SPN News Updates March/April 2007

ARTICLE:

Alabama

The Alabama Policy Institute recently released "Public vs. Private Compensation: A Comparison of Public and Private Compensation in Alabama's Workforce." The report compares wages, job security, benefits, pensions and hours worked between state and private sector employees. It concludes that state employees are paid more than their equivalents in the private sector. Also, API is releasing "Legislative Agenda 2007: Alabama Solutions for Winning the Future - Recommendations to the Governor and State Legislature" for this year's session. The website www.factsonfiction.org continues to inform parents and educators concerning the books their children are reading. On March 8 Newt Gingrich will keynote API's annual Mobile Dinner. API will host a legislative briefing series this spring. Topics in this briefing series include "Transformation of Medicaid" (March 13), "21st Century Civil Justice Reform" (March 20) and "Global Warming-Hype or Science" (April 10). www.alabamapolicy.org

Alaska

The Institute of the North hired research associate Michaela Goertzen for its defense and security program. Michaela will work with senior fellow Mead Treadwell to publish a newsletter focusing on state involvement in homeland security, among other outreach initiatives. The Institute also released results of a survey on the states' role in missile defense that it sent to adjutants general (TAGs) of all 50 states. The report indicates overwhelming agreement among TAGs that the United States needs an effective missile defense system, and is not prepared to deal with an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack. TAGs are also unsatisfied that federal agencies trump the National Guard in developing terrorist attack responses. The report promotes state contingency planning and increased education of state military and policy officials on missile, WMD and EMP threats. The project report can be viewed at www.institutenorth.org.

Arizona

In February the Goldwater Institute went live with a new Spanish-language website, www.institutogoldwater.org. Subscribers can now receive publications and daily policy emails in Spanish or English. Two new reports from the Goldwater Institute are making waves. The first, "Your Tax Dollars at Work: The Implications of Taxpayer-funded Lobbying," examines the growing practice by government bodies of using taxpayer funds to hire lobbyists to promote their own agendas. The report uncovers a shocking statistic-taxpayer-funded lobbyists outnumber legislators in Arizona 10 to 1. The second study, "Putting Arizona Education Reform to the Test: School Choice and Early Education Expansion," examines the relationship between Arizona kindergarten programs and later school achievement. The result: kindergarten programs initially improve learning, but have no measurable impact on test scores by fifth grade. Competition as a result of school choice, however, is shown to yield lasting results. The Goldwater Institute looks forward to two exciting speakers this spring. Political satirist P. J. O'Rourke will speak in Phoenix March 7 and author and comedian Ben Stein visits Tucson April 10. www.goldwaterinstitute.org

Arkansas

A 50 percent reduction in the state grocery tax -- the largest tax cut in Arkansas history - was signed by freshman Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe. The Arkansas Policy Foundation published five memos on the grocery tax since 2002, and the issue was the group's top fiscal priority this year. Noted the Wall Street Journal in a Feb. 13 editorial, "The Arkansas Policy Foundation estimates that a family of four will save $234 a year on grocery bills alone, a significant savings in a state where the average taxpayer shells out $3,088 a year in state and local taxes." In 2005, Beebe, then Arkansas's attorney general, cited Foundation executive director Greg Kaza's economic research in a formal opinion. The Foundation distributes its peer-reviewed research to Arkansas policymakers. www.reformarkansas.org

California

The Pacific Research Institute's education studies department published two major reports recently: "Failing Our Future: The Holes in California's School Accountability System and How to Fix Them" and "California Education Report Card: Index of Leading Education Indicators, Fourth Edition."PRI continues to lead discussion on telecommunication policy with the recent release of "Wi-Fi Waste: The Disaster of Municipal Communication Networks."PRI also welcomes aboard Dr. Vicki Murray and Mr. Thomas Tanton.Dr. Murray is now a senior fellow in education studies for PRI and Mr. Tanton is a fellow in environmental studies. www.pacificresearch.org

Colorado

The Independence Institute has published three papers so far this year.Ben DeGrow's "HB 1072:Empowering Union Leaders, Not Workers," shows how individual workers' right to choose whether they want union representation is under attack in Colorado."A Color Scheme," by Institute campus accountability project director Jessica Corry and research associates (Whitlock, Jones and Powell), reveals how diversity spending at the University of Colorado rises each year without oversight or accountability.Former intern Jennifer Lang recently published a new issue paper for our Center for the American Dream, "New Urban Renewal in Colorado's Front Range," which exposes the real objective of urban renewal.Additionally, the Institute has sponsored four state legislative briefings this year, including discussions on property rights, teachers' unions, sentencing reform and health care reform. www.i2i.org

Connecticut

In February the Yankee Institute for Public Policy detailed how Gov. Jodi Rell's tax "surge" will hurt Connecticut. Last fall Rell ran for office promising lower tax and new jobs in Connecticut to reduce the flight of young people from the state. Now she is proposing a 10 percent increase in the state's income tax to fund the education bureaucracy's failing campaign to improve schools. The Institute has developed a table showing how this $3.4 billion levy, with no plan for accountability, negatively impacts each of town in the state. Yankee executive director Lewis M. Andrews urges SPN members to consider referring to proposed state tax increases as tax "surges." "It's a neat way to play on what liberals say is the wrong course in Iraq - throwing money at a dysfunctional system," he said. www.yankeeinstitute.org

