SPN News November/December 2011 Newsletter Updates
Published on Tuesday, December 20, 2011
SPN NEWS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
ALASKA
The Alaska Policy Forum has urged the Anchorage School District, the state's largest school district, to abandon its current math curriculum in favor of one that achieves better results. Education fellow David Boyle debated the District's assistant superintendent on Alaska Public Radio. The District also recently adopted a fraud, waste and abuse policy on the recommendation of the Forum. Finally, during the latest public employee campaign - which sought to increase waste-water utility employee wages by 15 percent, the Alaska Policy Forum enabled the public to review current salaries of these public employees through its online database. Daily traffic on the website spiked as much as 800 percent. alaskapolicyforum.org
ARIZONA
Goldwater Institute's latest investigative report, "Money for Nothing: Phoenix Taxpayers Foot the Bill for Union Work," found that Phoenix spends
$3.7 million a year on salary and benefits for city employees to work exclusively for labor unions. The report was a central issue in a contested mayor's race, with both candidates saying the practice of "release time" must be stopped. This practice is common in union contracts nationwide and is ripe for investigative reporters to examine. Voters in Cave Creek, Ariz., thought they had a deal when they approved school bonds for new buildings. But a few years later, the school district tried to spend the money on something else. Goldwater challenged the move as a violation of the contracts clause and a judge agreed. Arizona now joins four other states in recognizing bond elections create contracts between governments and voters.
goldwaterinstitute.org
ARKANSAS
Recently, Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel came in for strong criticism from the media, lawmakers and Advance Arkansas Institute for his practice of spending millions of dollars in public money from class action settlements - held in trust by his office - on pet charities and self-promotional films. McDaniel's response to criticisms: "Frankly, I haven't found them to be very well-founded." But after AAI research revealed hundreds of thousands of settlement dollars were spent in ways that couldn't be squared with the related court orders, McDaniel revised his policy in October. As part of this revision, he ended charitable donations from settlement monies and required nearly 90 percent of the $8.6 million his office held in trust to be distributed within 120 days directly to consumers or state government budgets. AAI led the charge for reform; McDaniel's praiseworthy decision is a victory for Arkansas taxpayers and limited government.
advancearkansas.org
One generation of students has passed through the Arkansas public school system since 1998 when the Arkansas Policy Foundation recommended letter grades for each K-12 district. Education status quo defenders ignored the recommendation, so the Foundation hired university professors to produce four annual reports (2004-2007) that issued letter grades to districts. The reports recommended school choice for students in failing districts. Four years later, the state Department of Education released its own numbers-based report grading Arkansas schools. The report found the Little Rock School District - the state's largest - has half of Arkansas' failing schools. It also noted that most charter schools meet or exceed standards. The Foundation noted in a release that three districts that received "F" grades in its reports earned state marks high enough to preclude students and parents from using a public school choice option. arkansaspolicyfoundation.org
CALIFORNIA
The Pacific Research Institute hosts its Annual Gala Dinner Nov. 30 in San Francisco. This year's keynote speaker, The Honorable Judge Andrew Napolitano, presents "Reflections on Current Conditions." PRI's Environmental Trends website (EnvironmentalTrends.org) has received national attention over the last several months. Coauthors Brian Steed and Richard Yonk, who wrote the issue brief "The Economic Cost of Wilderness" have both testified on their research before Congress and on wilderness policy to a sub-committee of the U.S. House of Representatives in October. Blogs, "charticles," videos (website visitors can manipulate the data) and issue briefs are posted daily. This interactive website tracks environmental progress fully into the 21st century of real-time analysis and commentary as it explores the nature and sources of environmental progress, affirming the central roles of markets, technology and human creativity in solving the environmental challenges of our time. pacificresearch.org
COLORADO
If it's an election year, it must be time for a tax increase, right? Well, maybe not! In 2011, Colorado was the only state to have a job-killing tax increase on its ballot, Proposition 103. Jon Caldara and the Institute went to work to find a way to illustrate how devastating this proposition would be to Coloradans if it passed. Caldara came up with the idea of holding a press conference and setting up a "domino toppling" to illustrate the true cost of Prop 103. He invited Robert Speca, five-time world record holder in toppling dominoes, to Golden. Speca set up an elaborate 5,500 domino design, each representing two jobs that would be lost for a total of 11,000 jobs. To share in the fun, visit YouTube.com and search "Independence Institute Prop 103". For the record, Prop 103 was defeated by nearly a 2:1 margin. i2i.org
CONNECTICUT
According to new Yankee Institute research on Connecticut's taxpayer-funded elections scheme, taxpayers provided $26 million to fund state political campaigns in 2010, including three out of every four dollars spent on state legislative campaigns. An Incumbent Protection Act? You be the judge: Just one challenger candidate - who opted out of taxpayer-funded campaigns - won election to the 187-seat Legislature. In October Yankee marked the unhappy birthday of Connecticut's state income tax, now 20-years old, noting that the state has experienced zero net new private sector job creation in those two decades. On a happier note, more than 200 Connecticut conservatives turned out to hear The Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol in November, Yankee's biggest event ever. yankeeinstitute.org
DELAWARE
Caesar Rodney Institute scored a major victory in the battle for transparency of government purchase contracts. The City of Dover entered into a 20-year contract for the construction of a major solar (PVA) facility to meet legislated levels of electrical power to be purchased from "renewable" sources. Efforts to obtain an un-redacted copy of the contract with the vendor were refused on a provision in the contract that required the City to protect the vendor's trade secrets, including pricing. CRI pursued this issue by engaging an attorney to challenge this position, which ultimately required an appeal to the Delaware Attorney General for a ruling demanding the release of the contract. The appeal was accepted by the AG and an order was issued to produce the requested document. CRI is fully committed to litigating when government stonewalling is evident. caesarrodney.org
FLORIDA
Foundation for Government Accountability research has found that start-up businesses are Florida's top job creators. From 2005 to 2009 Florida start-ups created more than 690,000 jobs in the Sunshine State. In 2005 alone, start-ups launched that year created 254,000 new Florida jobs. Seven in 10 of those jobs remain today. To educate policymakers and the public about the need for policies to promote these job creators, FGA is launching the Start-Up Florida initiative. Among the projects Start-Up Florida will undertake are an in-depth look at: industries that create the most jobs, whether the size of the start-up matters, and the cost of bureaucratic delays that keep start-ups from opening shop and hiring their first employees. To achieve meaningful economic recovery in a state hit hard by the recession, policymakers must be mindful of real world facts. Start-Up Florida is the education initiative needed for economic development and real job growth. floridafga.org
The James Madison Institute is bustling, closing out 2011 and preparing for an early legislative session in 2012. The presses are rolling full steam with voter opinion polls regarding public sector pension benefits and defensive medicine; policy briefs on digital learning, public pension reform and interstate compacts; and white papers on higher education funding and medical malpractice reform. On the national policy front, JMI president Bob McClure served as a panelist for The Heritage Foundation's pre-GOP presidential debate luncheon in Tampa, and JMI scholars James Taylor, Eli Lehrer, Bill Mattox and Francisco Gonzalez participated in CPAC-Florida panels. For the younger demographic, Madison Movie Nights resumed with screenings of "The Cartel" and "Waiting for Superman," and during Celebrate Freedom Week, JMI expanded the distribution of its supplemental News in Education curriculum "Celebrate Freedom" to more than 130,000 Florida students in over 15 major cities. jamesmadison.org
