Tommie L. Shepherd, University of Georgia
Jessie S. Justice, University of Georgia (co-author)

 

From Monopoly to Market: A Policy Analysis of Washington DC’s Sports Betting Evolution and Regional Competitiveness
Geng Yi, DC Office of the Chief Financial Officer

 

Pros and Cons of Cannabis Taxes
Richard Auxier, Maryland Department of Budget and Management

Discussants: 
Norton Francis
Zhong Jin, DC Office of the Chief Financial Officer

3:30 PM – 3:45 PM

Break

3:45 PM – 5:15 PM

Session #4 (90min): 

FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY AND REVENUE-BASED SOLUTIONS (Panel Session)

Moderator:
Cathy Koch, Peter G. Peterson Foundation

Panelists:
William Beach, The Fiscal Lab on Capitol Hill
Martha Gimbel, The Budget Lab at Yale
Louise Sheiner, Brookings Institution
Kent Smetters, Penn-Wharton Budget Model

5:15 PM – 6:30 PM

Welcome Reception

Friday, May 8, 2026

8:45 AM – 9:00 AM

Welcome

9:00 AM – 10:15 AM

Session #5 (75min): 

TARIFFS ARE DEAD, LONG LIVE TARIFFS

The Origination Clause And The President’s Tariffs
Shu-Yi Oei, Duke University
Susan Morse, University of Texas at Austin (co-author)
Diane Ring, Boston College (co-author)

 

Did Foreigners Pay America’s Tariffs? Quantity Discounts, Scale Economies and Incomplete Pass-Through
Sharat Ganapati, Georgetown University
Colin Hottman,  Federal Reserve Board (co-author)

 

Understanding the Gap Between Actual and Statutory Tariff Rates Under the Recent Tariff Regime
John Iselin, The Budget Lab at Yale
Abhi Gupta, The Budget Lab at Yale (co-author)
John Ricco, The Budget Lab at Yale (co-author)

10:15 AM – 10:30 AM

Break

10:30 AM – 11:45 AM

Session #6 (75min):

ADAPTING TAX POLICY TO A CHANGING LABOR MARKET

Moderator:
Kim Rueben, Economist

Modeling the Labor Implications of the Energy Transition
Rob Williams, University of Maryland and Resources for the Future
Marc Hafstead, Resources for the Future (co-author)

The Effect of Low-Skill Immigration Restrictions on US Firms and Workers: Evidence from a Randomized Lottery
Michael Clemens, George Mason University

AI and the Economy
Nathan Goldschlag, Economic Innovation Group

11:45 AM – 12:30 PM

How Academic Research Informs Economic and Budget Analysis Used by the US Congress
Jeffrey Kling, Congressional Budget Office 
Heidi Williams, Dartmouth College

12:30 PM – 1:45 PM

Lunch

1:45 PM – 3:00 PM

Session #7 (75min): Innovations in Tax Administration

Panelists:
Kevin Amerehsani, Colorado Governor’s Office
Marita Sciarrotta, New Jersey Department of the Treasury
Vishal Baloria, University of Connecticut
Gabriel Zucker, Center for Taxpayer Rights

3:00 PM – 3:15 PM

Break

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM

Session #8 (75min): U.S. Fiscal Federalism: A Changing Landscape?

Moderator:
Fitzroy Lee, DC Office of the Chief Financial Officer

Panelists:
Peter Bluestone, Georgia State University
Amy Gill, Pennsylvania Department of Revenue
Justin Theal, Pew Charitable Trusts
Sally Wallace, EY