Florida

Opening its 20^th year as Florida's premier free-market think tank, the James Madison Institute looked ahead to the next 20 years in its quarterly journal, featuring articles on emerging issues like the impact of aging Baby Boomers, how the global marketplace affects college education costs, municipal broadband initiatives and more. JMI's top 2007 legislative priorities include tax and spending limits, property tax reform, school vouchers and Medicaid reform. Institute analysts participated in a variety of legislative committee hearings and town hall meetings, and authored white papers and educational materials to encourage beneficial policy initiatives.Hot off the policy press, "Expanding Opportunities for Health Insurance Coverage in Florida," by Mike Bond, Ph.D., prescribes remedies to treat the epidemic of uninsured Americans.In February JMI co-hosted a luncheon in Boca Raton with the Federalist Leadership Center featuring syndicated writer and FOX News commentator Robert Novak. www.jamesmadison.org

Georgia

Research and testimony from the Georgia Public Policy Foundation's Holly Robinson is spurring on legislators who are considering charter systems, career academies and special needs scholarships patterned after Florida's McKay Scholarships. Transportation policy-makers are slowly embracing GPPF and Reason Foundation proposals (www.reason.org/ps351.pdf) for congestion relief in Atlanta. Executive vice president Kelly McCutchen is advocating statewide video franchising. GPPF's market-oriented health-care reform proposals appeared in several bills racing through the Legislature. In February the Foundation hosted HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, Gov. Sonny Perdue, Newt Gingrich and corporate executives promoting health care consumerism and transparency. In January, visiting U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings praised GPPF's charter school, Tech High. Also, the Foundation proposed tax reform before a joint legislative committee meeting. In March Eric Wearne participated in the Institute for Humane Studies' Advanced Topics in Liberty conference in Philadelphia. www.gppf.org

Hawaii

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii has added three new consultants. Ann Fitzgerald of AC Fitzgerald and Associates is now a GRIH development consultant, Jennifer Biddison is a website consultant and Brandon Bosworth an editorial consultant. In addition, Jere Krischel is a senior fellow primarily working on Hawaiian History - Akaka bill matters. GRIH provided content and support for a special national newsletter of the Citizens Equal Rights Alliance on the proposed Akaka bill just in time for its annual March meeting in Washington, D.C. The bill is expected to be considered by Congress. www.grassrootinstitute.org

Illinois

The Illinois Policy Institute promoted alternatives to hiking taxes to "equitably fund education." Education research & reform director Collin Hitt joined Americans for Prosperity's Illinois chapter for a statewide series of town hall meetings. Institute director Greg Blankenship released the "Medicaid Fix" in February and is working with allies to fight initiation of an Illinois gross receipts tax. www.illinoispolicyinstitute.org

Indiana

With a Republican governor elected on conservative credentials proposing full-day kindergarten, the Indiana Policy Review Foundation called on Lisa Snell of the Reason Foundation and Darcy Olsen of the Goldwater Institute to assess the state's public education system. They found little to support statehouse hopes that full-day kindergarten is a remedy for students trapped in failing Hoosier schools. Also, Foundation adjunct scholar Matthew Carr reviewed the state's charter school laws and concluded they are plagued by a self-defeating aversion to experimentation. Education reform in the state has been stunted by a 30-year-old collective bargaining act patterned after the Detroit auto unions. It rewards mediocrity and punishes excellence, and the Indiana Legislature won't find enough money to overcome the systemic flaws this or any year. www.inpolicy.org

Iowa

Democrats control the Iowa Legislature and governor's office for the first time in 40 years. But the Public Interest Institute is fighting for limited government and low taxes even as many new spending programs and tax hikes are introduced, among them: increasing teachers' pay, more pre-K funding, state financing of renewable energy and grants for low- and middle-income college students.Iowa's transportation department is claiming a $27 billion road construction and maintenance shortfall over the next 20 years and has proposed various tax and fee hikes to raise funds. Institute research analysts have published articles opposing the governor's proposed $1 increase in the state cigarette tax, as well as many spending proposals.This spring the Institute will publish "For the Children?No, for the Politicians," a preschool funding policy study. www.limitedgovernment.org

Kansas

Flint Hills Center for Public Policy senior fellow Greg Schneider wrote a paper discussing Medicaid in other states and suggests adopting consumer-driven strategies. Education policy fellow John LaPlante analyzed district-by-district education spending, and tax policy fellow Jonathan Williams advocated capping state spending."The Medicaid Handbook," a guide for legislators, continues to be updated and "Medicaid Digest," a summary of these papers in pocket form, was also recently released.In January the Center hosted Dr. Warner, who spoke to legislators about the virtues of personalized medicine. In February the Cato Institute's Michael Tanner discussed health care with legislative committees in Topeka. Williams and Chris Adkins also testified before Kansas lawmakers about a recent spending study they conducted.Events featuring Williams and Adkins were held in Wichita, Topeka and Kansas City. www.flinthills.org