GEORGIA
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson and Georgia Public Policy Foundation board members from as early as 1991 were among 400 supporters who attended the Foundation's 20th Anniversary Celebration and Freedom Award Dinner in October. The event honored board chairman Rogers Wade. In an interesting juxtaposition of events, the retrospective of 20 years of "Policy over Politics" at the celebration came just three weeks after the Foundation's second annual, and increasingly popular, Georgia Legislative Policy Briefing. The daylong briefing educated nearly 300 legislators, policymakers and Georgians on practical, market-based policies in a look ahead to the 2012 legislative session. Gov. Rick Perry addressed the group on the successes of Texas. Tax reform, health care, transportation, criminal justice and digital education - which were among the topics tackled at the briefing - are the focus for 2012 as the Foundation continues "Changing Georgia Policy, Changing Georgians' Lives." gppf.org
IDAHO
The Idaho Freedom Foundation is busy fighting an Idaho proposal to create a government health insurance exchange. At a legislative committee hearing in October, a dozen groups told lawmakers that the state should move ahead with a government health insurance exchange. The Idaho Freedom Foundation was the only group to supply testimony against the proposal and in support of free markets. The Freedom Foundation also hosted the American Legislative Exchange Council's Christie Herrera and the Cato Institute's Michael Cannon for luncheons and workshops on why government-run insurance exchanges are bad public policy and how everyday Idahoans can argue against them. IFF also launched a new and improved website this October to better highlight its public policy efforts. Before the end of the year, the Foundation's improved government transparency and government accountability website will go live. idahofreedom.net
ILLINOIS
The Illinois Policy Institute recently reached a fundraising milestone by raising $1 million more to date this year than all of 2010. The Institute is actively supporting a repeal of the affiliate nexus law. As part of this project, the Institute developed a short video to urge its repeal and presented it at a press conference with State Rep. Dave Winters, and Brian Littleton, president of ShareASale. Also, the Institute worked with U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Illinois to develop and send a letter to Gov. Pat Quinn and leaders of the Illinois Legislature. The letter strongly urged them to enact meaningful pension reform and not to pursue a federal bailout of Illinois' massive unfunded pension liabilities. It was signed by 19 members of Congress. Lastly, the Institute was honored to win a 2011 Templeton Freedom Award in the category of Innovative New Media for its 2010 Illinois Turnaround Tour New Media Campaign.
illinoispolicy.org
INDIANA
Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D., began a new column for the Indiana Policy Review Foundation the fourth quarter of this year. An economist with a journalistic bent and classical liberal leanings, Bohanon is part of a successful outstate media strategy that focuses on op-ed pages and the leading blogs. Even though the two largest newspapers in the state are hostile to a limited-government message, the Foundation records more than a million page impressions and blog hits a month. inpolicy.org
IOWA
Public Interest Institute had a busy summer, releasing several new policy studies. Institute president Dr. Don Racheter authored "The Benefits of Broadband: Connecting Iowa to the 21st Century Economy." Research analyst Deborah
D. Thornton wrote two studies on education: "Monopolizing and Derailing the Education Freedom Train" and "We Must Find Common Ground, Children's Lives are Wasting." Research analyst John Hendrickson continued his series on President Harding's administration, with "The Harding-Coolidge Path to Prosperity: What Policymakers Can Learn From the 1920s to Solve the Budget Crisis and Create a Sound Economy." The Institute also published two studies by guest authors: "Environmental Utopia: What Would Life be Like If the Environmentalists Were in Charge?" by Marita Noon of Citizens' Alliance for Responsible Energy, and "Replace the Job Killing Corporate Tax with a Border-Adjusted Consumption Tax," by Tom Pauken, chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission. limitedgovernment.org
KANSAS
More important than any development goals achieved, Kansas Policy Institute's annual dinner earlier this fall gave
Gov. Sam Brownback the platform from which to push for lower state tax rates and - ultimately - for the elimination of the state income tax. KPI has talked about the importance of lower state tax rates for several years. That foundational work has created an atmosphere in which legislators and much of the public understand the only way for Kansas to stop losing population and jobs is to allow entrepreneurs the freedom to innovate and put people to work. With little help coming from Washington, D.C., it is clear Kansas should follow the example of those states with the lowest tax burdens and let taxpayers keep more of their own money. This dinner was only the latest effort in an ongoing fight to make this dream a reality. kansaspolicy.org
KENTUCKY
Stop by the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions' new website at bipps.org and watch the short video highlighting its focus and mission. Jim Waters, vice president of communications, presented a new speech, "Seven Pillars of Freedom," around the commonwealth. The speech is based on the founding principles of the Bluegrass Institute, but is getting terrific feedback from policymakers and liberty groups. The Institute's "Rewarding Failure" report, released earlier in the year, seeks to show the evaluation process for superintendents in Kentucky schools is being rubber-stamped and often rewards leadership - even as students fail. Since the release, the Institute has noticed the McCreary County School Board completed an evaluation of its superintendent that factored in student performance. The year before, student performance was not even mentioned in the evaluation.
LOUISIANA
Statewide elections were held in Louisiana this fall, and the Pelican Institute was hard at work educating voters on the important issues at play. Institute reporter Kevin Mooney focused on the most contentious issue of the election season, education reform. His reporting called into question many of the arguments advanced by the unions opposed to Gov. Bobby Jindal's reforms. The Institute also published an in-depth look at how school boards, unions and legislators collaborated to create a retire-rehire program for teachers that will cost the state billions. The report has caused waves at the capitol, and Institute president Kevin Kane appeared on several radio programs around the state to discuss its implications. In December, the Institute will be holding its first Legislative Policy Orientation for the Louisiana Legislature. More information is available at LouisianaPolicy.org. pelicaninstitute.org
MARYLAND
The Calvert Institute's monograph, "Prohibition in Maryland," has gone into a second printing and is available from the Institute at info@calvertinstitute
.org for $15 or from amazon
.com. It was the subject of a
Sept. 12 article in the Maryland Daily Record. calvertinstitute.org
The Maryland Public Policy Institute hosted the inaugural Charles Carroll of Carrollton Award Dinner in September, and the event was a success. Many of the Institute's loyal supporters attended, not only to celebrate the Institute's 10th anniversary, but also to present Baltimore radio icon Ron Smith, host of "The Ron Smith Show," with the Charles Carroll of Carrollton Award. The award honors his success in promoting economic freedom throughout Maryland. In other news, the Institute released a breakthrough policy report, "The Maryland Virtual Cyber Academy," authored by Dan Lips. The report notes that Maryland has an historic opportunity to become the first state in the nation to offer online cyber-security education. Creating a cyber-security academy in Maryland offers the rarest of opportunities: a true win-win. Both Maryland and the nation would be well-served.