Kentucky

The Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy's goal in the run-up to the May 22 gubernatorial primary election is to encourage all 10 candidates to take positions on seven key public policy issues: school choice, unfunded pension and health care liabilities for state workers, right-to-work, eminent domain, and repealing the prevailing wage, alternative minimum tax and certificate of need. Jim Waters is marketing these ideas to newspapers across Kentucky with a new column called "Bluegrass Beacon." BIPP's website now also features a regular cartoon and opinion spot called "Shine the Light," the goal of which is to force prospective policymakers to confront the consequences of bad decisions and promote closing gaps in performance. www.bipps.org

Maine

The Maine Heritage Policy Center recently added a new education adjunct scholar, Stephen L. Bowen, who has released a publication on school reform, "Education Service Districts: Achieving school administrative cost savings while protecting local control and parental involvement." The report garnered Steve an invitation to testify at the Maine Legislature. Scott Moody authored a new issue brief, "The Fallacy of Tax Exportability," and testified on tax reform before lawmakers. Tarren Bragdon authored a report titled "How to Save $1 Billion in Maine Medicaid and Not Drop Coverage for Anyone," and then discussed it before the U.S. Senate. Additionally, MHPC released an updated and expanded version of "Maine by the Numbers," a comparison of Maine's rankings to the other 49 states. Copies are available by calling the MHPC office: (207) 321-2550. www.mainepolicy.org

Massachusetts

The Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University continues groundbreaking research on FairTax, a national consumption tax proposal. The National Bureau of Economic Research recently published "Taxing Sales Under the FairTax: What Rate Works?" Co-authored by Laurence J. Kotlikoff , David G. Tuerck, Alfonso Sanchez-Penalver, Jonathan Haughton and Paul Bachman, the paper suggests an effective rate of 23 percent on most transactions would raise the revenue necessary to fund the federal government. Specifically, the FairTax could raise $2.5 trillion, which is more than currently collected. FairTax also imposes no additional burdens on state and local government, and may prompt some states to adopt a consumption tax to replace their current tax system. The Institute also recently published its 2006 State Competitiveness Report, which ranked Massachusetts first in the nation in promoting economic growth and high income. BHI plans to release studies on tax policy changes in Mobile, Ala., and state telecommunications taxation. BHI provided revenue forecasts for the Massachusetts Legislature and continues to be a reliable media source on state budget matters. www.beaconhill.org

The Pioneer Institute welcomed Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's proposal to incorporate into the primary state budget local public employee pensions that are less than 80 percent funded and under-performing the state by 2.25 percent. This mirrors Pioneer recommendations published in a report last summer called "Leaving Money on the Table: The 106 Pension Systems of Massachusetts." Professor Ken Ardon demonstrates in the study, by operating 106 separate funds, local pension systems have squandered $1.6 billion in potential investment gains due to generally lower performance when measured against the state's Pension Reserve Investment Trust (PRIT). To address underperformance and reduce the Commonwealth's total unfunded liability, which stands at $13 billion, Professor Ardon recommended centralizing smaller assets into a single, higher performing trust, the most immediate and practical of which is PRIT. Gov. Patrick's Republican opponent, Kerry Healey, adopted the recommendation as part of her campaign platform. Now, Gov, Patrick is following suit. www.pioneerinstitute.org

Michigan

Mackinac Center for Public Policy scholars steered much of the legislative debate surrounding Michigan's fiscal and economic woes. Budget proposals prepared by Mackinac analysts drew extensive media attention, not to mention ire from the governor and state officials. Thomas W. Washburne, director of labor policy, and Michael D. Jahr, director of communications, authored "A Collective Bargaining Primer For Michigan School Board Members." The 108-page book details collective-bargaining basics and offers strategies for negotiating contracts that benefit students and taxpayers. In February, Mackinac president Lawrence W. Reed spoke at the Annual National Character and Leadership Symposium, hosted by the U.S. Air Force Academy. Reed's remarks were based on a commencement address he delivered last spring in Missouri titled "Character Makes All the Difference in the World." www.mackinac.org

Minnesota

Recently released Center of the American Experiment publications include "Achievement Gaps and Vouchers: How Achievement Gaps are Bigger in Minnesota than Virtually Anyplace Else and Why Vouchers are Essential to Reducing Them," by Center founder and president Mitchell B. Pearlstein; "Affording Boomer Long-Term Care in Minnesota and the Nation:What Do Demographics and Health Trends Tell Us?" by Peter J. Nelson; and "A Conversation About Minneapolis Public Schools with [new School Board member] Chris Stewart." Also, recently released are "oral essays" based on Center Luncheon Forums with Ron Haskins and Art Rolnick on early childhood education; Jay P. Greene on education myths; Elizabeth Marquardt on the revolution in parenthood; and Dr. David Walsh on media and children. Other events and publications include Grace-Marie Turner on consumer-directed health care; Robert Bruegmann on sprawl; Paul E. Peterson on achievement gaps; David Blankenhorn on the future of marriage; Arthur C. Brooks on charity; an "ideologically multicultural panel" on the 2007 Minnesota Legislature; and George Will, on whatever he chooses to talk about, at American Experiment's 2007 Annual Dinner in May. www.americanexperiment.org