mdpolicy.org
MASSACHUSETTS
The Pioneer Institute is leading the charge to bring digital learning to Massachusetts. On Nov. 16, Khan Academy founder Sal Khan is the honoree at the Institute's annual Lovett C. Peters Lecture in Public Policy. Khan has produced 2,500 popular instructional videos, which have received 80 million views from around the world. In December, Pioneer will host a public forum on digital education in America featuring Julie Young, CEO of Florida Virtual School, and Paul Peterson, Ph.D., Director of the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard. This fall, Pioneer is releasing The Great Experiment, a book on federal and state health care reform efforts, with contributions from Harvard Medical School Dean Jeffrey Flier, AEI resident fellow Tom Miller and other national experts. The book will delineate the proper government roles, as well as the role of markets, in working toward the goal of affordable, high-quality care. pioneerinstitute.org
MICHIGAN
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder highlighted a Nov. 14 Evening with the Mackinac Center in Lansing. More than 600 people attended the event at which Daniels discussed Indiana's policy successes that Michigan could emulate. "The Online Learning Revolution" was the theme of a series of public panel discussions the Mackinac Center for Public Policy hosted around the state. Hundreds attended or watched the live simulcast of the panels organized by director of education policy Michael Van Beek. Labor policy director Paul Kersey launched a searchable online database containing every unionized government employee contract from Michigan's 83 counties and 28 largest municipalities. Taxpayers can use the database to examine their own local government employees and compare them to neighboring or similar communities. Kyle Jackson and Lindsey Dodge recently joined the Center as education policy analyst and assistant editor, respectively. mackinac.org
MINNESOTA
Center of the American Experiment major events have included the 2011 Fall Briefing with former Gov. Jeb Bush; a luncheon forum with Prof. Tim Groseclose on his new book, "Left Turn: How Liberal Media Bias Distorts the American Mind"; and a roundtable by senior fellow Peter Bell at the Capitol in St. Paul about "Legislative End Games: What Deals and Trade-Offs Should Conservatives Seek When Compromising Next Time?" Recent Center publications include a National Review article, "Crime, Punishment, and Rehabilitation," by president Mitch Pearlstein, drawing on his new book, From Family Collapse to America's Decline. Newspaper columns were also published about an exceptional Minneapolis charter school serving low-income students, by Katherine Kersten; on how the goal of transparency in ballot disclosure laws can conflict with First Amendment protections, by Peter Nelson; and on the importance of mining in northern Minnesota, by Kent Kaiser.
americanexperiement.org
Ethan Dean survived four tours of duty as a U.S. advisor in Iraq, but met his match when battling his city hall. Last January, Dean contacted the Freedom Foundation of Minnesota's investigative reporter Tom Steward and told him of his fight over a controversial Winona ordinance that limits the number of rental properties to 30 percent of the residences per block in the college community. Over 70 percent of the properties on Dean's block were grandfathered in when the law took effect - which occurred prior to his purchase of his residence - so he had no choice but to leave his home empty while serving his country. Steward contacted the Institute for Justice- Minnesota chapter; it recently went to court to fight for Dean's property rights. "We are thrilled to have IJ partner with us to fight this ordinance that has spread to several other Minnesota communities," said FFM CEO Annette Meeks. freedomfoundationofminnesota.com
MISSISSIPPI
The associate dean of journalism at the University of Mississippi called the Mississippi Center for Public Policy's website, SeeTheSpending
.org, "a near-miraculous step forward in state and county government transparency." Using special software paid for by MCPP, almost all of the state's 82 counties have complied with the Center's request for an electronic version of their checkbook registers, which are searchable by vendor name, category of spending or department on SeeTheSpending.org.
As part of its Leading Toward Liberty campaign, MCPP created a policy playbook for the new governor, new lieutenant governor, new Speaker of the House and state legislators. MCPP presented the playbook at a policy seminar for legislators following the Nov. 8
legislative elections. The seminar featured Maurice McTigue of the Mercatus Center, Virginia Walden Ford of D.C. Parents for School Choice, Matthew Ladner of the Goldwater Institute and others. mspolicy.org
MISSOURI
Show-Me Institute policy analysts Audrey Spalding and Patrick Ishmael have been active in pointing out that Aerotropolis, the proposal to give tax credits to encourage an international cargo hub at St. Louis' Lambert Airport, would be a bad deal for Missouri taxpayers. They have explained that massive tax credits for new warehouse construction makes no sense with adequate warehouse space already available. In addition, no serious feasibility study was conducted and no guarantees were secured from the Chinese for the so-called "China Hub." Thanks in no small part to the Show-Me Institute, the bill that originally called for almost a half-billion dollars in tax credits was reduced, first to $360 million, then all the way down to $60 million. Even then, the bill stalled in the state legislature in the special session called by Gov. Jay Nixon. showmeinstitute.org
MONTANA
Improving the Montana state budget so the state is off of the federal dole, growing Montana's economy and meeting the demand for taxpayer and activist education: these will be the three pillars supporting Montana Policy Institute's agenda to put the "Treasure" back in the Treasure State with the Institute's Tapping Capitalism program. Anti-business policies have exported jobs and people for too long while neighboring states have thrived. It's time to restore a climate for prosperity in the state by showing how free people and free enterprise can change lives and allow people to reach their potentials. Institute representatives will be traveling the state in the coming months introducing the plan to restore Montana as a place where its kids can have good jobs, raise their families and restore the American Dream. Tapping Capitalism will show the way. montanapolicy.org
NEBRASKA
The Platte Institute has been a vocal supporter of the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline. The Institute released a policy brief, "The Keystone XL Oil Pipeline: True Facts," to dispel the many myths and misconceptions regarding the project. Platte executive director John McCollister testified in favor of the pipeline at State Department hearings in Lincoln and Atkinson (Neb.), and Washington, D.C. In October, the Platte Institute hosted Bob Williams, president of State Budget Solutions, to discuss national labor issues. Williams noted that although Nebraska's pension system is faring better than other states, there is still substantial room for improvement. platteinstitute.org
NEVADA
The Nevada Policy Research Institute is pleased to announce that Andy Matthews is its new president. Formerly NPRI's vice president of operations and communications, Matthews takes over for Sharon Rossie, who remains with NPRI as a consultant. Rossie served as NPRI's president for five years. Under her leadership, NPRI was one of the fastest growing SPN think tanks, expanding from three employees to 12. NPRI also saw its influence with lawmakers and media increase dramatically. The transition demonstrated NPRI's internal strength and stability, as Rossie and Matthews had worked closely together for several years to build NPRI. More than 350 people gathered to hear Stephen Moore speak at NPRI's 20th Anniversary Celebration. In November, NPRI released a study on Nevada's Public Employees' Retirement System. The report earned print, radio and TV coverage around the state. npri.org
NEW MEXICO
The Rio Grande Foundation welcomed the Hispanic Leadership Network Conference to Albuquerque in September. Along with luminaries like New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Foundation president Paul Gessing spoke to the large group of attendees about the state's education struggles and the need for reform. In continuing the push for education reform, Gessing addressed the more than 100 attendees of a panel discussion on education reform. In a unique, transpartisan effort, the Rio Grande Foundation and Drug Policy Alliance held an event called "Left and Right on Criminal Justice Reform." Marc Levin of the Texas Public Policy Foundation spoke along with several experts and legislators from both sides of the aisle. The focus of discussion was finding agreement on reforms that will result in money savings, increased safety and fairer results for everyone. riograndefoundation.org
NEW YORK
The Empire Center for New York State Policy released the second in its much-anticipated series of migration studies. "Out Bound New Yorkers" follows the exodus of taxpayers from New York to see which states gained at New York's loss. It found that one-third of total outmigration was to Florida, while another 30 percent moved to New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. The study also found that taxpayers who left New York had average incomes 22 percent higher than those moving into the state. The Center also released an updated version of its popular transparency website, SeeThroughNY.net. The new site includes a redesigned database that runs queries and returns results faster, an includes new interactive features and advanced search options. empirecenter.org
NORTH CAROLINA
The Drudge Report highlighted two polls by the Civitas Institute showing a significant drop in President Obama's job approval rating among North Carolina voters, and also support for candidate Herman Cain in a potential matchup against Obama. Targeting citizens with a message of limited government and personal responsibility, the Institute's Facebook page recently grew to over 10,000 fans. Brian Balfour brought his Free Market Academy workshop to a high school in Fayetteville, N.C. Through discussion and a series of interactive activities during the workshop, AP Government students learned economic principles and gained a better understanding of why economic liberty is the superior means of creating prosperity. In order to prepare citizen activists, campaign workers and candidates for the election in 2012, Civitas Campaign Training sessions will begin in January.nccivitas.org
The nation's No. 1 talk-radio host recently spotlighted the John Locke Foundation when he quoted directly from a Carolina Journal cover story. Rush Limbaugh alerted his nationwide audience to CJ research revealing that President Obama's jobs plan promotes public sector jobs that would last for a single year. Media outlets across the country picked up the story. The American Legislative Exchange Council used it as the basis for an "issue alert." Within North Carolina, a letter from JLF's Daren Bakst helped prompt state election officials to block so-called matching funds for candidates participating in Chapel Hill's municipal elections. JLF research linking rising North Carolina high school graduation rates to growth in community college remedial work prompted defensive rebuttals from top state education officials. Researchers also examined energy efficiency, the state supreme court and local sales tax referendums.
johnlocke.org
OREGON
Targeted educational events were the focus of Cascade Policy Institute over the past few months. In September, Cascade's Steve Buckstein partnered with the Cato Institute's Michael Cannon on a health care symposium attended by legislators, physicians, medical administrators and insurance industry executives. In October, Cascade's Christina Martin hosted a policy summit on unemployment insurance reform for business leaders and elected officials. Keynote speakers for this event were Christian Zimmerman from the Federal Reserve and Stephane Pallage from the University of Quebec. In November, Tom Palmer, Ph.D., was the keynote speaker at a "Morality of Capitalism" book forum, cosponsored by the Atlas Network. In addition, Cascade also offered three "Policy Picnics" on transportation, entitlement reform and "Occupy Portland or Understand Capitalism?" led by Cascade staff. John Charles was also a keynote speaker at the American Dream Coalition conference held in Vancouver, Wash. cascadepolicy.org
PENNSYLVANIA
Let kids learn, let jobs grow and let freedom drink. These were the missions of the Commonwealth Foundation as it undertook a bold new public affairs campaign to move the legislative needle forward on the issues of school choice, fighting a job-killing punitive tax on natural gas drillers and freeing the state from its total monopoly control over the sale of wine and spirits. From the land (legislative and grassroots outreach), see (television and policy reports), air (radio and telephone calls) and cyberspace (LetFreedomDrink.com and social media), CF made certain Pennsylvania politicians were hearing that taxpayers have reached their boiling point and aren't going to take it anymore. As of deadline, the Pennsylvania Senate was poised to pass a landmark education reform package that would rescue 82,000 children from the state's most violent and failing schools by empowering parents with choice. commonwealthfoundation.org
SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina's state budget has always been a product of the legislature, with lawmakers, not the governor, dominating almost the entire budget process. The consequences have been predictable: notoriously wasteful spending, duplication of services, budgets full of favors for well-connected companies and lack of transparency throughout the budget process. South Carolina Policy Council recently released a report showing that state law mandates a completely different budget process. Not only does the law require the governor to write a detailed spending plan for the entire state - it also requires the legislature to hold joint open hearings on the executive budget. Political activists have started asking their representatives and senators tough questions, and the news media has started realizing that the state law's budget process hasn't been followed at any time in recent state history and the significance of that fact. Follow this story and others on TheNerve.org and scpolicycouncil.com.
TENNESSEE
The newly rebranded Beacon Center of Tennessee, founded as the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, is leading the charges to roll back the state death tax and to bring school choice to low-income parents and children. Both initiatives will be key topics during the 2012 legislative session. The Center is also crafting proposals to bring fiscal responsibility to the state, including an effort to determine the impact of new legislation on the private sector, which was endorsed by Lt. Gov. Ron
Ramsey. The Center recently released its much-anticipated annual "Business-Friendly Cities Report," ranking the state's 50 most populous cities by their friendliness to business. The Beacon Center recently welcomed Jim Ethier to its board of directors. Ethier is chairman and former CEO of Bush Brothers & Co., the Fortune 500 company that makes the world famous Bush's Baked Beans. beacontn.org
TEXAS
On Oct. 21, the Texas Public Policy Foundation hosted a tribute to former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm, the first time he has agreed to be honored since his retirement in 2003. Current
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey and U.S. House Republican Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling shared their favorite Gramm memories, while Gramm regaled the audience with lessons from his life in public service. The Foundation has partnered with Salem Broadcasting on a national campaign to raise awareness of the threats to America's economic growth and quality of life posed by an out-of-control
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Foundation has added Thomas Lindsay, Ph.D., former provost of Seton Hall University, as director of its Center for Higher Education and former California assemblyman Chuck DeVore as visiting senior fellow in its Center for Fiscal Policy.