Mississippi

The Mississippi Center for Public Policy will launch its "Governing by Principle" campaign at its annual dinner on March 27. MCPP's campaign will coincide with the 2007 election campaigns for all legislative seats, eight statewide elective offices, including governor and lieutenant governor and several regional offices. Through the campaign, MCPP will communicate frequently with all candidates to help them understand ten principles by which they should govern if they win their races. MCPP will then suggest specific policies that relate to those principles. After the election in November, MCPP will host a policy seminar to reinforce those principles and policy ideas. Candidates will also receive comparative information on their local schools and school districts, which will be customized for them from MCPP's Vital Signs Interactive at mspolicy.org. The MCPP staff has grown by two. Jason Anderson is the director of research and operations and Grant Callen is the project director. Jason has been a business owner, computer programmer and policy analyst. Grant is the former executive director of the Mississippi Leadership Forum. www.mspolicy.org

Missouri

The Show-Me Institute released three studies in January and February which attracted extensive media coverage. "How to Replace the Earnings Tax in Saint Louis" and "How to Replace the Earnings Tax in Kansas City," both by University of Missouri economics professor Joseph H. Haslag, received notice by newspapers across the state, including the Kansas City Business Journal, Kansas City Star, and St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Haslag and Institute president Rex Sinquefield discussed the Saint Louis plan on KMOX radio and KWMU Radio reported on the studies' release. The studies show how St. Louis and Kansas City could phase-in an economically efficient two-tiered land tax. The third study, "Looking for Leadership: Assessing the Case for Mayoral Control of Urban School Systems," by Frederick M. Hess, discusses how mayoral control could provide the leadership needed to implement education reform. Hess spoke about the study on radio stations and Fox 2 News. A study published in December on repealing the state income tax was featured in the Wall Street Journal. www.showmeinstitute.org

Nevada

The Nevada Policy Research Institute hired Andy Matthews as communications director. Matthews worked for the past two years as a campaign operative, first in New Jersey and then in Nevada. He moved to the Silver State in January 2006 and managed the gubernatorial campaign of State Sen. Bob Beers, as well as Don Chairez's campaign for attorney general. Additionally, NPRI welcomed two new members to its board of directors, Rick Crawford, owner of Green Valley Grocery, and Deanna Forbush, managing partner with the law firm Fox Rothschild LLP. www.npri.org

New Hampshire

Following the eleventh court decision on education funding in the last seven years, a potentially massive tax increase threatens New Hampshire's unique status in the Northeast as an island of relative fiscal restraint. The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy's "Four Governors Initiative" is pushing for a constitutional amendment to avoid a court-ordered spending increase of about 50 percent above what the current budget can fund. After the election Gov. John Lynch reversed his long opposition and agreed to support a constitutional amendment. Our conference attracted the state attorney general, governor's legal adviser and bipartisan legislative leadership to consider various possible forms of an amendment. Although the fact that Democrats gained legislative majorities in 2006 had led observers to predict an amendment was politically impossible, momentum has shifted. Debate is no longer if an amendment can pass, but which one has the best chance. www.jbartlett.org

New Mexico

The Rio Grande Foundation released a groundbreaking study of New Mexico's gross receipts tax. The study, "New Mexico's Gross Receipts Tax: A Warning for Other States," analyzes economic conditions and incentives created by the tax in New Mexico. It studies the economic impact of tax pyramiding, which is induced by broad-based taxation, and discusses the political and public choice implications of the tax, which in New Mexico is fraught with exemptions and favors to special interests. It's a useful study for think tanks in states where such taxes are under consideration. A Foundation-promoted amendment to the state's constitution to strictly limit state spending has been introduced in both houses of the Legislature. With spending expected to grow by 11 percent this year, a reasonable limit is more essential than ever. Two new board members have joined Rio Grande. www.riograndefoundation.org

New York

E.J. McMahon, director of the Empire Center for New York State Policy, testified Feb. 28 before the state Legislature on Gov. Eliot Spitzer's budget proposal to close tax "loopholes." McMahon testified that Spitzer's plan sends the wrong message to firms considering investing or expanding in New York by actually raising taxes on large corporations. McMahon said rather than pursuing policies that would deter economic development, lawmakers should consider broad-based business tax cuts. He also recommended the creation of a blue-ribbon panel to overhaul the state's business tax code. Also in February, Empire Center Health Analyst Tarren Bragdon authored a report showing New York could save $5 billion on Medicaid costs if it only provided care to the elderly the same way as other states. The report, which received statewide media attention, found New York's Medicaid costs for the elderly increased 55 percent from 1999 to 2004, while growing by an average of just 9 percent in other states during the same time. New York's $45 billion Medicaid program is the nation's most costly. www.empirecenter.org