texaspolicy.com
UTAH
Sutherland Institute cohosted the Mountain West Immigration Summit on Oct. 26 in Salt Lake City. The summit featured speakers and panelists from across the country discussing the complex immigration issues facing Western states. Sutherland president Paul Mero led a panel discussion about immigrants and the faith community. Sutherland played a significant role in promoting the Utah Compact and guiding the Utah Legislature to passage of H.B. 116,
a comprehensive immigration solution requiring accountability from undocumented immigrants already residing in Utah, while allowing them to continue living and working in the state. Other states, including Georgia, have passed enforcement-only bills, with devastating effects on families and economies. Uvalda Mayor Paul Bridges spoke of the destructive impact of Georgia's bill on his town. The summit called on Mountain West states to form a common-sense consensus to solve immigration challenges appropriately.
sutherlandinstitute.org
VIRGINIA
While Virginia's digital-learning law scored well in a recent analysis by the Digital Learning Council, funding provisions need significant improvement. That's why the Thomas Jefferson Institute released a new paper, "Students Without Borders," outlining the pitfalls of current funding and offering a new mechanism for adequately funding online schools. The Institute's Bacon's Rebellion e-zine is renamed The Jefferson Policy Journal and continues to be received by 17,000 Virginia opinion leaders. There are also plans to expand the subscriber numbers and scope of its articles. Advanced broadband access is key to economic growth; that's the subject of a new study called "Connecting Virginia" that outlines the need to encourage private investment in broadband communications for rural communities. Jefferson Institute president Mike Thompson spoke on transportation reform at the 2011 Small Business Summit at George Mason University. thomasjeffersoninst.org
WASHINGTON
The Freedom Foundation's Constitutional Law Center filed a new lawsuit in federal court defending the rights of individuals to display political signs on their property; it also appealed a lower court ruling that allows governors to hide public documents behind a wall of executive privilege. Freedom Foundation published "Education 2.0," a catalogue of innovative digital-learning programs from around the world, to spark the imagination of parents and lawmakers related to what can be achieved through technology and individual choice. The Foundation also released a new pension report from AEI scholar Andrew Biggs, and the state Pension Funding Council has taken steps to lower the discount rate assumed for pension investments: a first step toward resolving Washington's pension-funding crisis. And the Foundation's Student Freedom Project launched new student clubs on three of Washington's largest university campuses.myfreedomfoundation.org
"That was an incredible event last night. If there is another organization like yours around the country, I sure have not seen it," Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said after Washington Policy Center's Annual Dinner in October. Daniels and John Bolton addressed more than 1,500 people live in Bellevue, Wash., and via simulcast to Spokane. That night, WPC also honored Matt McIlwain, a local venture capitalist who helped defeat a state income tax initiative in 2010. In August, WPC published "Eco-Fads: How the Rise of Trendy Environmentalism is Harming the Environment." Authored by WPC environmental director Todd Myers, "Eco-Fads" has received rave reviews in Forbes and National Review, and has been discussed on both Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. Myers is on a national book tour, speaking with members of Congress, The Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Heartland Institute and SPN groups. In September, WPC held its biennial Statewide Small Business Conference, at which hundreds of small business owners made recommendations for improving Washington's business climate. WPC will present these recommendations to lawmakers in January. washingtonpolicy.org
WYOMING
Wyoming Liberty Group used a postcard to announce its November event, "Lawmakers Struggle with Obamacare," with a cartoon on one side and a message on the other side. The message read, "Each year, Wyoming gets $1.2 billion from the federal government to help pay for government programs - but there are strings attached. Wyoming must pay at least $240 million to comply with all the federal regulations that come with this funding. ‘Free' money comes with even greater costs. It pushes Wyoming spending up and hooks it to programs it won't be able to pay for when that funding disappears. It leaves a legacy of debt and higher taxes for our children and grandchildren. Let's say ‘thanks, but no thanks' to federal aid. It's time for Wyoming to run its own programs." wyliberty.org
SPN ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Upon defeat of collective bargaining reform in Ohio, the 1851 Center will spearhead a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment, the Ohio Workplace Freedom Amendment, to permit public and private sector employees to avoid political assessments and opt out of compulsory unionism. If sufficient signatures are gathered, this amendment will appear on the November 2012 ballot. If passed, it would become the 22nd Section in Ohio's Bill of Rights (the 1851 Center recently wrote and advanced the 21st: the Health Care Freedom Amendment). Further, Ohio would be the first Midwestern state - and traditional union stronghold - to enact "right to work" measures: an effort likely to have a domino effect in other states. For Ohioans, the amendment means freedom of choice, higher incomes, more jobs and a reining in of the disproportionately negative political influence of union leadership. ohioconstitution.org
The Allegheny Institute released a study debunking the concept of a consolidated regional transit agency in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The report finds significant roadblocks from legacy costs, differing compensation rates and work rules among existing agencies. The report concludes that even if these impediments were overcome, the resulting agency would have per-passenger costs higher than those in Philadelphia. The Institute has paid close attention to Duquesne School District's pitiful academic results and exorbitant costs. Four years after the state closed the high school, scores in the elementary school have remained very poor. In a report, the Institute makes the case for closing the school and giving vouchers to remaining students. Recent comments from Department of Education officials in Harrisburg indicate this will be the last year for students to attend Duquesne schools. The Institute's recommendations seem to be gaining traction. alleghenyinstitute.org
American Tradition Institute's economic analysis of Ohio's Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard gained some traction as state Sen. Kris Jordan cited the research as justification for a bill repealing the mandate. Coverage of both the legislation and the research were featured in major media outlets throughout the state, and the response from state environmental activist groups was enthusiastic in its opposition to Jordan's bill. ATI executive director Paul Chesser's op-ed about the AEPS - on the heels of Gov. John Kasich's Energy and Economic Development Summit in Columbus - was published by the Akron Beacon-Journal. ATI science and technology director Tom Tanton attended the summit at the request of the governor's office. atinstitute.org
Americans for Tax Reform has produced analysis and assessments for GOP presidential candidates. Its take on Rick Perry's flat tax, Hermain Cain's 9-9-9 plan, as well as the respective plans of Mitt Romney and John Huntsman, can be found on its website, ATR.org. In addition, ATR has been dedicated to the tax issues being taken up by the Congressional "supercomittee." ATR has urged the committee to drop consideration of any tax proposals and instead to focus on Washington's overspending problem: the original charge of the committee. To the extent the committee may deal with taxes, ATR continues to insist on no net tax hikes. On the energy front, ATR continues to push back against stifling regulations and to push forward on opening up America's energy resources. atr.org