North Carolina

The John Locke Foundation's Carolina Journal drew national attention in January for its report on presidential candidate John Edwards' new North Carolina home. The Washington Post, Fox News, and other national media outlets featured links to Don Carrington's first-of-its-kind aerial photograph of the Edwards compound. Becki Gray joined JLF as director of the new State Policy Resource Center, an outreach project that provides information, consultation, special events and publications for elected officials, government staff and others involved in crafting public policy. George Will helped celebrate JLF's 17th anniversary with a dinner discussion of "The Politics of Dueling Nostalgias." A JLF Headliner event tied to the N.C. History Project focused on the U.S. Bill of Rights. Jeff Broadwater, author of a recent George Mason biography, led that discussion. Recent JLF research highlighted the growing cost of N.C. local government and the links between "smart growth" policies and economic segregation. JLF researchers also created a pocket guide highlighting important public policy issues. www.johnlocke.org

Ohio

The Buckeye Institute recently added former secretary of state, state treasurer and 2006 Republican gubernatorial nominee Ken Blackwell as a Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow. Blackwell will focus on state issues with national significance such as taxes, energy, education and health care reform. He will also lead the Institute's evaluations of public policy based on the principles of limited government, economic empowerment and personal responsibility. On the policy front, the Institute sounded the alarm regarding a budget busting constitutional amendment slated for the November ballot. The public school lobby-backed amendment would permit the state board of education to dictate education funding to the General Assembly. Buckeye Institute president David Hansen outlined the proposal's dangers during a debate with the supporting group's spokesman on Ohio Public Television. Education policy director Matthew Carr advocated more prudent education funding in a column published in the Cincinnati Enquirer and Akron Beacon Journal. www.buckeyeinstitute.org

Oklahoma

This spring, a former astronaut is being awarded the 2007 Oklahoma Citizenship Award by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. General Thomas Stafford will be the guest of honor at the OCPA's annual Citizenship Award Dinner, which has previously honored such great Americans as Newt Gingrich, Gen. Tommy Franks and late U.N. Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick. OCPA will also award five high school seniors a total of $12,000 in tuition scholarships for their essays on American heroes. In the spring, OCPA introduced a weekly radio program called "Right Ideas." Host Brian Hobbs, OCPA's marketing director, interviewed renowned guests, like Lawrence W. Reed of the Mackinac Center. OCPA is pushing legislation to create a state government transparency website. To help in these endeavors, OCPA recruited four outstanding new interns. www.ocpathink.org

Oregon

After a multi-year effort to reduce business taxes in Portland, Cascade Policy Institute scored a major victory in January when the Portland City Council unanimously voted to do just that for thousands of metro-area entrepreneurs. Also in January, Cascade's program directors and president, John Charles, launched "Cascade in the Capitol," a campaign of face-to-face meetings with Oregon lawmakers, testimony on bills in legislative committees and education sessions on transportation policy, climate change, education and Oregon's "War on the Poor." Cascade is introducing several school choice and forest management bills and is working with State Sen. Bruce Starr, R-Hillsboro, on legislation to study converting the Portland regional interstate highway system to electronic toll roads, utilizing peak-hour pricing to relieve congestion. www.cascadepolicy.org

Pennsylvania

The Allegheny Institute was selected by the Senate State Government Committee as one of a handful of experts to provide comments and testimony on a proposed Constitutional Convention in Pennsylvania. Allegheny's new publication, "Issue Summaries," has boosted the Institute's website hits by nearly 60 percent. These summaries offer a succinct overview of key issues, recommendations and lists of references. The Institute was asked by state legislators to participate in a press conference highlighting mass transit inefficiencies and cost overruns and provide proposals to correct these problems. www.alleghenyinstitute.org

The Commonwealth Foundation launched an hour-long, weekly radio program in January 2007. The Box airs from 8:00-9:00 am each Saturday on the largest radio station outside Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The program dramatically expands the Foundation's free-market educational outreach. Listen online at www.theboxprogram.com. Gov. Ed Rendell began his second term with a $27 billion budget request including $2.5 billion in higher taxes and $2.3 billion in bonded debt. Included in his proposal is a plan to subsidize alternative energy and expand taxpayer-subsidized health care insurance to more than 700,000 Pennsylvanians. The only positive development was Rendell's embrace of the Commonwealth Foundation's idea to lease the 537-mile Pennsylvania Turnpike. In partnership with the Reason Foundation's Geoff Segal, the Legislature and governor received a steady diet of information on how to properly implement public-private partnerships in transportation policy. www.commonwealthfoundation.org

South Carolina

The South Carolina Policy Council released a major study by national education finance experts on weighted student funding. Policy Council president Ed McMullen, the study's author Bryan Hassel and other SCPC staff members met with Governor Sanford and legislative leaders, including House Speaker Bobby Harrell, to discuss ways to reform education funding. The study was released in cooperation with the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. In response, Speaker Harrell has formed a study committee that will include SCPC vice president Ashley Landess. The Policy Council also released a comprehensive education reform agenda outlining plans to consolidate school districts, expand school choice, provide a new funding formula, change the testing structure and decentralize the state department of education. That report by SCPC Research Director Neil Mellen has set the tone for education reform this legislative session. www.scpolicycouncil.com