America's Future Foundation celebrated its 15th anniversary in style with a gala at the Arts Club of Washington on Sept. 15. The September roundtable focused on the challenges of nonprofit and business entrepreneurs, and the October roundtable featured top analysts discussing the best way forward in tax policy. In addition, Doublethink magazine added exciting new pieces, and the Chicago chapter hosted events with Bob Chitester and Deirdre McCloskey. americasfuture.org
Tom Palmer is speaking around the U.S. about the Atlas Network's new book, The Morality of Capitalism, and distributing 100,000 copies to students and think tank audiences. If you'd like to schedule Palmer to speak in 2012, Atlas will cover his travel expenses and provide complimentary books for all attendees. Is your organization interested in developing or marketing a Smartphone app? Atlas is offering $10,000 matching grants to U.S. and Canadian think tanks to partner with Prometheus Institute to develop new apps, as well as marketing grants for existing apps to engage more users. In November, Atlas released Judy Shelton's book, Fixing the Dollar Now, earning praise from Larry Kudlow, William Kristol and U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint. Learn more at SoundMoneyProject.org and visit Amazon to order your hard copy or Kindle version. Email
Matt.Warner@atlasnetwork.org for more information about these opportunities or visit atlasnetwork.org
The Cato Institute is wrapping up 2011 with two conferences on the global war on drugs, featuring former Presidents Vicente Fox of Mexico and Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil. Cato's Andrew Coulson released a study concluding that taxpayer subsidies to higher education are a net loss to society. A policy analysis by adjunct scholar Shirley Svorny reevaluates the idea of mandatory caps on medical malpractice damages as a way of making health care more affordable. Svorny suggests other policy changes that would decrease government regulation of health care markets and make physicians accountable to their patients, rather than to state medical boards. Cato looks forward to ringing in the New Year with its annual State Health Policy Summit, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Jan. 5-7, 2012. cato.org
On Oct. 10 in Sacramento, Citizens in Charge Foundation hosted the 100th Anniversary Celebration of California's Initiative and Referendum. The Foundation was joined by more than 100 Californians to commemorate the centennial and engage in transpartisan dialogue throughout the day-long forum and early evening reception. The day's festivities would not have been possible without fellow sponsors California Forward and Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Foundation, and cosponsors Arno Political Consultants, Ballotpedia, Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership, The Federalist Society of Sacramento, The Humane Society of the United States, National Voter Outreach, New America Foundation and XS Energy. Panels included: The Impact of a Century of Voter Initiatives, Reforming the Superhighway of Reform and The Next 100 Years. A lunch debate, "Is California's Initiative Process the Problem or the Solution?" was a highlight. Visit our partner organization's Citizen Blog, CitizensInCharge.org/blog, for more information. citizensincharge.org
On Oct. 20, The Claremont Review of Books, published by the Claremont Institute, hosted a conference in Washington, D.C., on the Constitution and our Politics. The morning panel featured a paper on the modern departure from constitutionalism, by John Marini, with Charles Kesler, Bradley Watson and Jean Yarbrough serving as discussants; the afternoon panel featured a paper from James Ceaser on constitutional solutions available, with Yuval Levin, Jeremy Rabkin and Michael Uhlmann as discussants. Matthew Spalding of The Heritage Foundation delivered an address at lunch about the enduring power of first principles in American politics. The conference was made possible by generous support from the Hertog/Simon Fund for Policy Analysis. claremont.org
Competitive Enterprise Institute is offering special "Durbin Dollars" for Americans to show U.S. Sen. Dick
Durbin exactly what they think of the new "Durbin Fee" imposed by banks on checking accounts and debit cards, as a way to recoup revenues lost through Dodd-Frank price controls. Write a note on the back of the bill and send in your Durbin Dollar: http://bit.ly/mWcTgE. CEI is pleased to announce Matthew Patterson was selected as the 2011-2012 Warren T. Brookes Journalism Fellow. Patterson also edits Labor Watch and Greenwatch for the Capital Research Center. View his commentaries at CEI.org/expert/matt-patterson. At the 2011 SPN Annual Meeting, CEI and Crossroads GPS launched WorkplaceChoice
.org/state-map analyzing which states favor organized labor over taxpayers. Many SPN groups are already contributing and have their own sections on the site. To sign up, contact VVernuccio@cei.org. Follow CEI at twitter.com/ceidotorg. Read CEI's blog at Openmarket.org. cei.org
Applications for Foundation for Economic Education's annual summer seminar series will go live Jan. 1, 2012. Point your browsers to FEE.org/seminars for more information, and please pass the word to local high schools, colleges and parents. Marketing materials can be procured by contacting Anna Cuthrell, FEE's director of programs, at acuthrell@fee.org. fee.org
The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity's vice president of strategic initiatives and outreach, Erik Telford, was named one of the "2011 Top 10 Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics." The award, which is sponsored by Politics Online, was awarded to Telford in October in Paris. Telford leads the Franklin Center's new Citizen Watchdog Training Initiative. This program equips citizen journalists from all across the country with the tools, skills and support necessary to provide exposure on issues important to taxpayers. The goal is to provide as many citizens as possible with the resources and knowledge to shine a light on government. franklincenterhq.org
Economic freedom in America has decreased: the United States fell from sixth to 10th place overall in the Fraser Institute's latest survey of global economic freedom. Hong Kong topped the rankings of 141 countries, followed by Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland, Australia and Canada. This year's report shows that the average economic freedom score worldwide fell to its lowest level in nearly three decades. The cornerstones of economic freedom are personal choice, voluntary exchange, freedom to compete and security of private property. The Economic Freedom of the World survey is an annual peer-reviewed report that uses 42 different measures to create an index ranking 141 countries on policies that encourage economic freedom. The full study is available at FraserInstitute.org. To stay abreast of other Fraser Institute research, reports and studies, sign up for Fraser Insight by emailing insight@fraserinstitute.org.
fraserinstitute.org
The Free State Foundation celebrated its fifth anniversary on Oct. 12 at the historic Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. More than 100 attendees enjoyed a gala lunch and special keynote addresses by U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, and U.S. Reps. Marsha Blackburn and Cliff Stearns. Each focused on the adverse impact of excessive FCC regulation in today's dynamic communications environment, as well as the harmful impact of overregulation throughout the American economy. And, looking to the future, scholars Michelle Connolly, Ellen Goodman, Daniel Lyons, Steven Wildman and Christopher Yoo - all members of FSF's Board of Academic Advisors - addressed the need for changes in spectrum policy, public media policy, USF Reform, mass media policy and internet regulation. The event's theme was "Communications Law and Policy in the Digital Age: The Next Five Years." freestatefoundation.org
By the time you read this, it will be mere weeks before Milton Friedman's centennial year. The Free to Choose Network wouldn't want you to miss your opportunity to celebrate the man who embodied a movement. Visit MiltonFriedmansCentury.com today and mark your organization's participation date. Join Free to Choose, Students For Liberty, Reason Foundation, Centro de Investigaciones Economicas, Idaho Freedom Foundation, CEI, Jersusalem Institute for Market Studies and many more. Hold a luncheon. Write an op-ed. Screen "Free To Choose." Do something creative. The Network is trying to get 100 participants by Dec. 31. Why? It wants 2012 to be one big conversation about Friedman and his powerful ideas. Sign up today. You can even mark it TBD and the Network will follow up on details later. Remember: "Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself."