Tennessee

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research's website drew 1.7 million hits in one day after issuing a Feb. 26 press release that revealed a Nashville mansion owned by former vice president and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Al Gore annually consumes roughly 20 times the electricity of the average American home. TCPR's website received close to three million hits in the week that followed the press release. TCPR president Drew Johnson and newly hired government transparency director Trent Seibert appeared on more than 150 television and radio programs related to the story. Prior to joining TCPR in February, Siebert worked as an investigative newspaper and TV reporter, and built an impressive record of uncovering waste, fraud and abuse in Colorado, Alabama and Tennessee. TCPR distributed its 2007-2008 Legislative Guide and will soon release the 2007 Most Business Friendly Cities in Tennessee report and awards. www.tennesseepolicy.org

Texas

Texas lawmakers began the January legislative session with a $14.2 billion surplus, but no consensus for returning those funds to taxpayers. Texans for Fiscal Responsibility targeted eight key state senatorial districts, sending 29,000 households a clear message: ask that the surplus be returned. In just three weeks, nearly 4,000 households - representing almost 8,000 voters - responded to the call by signing a personalized letter to their senator. TFR received those letters and hand-delivered them to the senators' offices. The state's lieutenant governor has since proposed a budget using more than $8 billion of the surplus for tax relief; political writers attributed the move in part to the mail program. TFR president Michael Quinn Sullivan said he will expand the program to include other senate districts as well as members of the statehouse. www.empowertexans.com

The Texas Public Policy Foundation's new director of media and government relations is David Guenthner, a seven-year veteran of the Capitol press corps. Foundation president Brooke Rollins served on the Texas Task Force on Appraisal Reform, which recommended tighter spending limits on local governments and other measures to rein in runaway property taxes. The Texas House approved a bill to set aside $14.2 billion to buy down school property taxes by one-third, a goal actively supported by the Foundation. The introduced 2008-09 state budget increases state spending at a rate far lower than population growth plus inflation, and the Foundation continues to work with budget writers in both chambers to hold that line. Gov. Rick Perry's higher education reforms reflect the Foundation's research to tie higher education funding to students rather than institutions, as well as eliminate funding for special items and projects that are ancillary to the institution's mission. Legislative proposals on issues such as telecommunications taxes, Medicaid reform and criminal justice incorporate recommendations from the Foundation's 83 publications last year. www.texaspolicy.com

Utah

The Sutherland Institute's new website -- www.sutherlandinstitute.org -- features easier navigation, a secure contribution page and an online events calendar. Constant themes throughout the website include "personal responsibility, family, religion, private property, free markets, charity, and limited government," said Sutherland public relations manager Katie Christensen. On Feb. 12 an education vouchers bill became state law.Utah has ushered in the broadest school-choice legislation in America. The Sutherland Institute worked closely with sponsors of the bill.All of Sutherland's policy recommendations were incorporated into the legislation.

Vermont

The Ethan Allen Institute's annual Jefferson Day celebration will be held April 24, starring Thomas Jefferson himself in the person of Bill Barker of Colonial Williamsburg. Prof. James Gatti took over as EAI board chair at the Jan. 29 board meeting. He has been an EAI Director since 2002 and before that served on the Institute's Advisory Council. Jim has been on the faculty of the School of Business at the University of Vermont since September of 1972. He received a BA degree in economics from Union College in Schenectady New York and a masters and Ph.D. in economics from Cornell University. Prior to joining UVM he worked as a research economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. In the 34 years he has been on the UVM faculty Jim has taught virtually every financial economics course offered by the school. His research has been published in Financial Management, National Tax Journal, Quarterly Review of Economics and Business, Public Budgeting and Financial Management Journal of Education Financeand many other professional journals. www.ethanallen.org

Virginia

The Virginia Institute for Public Policy held a news conference in Dec. at the state Capitol to release "The Real Story of Eminent Domain in Virginia: The Rise, Fall, and Undetermined Future of Private Property Rights in the Commonwealth."Jeremy P. Hopkins, author of the policy study, works with Waldo & Lyle, P.C., a law firm dedicated exclusively to representing property owners in eminent domain and condemnation cases. Hopkins's research received extensive media coverage, including a news article in the Virginian-Pilot, which declared that the study "has become a bible of sorts for eminent domain conservatives." www.virginiainstitute.org

Washington

The Evergreen Freedom Foundation is working closely with stakeholders to improve transparency and accountability in state spending decisions. Teaming up first with U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, EFF penned a joint op-ed with the senator and drafted model language to implement a Google-styled searchable budget website detailing state spending and performance. A House bill has been introduced to enact this reform. EFF also drafted state legislative language similar to Congressman Brian Baird's proposal for a 72-hour timeout period between a federal appropriation bill's introduction and when a public hearing or vote is taken. Along with these reforms, EFF encouraged state officials to adopt a constitutionally protected budget rainy-day reserve. A bill reflecting EFF's recommendations concerning this reform passed the state Senate, 45-3. www.effwa.org

The Washington Policy Center has released eleven studies focusing on key issues in the Washington State Legislature and held a well-attended legislative briefing at the Capitol. Topics covered included health care, reducing business taxes, mandatory paid medical leave and an essay on "Five Principles of Responsible Government." Republican House leaders announced a tax reduction package based on WPC's policy recommendations about ways to return the budget surplus to taxpayers. "A False Sense of Security: The Potential for Eminent Domain Abuse in Washington," by WPC adjunct scholar William R. Maurer, who is also executive director at the Institute for Justice's Washington state chapter, was released in Jan. at a State Capitol press conference. The study and the need for reform prompted Attorney General Rob McKenna to create a task force to review Washington's eminent domain laws and to recommend changes. A bill supported by the governor, attorney general and legislative leaders, based on one of WPC's recommendations, has already passed the Senate. www.washingtonpolicy.org