freetochoose.com
The national bestseller, Give Us Liberty: A Tea Party Manifesto, by Dick Armey and Matt Kibbe of FreedomWorks, is now available in paperback. The book provides an inside look at the rise of the Tea Party movement and explores the role it will play in the future of America's political landscape. This edition also features a new foreword by Glenn Beck. Answering the movement's critics with an account of the Tea Party's history and philosophy, Give Us Liberty is written for every American who is ready to stand up to the federal government's unprecedented power. As the national debt soars and as the government struggles to pay for its litany of irresponsible policies - Obamacare, Wall Street sweetheart deals, pork projects and liberals' pet social programs - millions are realizing that America's future has been dangerously compromised. Get your copy today.
freedomworks.org
A recently released paper from the Galen Institute recommends that the Congressional "supercommittee" take first steps toward entitlement reform by building on successful programs like Medicare Part D. You can download the Institute's list of recommendations at Galen.org. The Galen Institute continues its series of conference calls for state leaders, cohosted by the Institute for Policy Innovation and SPN, bringing health reform experts and policymakers together to discuss top issues like Medicaid reform and state exchange programs. Email galen@galen.org to request an invitation. Galen has also partnered with The Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute to produce a series of monthly briefings for Capitol Hill staffers on health policy basics. Health reform will be a hot topic next year as the presidential campaigns gear up. Stay informed by getting your copy of "Why ObamaCare is Wrong for America" today.
The Heartland Institute has partnered - once again - with the Science and Environmental Policy Project and the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change on a report that makes a serious contribution to the global debate about the causes and consequences of climate change. The 430-page "Climate Change Reconsidered: 2011 Interim Report" was coauthored and coedited by three
Ph.D. climate science researchers: Craig D. Idso, Robert M. Carter and
S. Fred Singer. The report states: "We are not saying anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHG) cannot produce some warming or have not in the past. Our conclusion is that the evidence shows they are not playing a substantial role." The book is considered an interim report because it precedes a comprehensive volume scheduled for release in 2013. Each chapter of the book is available in PDF form at The Heartland Institute's website, heartland.org.
The Independent Institute is proud to announce the release of its new book, Financing Failure: A Century of Bailouts, by research fellow Vern McKinley. Using information obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, McKinley reveals new details about the policy decisions behind the massive bailouts and illuminates their connection to special interests and government regulations. He also scrutinizes the decisions made by the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and FDIC during the crisis of the 2000s. Through careful analysis, McKinley vividly shows that the genesis of financial crises has repeatedly been government intervention, be it monetary policy and the New Deal during the 1930s or the political push to expand homeownership that helped cause the current crisis, rather than market failure or deregulation. His timely research and conclusions will have far-reaching impact as economists and historians seek to understand the Great Recession. independent.org
In September, the Institute for Justice celebrated its 20th anniversary with clients, supporters, donors and staff during a weekend-long celebration in Washington, D.C. Friday night's dinner featured George F. Will, John Stossel and Paul Gigot, and IJ presented Prof. Richard Epstein with its first Champion of the Constitution Award Saturday night. Recently, a group of Arizona entrepreneurs proved that you can stand up to government officials to fight for your civil rights - and win. Last June, five threaders challenged the State Board of Cosmetology's requirement that they first obtain a cosmetology license in order to use a single piece of cotton thread to remove facial hair. In October, those threaders joined the Arizona Attorney General's Office in asking a Superior Court judge to sign a consent judgment that will end the litigation and prevent the Board from requiring threaders to become licensed cosmetologists. ij.org
In October, the Institute for Policy Innovation held a Capitol Hill briefing to examine why the Centers for Disease Control is restricting access to an FDA-approved infant meningitis vaccine, highlighting disparities in how government agencies place economic value on human life. In the heat of the Ponzi scheme debate, IPI's Merrill Matthews appeared on Fox & Friends and in the Wall Street Journal calling for Social Security reform, describing how three Texas counties opted out of Social Security in 1981 and have since prospered. And as Longmont, Colo., moved toward a ballot initiative to provide taxpayer-funded telecommunications services, IPI's Bartlett Cleland released a paper explaining how market-oriented solutions are more efficient and less risky for taxpayers and also warning that adopting the failed model of municipal networks is a mistake, as many cities nationwide can attest. ipi.org
On Nov. 16, The Jesse Helms Center welcomed Robert Lawson, Ph.D., Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business professor, for a lecture entitled "The Economic Health and Wealth of Nations." Lawson spoke as part of the BB&T Program on the Moral Foundations of Free Enterprise, established at Wingate University in 2009. He is the coauthor of the Fraser Institute's annual "Economic Freedom of the World" report. Additionally, Peter Frank, Ph.D., the Jesse Helms Center Free Enterprise Fellow, recently published a white paper, "Research on Reaganomics: Past Contributions and the Future of Economic Policy Growth." The paper primarily examines President Reagan's focus on a supply-side approach to spurring economic growth. To request a copy of this white paper, write Lindsay@jessehelmscenter.org. jessehelmscenter.org
The Leadership Institute is excited to announce its 100,000th student trained. Since 1979, LI has trained conservative activists, students and leaders. Alumni include members of Congress, state legislators, local officials, media personalities and conservative organization leaders. What is your LI story? Please share it with us at LeadershipInstitute.org/ 100000 or email LaurenHart@leadershipinstitute.org. LI is collecting these stories to preserve history and help celebrate the many distinguished conservatives who have benefited from LI trainings. leadershipinstitute.org
In "Trial Lawyers, Inc.: Attorneys General - A Report on the Alliance between State AGs and the Plaintiffs' Bar 2011," the Manhattan Institute's Center for Legal Policy director James
R. Copland explores how this relationship works to the mutual benefit of plaintiffs' lawyers and elected state AGs. State AGs enter into contingency-fee contracts with private plaintiffs' firms, who often rake in windfall fees and, just as often, fill the officials' campaign coffers. Copland cites eight state AGs among the greatest allies to Trial Lawyers, Inc., including those in Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia. The Institute is proud to announce two new senior fellows. Herbert London has joined the Center for the American University and will be a contributing editor of MindingTheCampus.com, and Avik Roy has joined the Center for Medical Progress and will be contributing to the Institute's new blog at MedicalProgressToday
.com. manhattan-institute.org
The Mercatus Center is off to a busy fall. In addition to cohosting a great State Policy Working Group meeting (with State Policy Network and Americans for Tax Reform), discussing pensions with Emily Washington, Michael Allegretti and Jagadeesh Gokhale, Mercatus had two scholars testify in Congress. Matthew Mitchell testified before the House Committee on the Judiciary about state governments' experiences with Balanced Budget Amendments, and Veronique de Rugy testified before the
U.S. House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, about a line-by-line budget review process. Mercatus also released two notable studies: one on institutions and state spending by Matthew Mitchell and Nick Tuszynski, and the other on the impact of internet sales tax by Veronique de Rugy and Adam Thierer. To contact these experts, email Mike Leland at MLeland@gmu.edu.
mercatus.org
Can a union force self-employed individuals to pay union dues? AFSCME and SEIU have
Gov. Mark Dayton's ear, and he has considered using an executive order to force home-based day care providers into unions. Along with other groups, the Minnesota Free Market Institute is educating the public about this move. Don Parmeter, leading the Reinventing Environmentalism project, spent the fall "up Nord," sounding alarms about federal threats to property rights and local control. He drew attention to the EPA's clean water guidance and Obama's Rural Initiative executive order. David Strom poked fun at "green" bankruptcies on Fox News. In a move that connects the two previous issues, the Institute sponsored a forum on how executive orders can undermine legislative authority. Kim Crockett continues to provide testimony to the legislative commission addressing unfunded liabilities in the state's retirement plans. John LaPlante tracks developments in health care and education. mnfreemarketinstitute.org
The Moving Picture Institute is proud to announce that MPI fellow Landon Van Soest's documentary "Good Fortune" recently won an Emmy! The film, which explores how billions in foreign aid hinders - rather than advances - economic development in Africa, won in the news and documentaries category. MPI is also delighted to announce the launch of Choice Media, the newest venture from "The Cartel" director and MPI fellow Bob Bowdon. Choice Media is a nonprofit news service devoted to education reform, breaking stories of waste and corruption as well as educational successes through investigative reporting and video storytelling. Meanwhile, "Battle for Brooklyn" has played in over a dozen cities, continues to receive glowing reviews and is now available for community screenings. Contact rob@thempi.org to arrange screenings, learn about MPI films and recommend rising filmmakers for fellowships and internships. thempi.org
The National Tax Limitation Committee, represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation, was successful in a lawsuit against Obamacare's individual mandate, filed in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The individual mandate was ruled unconstitutional. The Supreme Court will hear the case in March and resolve the issue this session. In California, the NTLC-sponsored Stop Special Interest Money Now initiative easily qualified for 2012 ballot. The initiative, if passed, will prohibit both unions and corporations from using member dues and employee wages for political purposes without express written consent. It will radically change California's political landscape, so expect special interests to pull out all stops to defeat the measure. At the national level, NTLC has been helping House Leadership craft a proper Balanced Budget Amendment design and urging aggressive oversight and trimming of wasteful spending.
limittaxes.com
The Pope Center for Higher Education Policy launched a new website to help alumni of North Carolina universities decide whether to donate to their alma maters. AlumniGuide.org presents alumni with a simple survey that helps them answer the question, "Should I Give?" The survey covers academic rigor, campus politicization, taxpayer funding and university governance. The Alumni Guide also includes a database of information about universities - from graduation rates to academic transparency to student debt - to help alumni see the big picture. The website directs alumni who are disappointed in their universities' decisions to other ways to support higher education, through student groups and reform organizations. Now, it's time to expand. The Pope Center is looking for partner organizations in other states. If your organization is interested in partnering with the Pope Center on Alumni Guide, email Jenna Ashley Robinson at jarobinson@popecenter.org for more information.
popecenter.org
Reason Foundation continues to advocate for free minds and free markets through policy research, cutting-edge print and online journalism. Louisiana recently passed a law authorizing workplace charter schools based in part on a Reason Foundation study. The "Workplace Charter Schools" study, along with the first in a series of policy studies focused on the environment, is available at Reason.org. Reason
.tv's videos covering the Occupy Wall Street protests have received over 600,000 views at YouTube
.com/reasontv and feature GOP presidential candidate and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, businessman Peter Schiff and comedian Remy Munasifi. Reason magazine's December issue, currently on newsstands, questions the do-something mentality of liberal pundits while exploring the hypocrisy of the Occupy Wall Street movement's "bailouts for me, but not thee" attitude.
Earlier this month, the Atlas Network announced that Students For Liberty won the 2011 Templeton Freedom Award for Student Outreach. The Templeton Freedom Awards honor outstanding work by pro-liberty organizations and is one of the most prestigious awards a nonprofit organization dedicated to liberty can receive. The award was given in recognition of the success of the 2011 International SFL Conference at George Washington University, which drew more than 500 attendees from around the world to discuss strategies for promoting liberty on campus and to hear from today's leaders of liberty. It is a tremendous honor for SFL to receive this award, not just for SFL as an organization, but for the growing student movement for liberty as a whole. studentsforliberty.org
Tax Foundation experts have testified or presented on a number of tax-related topics in state capitols, as well as collaborating with SPN groups to provide the latest national perspective and state rankings. Recent events have been on state tax rankings (Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Mexico, Vermont), sales tax holidays (Indiana), federal tax reform (Louisiana), high-earner income taxes (Minnesota), federal tax reform (Idaho, North Carolina), film tax incentives (Oklahoma), estate and inheritance taxes (Pennsylvania) and taxes on services (Wyoming). New studies are on unemployment insurance taxes, candy and soda taxes, local income and sales taxes. A new analysis of seven model firms' tax bills in each state will soon be released. To speak with a Tax Foundation expert or arrange testimony or a presentation, contact Joseph Henchman at Henchman@taxfoundation.org.taxfoundation.org
Young America's Foundation started the school year off with a bang. More than 270 schools participated in YAF's 9/11: Never Forget Project on the 10th Anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. Students who faced roadblocks at Marietta College, NAU and the University of Virginia Law School were highlighted in media outlets including the Drudge Report, Fox News, US News, The Blaze, Human Events and Townhall. Gov. Tim Pawlenty visited the Reagan Ranch near Santa Barbara, Calif., and spoke to a roundtable at the Reagan Ranch Center. The Santa Barbara News-Press covered his visit. YAF began to distribute its new jobs brochure: "10 Reasons Why the Obama Administration's Jobs Policies are Killing Jobs." In connection with the brochure, YAF also founded NoJobs.YAF.org to highlight the most important jobs news from across the country. yaf.org
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