West Virginia

The Public Policy Foundation of West Virginia recently published its first book, Unleashing Capitalism: Why Prosperity Stops at the West Virginia Border and How to Fix It. The 14 chapter volume of original academic research explains why West Virginia's economy has lagged behind other states and suggests specific free market policy reforms that would promote prosperity and long-run economic growth in the state. Twenty-five scholars from across the nation contributed to this effort. The reforms address issues from tax policy to legal reform to securing private property rights. For more about Unleashing Capitalism, visit www.be.wvu.edu/divecon/econ/sobel/UnleashingCapitalism. The PPF of WV website is www.westvirginiapolicy.com.

National

In February, Utah's governor signed into law the first universal voucher program in the country. The Alliance for School Choice applauds the amazing efforts of its Utah allies, including Parents for Choice in Education and the Friedman Foundation, on the passage of this program, which will provide every Utah parent with school-aged children a scholarship for tuition at any eligible private school. The scholarships, ranging from $500 to $3,000, will be based on a family's annual income. This victory is a testament to the hard work of many organizations and everyone involved deserves thanks for their support and dedication. In other major news, the Alliance for School Choice and Advocates for School Choice will experience their first leadership transition since the founding of the organization, as Clint Bolick steps down as president and general counsel in April and Charles Hokanson, Jr., of the U.S. Department of Education takes his place. The organizations' headquarters will relocate from Phoenix to Washington, D.C. www.allianceforschoolchoice.org

Two new staff members have joined Americans for Tax Reform: Derek Hunter was hired as federal affairs manager and Karri Bragg is now ATR's operations manager/internship coordinator. Previously Karri was an associate at ATR, working on state government affairs. She graduated from Washington College in 2006. Prior to coming to ATR, Derek served as press secretary to U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns and as a health policy expert at the Heritage Foundation. ATR encourages a visit to the "Take Action" section at www.atr.org to stop the "Baseball Bats for Big Labor" bill. The "Employee Free Choice Act" would strip workers of their right to a federally-supervised private ballot election and replace it with a risky, privacy-destroying "card check" scheme. ATR circulated a sign-on letter to state legislators across the country to call on the U.S. Congress to oppose H.R.800.

The Cato Institute has worked toward economic liberty in state politics by vocally opposing individual mandates in health insurance. Recently, Mike Tanner, director of health and welfare studies at Cato, testified before several Kansas committees that health care plans like those in California and Massachusetts are a significant step toward socialized medicine. Cato's Jim Harper, director of information policy studies, has been a prominent voice in the revolt of several states against the REAL ID Act, which attempts to force a de facto national ID card onto the states. He is visiting various state policymakers all over the country and recently discussed REAL ID on MSNBC. In December, Andrew Coulson, director of the Center for Educational Freedom at Cato, published his study, "The Cato Education Market Index," which gives policy researchers an objective tool to measure how conducive existing school systems are to the rise of free competition. Look for Cato's upcoming study, "Federal Aid to the States: Historical Cause of Government Growth and Bureaucracy," by Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies. www.cato.org

Award-winning author and journalist Joe Williams teamed up with the Center for Education Reform to produce "Charter Schools Today: Stories of Inspiration, Struggle & Success." Nearly 4,000 charter schools serving over a million students nationwide are changing the face of American education. These educators are determined to succeed despite the odds, as part of a nationwide school reform transformation. To obtain a copy of "Charter Schools Today" visit www.edreform.com/charter_schools/stories2007.

The Claremont Institute is pleased to announce that Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will receive Claremont's 2007 Statesmanship Award at its annual Churchill Dinner. The event will take place Sat., Nov. 17 at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach, California.Each year, the Claremont Institute offers the Lincoln Fellowship program, a week-long seminar on the principles of the American Founding for civic-minded professionals who work in the area of state or national public policy. During their stay, Lincoln Fellows meet with distinguished scholars of American politics and political thought, and discuss a wide selection of great American readings - from the Founding to the Civil War, the Progressive Era,the Great Society, and theenduring disputes of liberalism and conservatism in our time.The 2007 seminar will be held August 4-12 in Newport Beach, California. Applications may be downloaded from www.claremont.org/lincoln, and are due April 28. Up to fifteen fellowships will be awarded, including a stipend, travel expenses, lodging, and meals. For additional information, please call (909) 621-6825. www.claremont.org

FreedomWorks is demanding 2008 presidential candidates support the freedom agenda. Starting with U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter's announcement on January 18, FreedomWorks activists have discussed issues with U.S. Sens. Brownback and McCain, and Gov. Mitt Romney. Hunter, Brownback and Romney have vowed to support lower taxes, less government and more freedom.FreedomWorks has been a voice of opposition in a series of tax battles in Oregon, New Hampshire, Maine, Iowa, Connecticut and Indiana, where governors sought to increase taxes on cigarettes. FreedomWorks is engaging activists with a call to action and has sent letters to the governors. FreedomWorks is also waging campaigns for cable franchise reform in Maryland, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Florida and Maine. www.freedomworks.org

On Feb. 12, Utah Gov. John Huntsman, Jr. signed the nation's first universal school voucher bill. The victory comes after a seven-year partnership between the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation and the Utah-based Parents for Choice in Education. This program becomes the first to achieve Nobel Laureate economist Milton Friedman's vision for universal school choice. The Parents for Choice in Education Act will provide over 95 percent of the families with a school voucher immediately and to everyone by 2020. The amount of the voucher is between $500 and $3,000 depending on income. "The victory proves that in the end freedom always trumps fear," said Robert C. Enlow, executive director and COO of the Friedman Foundation. www.friedmanfoundation.org

In February Grace-Marie Turner spoke with President Bush about ways to revitalize the market for individual health care insurance. The Galen Institute was busy explaining how the president's proposal would level the playing field and energize the private market in the health sector. Turner was a featured guest on three national television news programs about the plan, and the Institute has led criticism against calls for the government to "negotiate" prices for prescription drugs, another name for price controls (http://www.galen.org/pdrugs.asp?docID=958). The Institute also offered U.S. senators ideas for reshaping the State Children's Health Insurance Program. www.galen.org

In January Manhattan Institute senior fellow Herman Badillo released his new book, One Nation, One Standard: An Ex-Liberal on How Hispanics Can Succeed Just Like Other Immigrant Groups, with the foreword by Rudy Giuliani . In recounting his own rise from an impoverished, orphaned immigrant, to become the first Puerto Rican born U.S. congressman, Badillo examines immigrant cultural expectations that big government solve all its problems. Badillo challenges liberal social policy and asks that Hispanic immigrants instead embrace self-reliance and assimilation. The Winter 2007 edition of the Manhattan Institute's quarterly City Journal is now available online at www.city-journal.org. Highlights include Steven Malanga's piece "Yes, Rudy Giuliani is a Conservative," Heather Mac Donald'sessayon how the University of California is protecting affirmative action against the wishes of voters and Victor Davis Hanson's review of the state of illegal immigration five years after he coined the term "Mexifornia."www.manhattan-institute.org

The National Taxpayers Union Foundation hit the ground running in 2007 with an analysis on the fiscal implications of committee takeovers in the 110th Congress. Using its unique BillTally cost-accounting system, NTUF found that the likely incoming House Democratic chairs each sponsored legislation that would boost the federal budget by an average of $931 billion, compared to $10 billion for their Republican predecessors. Support for national health-care schemes on the part of Democrats explains much of the difference. In late January NTUF released its eighth annual examination of the taxpayer costs contained in the President's State of the Union address. The conclusion: President Bush proposed 11 items whose net annual impact would be a spending hike of $12.4 billion - higher than the $91 million he proposed in 2006. Planning continues for the NTUF/Iowans for Tax Relief-sponsored National Taxpayers Conference. This unique citizen-activist event is scheduled for June 14-16 at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C. www.ntu.org

This winter the Progress & Freedom Foundation hosted multiple events on communications policy both in the U.S. and abroad. In February PFF held a congressional seminar on an FCC proposal involving free-use spectrum in exchange for providing public-interest services. Also in February, PFF and the Centre for European Policy Studies co-hosted a half-day event in Brussels, Belgium addressing best practices to ensure competition and investment in today's communications industry. In March, PFF hosted "Universal Service Reform: Are Reverse Auctions the Answer?" a panel discussion featuring regulators, academics and industry representatives. Also over the winter, PFF fellows released papers and articles on issues ranging from network neutrality to digital rights management to online child safety legislation. www.pff.org

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation vigorously defends Right to Work laws from union attack. In El Paso, Texas, the Foundation is helping a security guard who was unlawfully suspended without pay for refusal to join the union. In Atlanta, the Foundation is helping three insulation workers threatened with fines of $5,000 each in retaliation for choosing a nonunion employer. In Florida, Foundation attorneys helped five nonunion security officers win a lawsuit in state court against a security union that illegally threatened to have them fired for refusing to join or financially support the union. Meanwhile, the National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing to stop an assault on Iowa's Right to Work law recently introduced in the state legislature. The Committee is also battling the Card Check Forced Unionism bill in Congress, which would severely undercut workers' freedom to choose whether to unionize. www.nrtw.org

The Young America's Foundation continues working to inspire a new generation of conservative leaders, this time, through our Reagan Ranch High School Conference. The event, which took place at the Reagan Ranch Center, drew more than 120 participants who heard some of the conservative movement's leading speakers, including racial-preferences opponent Ward Connerly, WORLD Magazine editor Marvin Olasky, radio hosts Lars Larson and Melanie Morgan and long-time Reagan Secret Service agent John Barletta. YAF also inaugurated The Reagan Ranch Roundtable meetings as an opportunity for the Santa Barbara community to meet monthly. The most recent roundtable featured Dr. David Newton of Westmont College who spoke about America's War on Terror. Parents often ask advice choosing conservative colleges and universities, so YAF has compiled a top 10 list of schools at www.yaf.org.