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November 2005, State Policy Network Update

Published on Tuesday, November 01, 2005
ARTICLES

Alaska

In September, the Institute of the North's Mead Treadwell and the Claremont Institute's Tom Karako briefed Adjutant Generals from more than half the United States during the National Guard Association annual meeting in Hawaii.   The breakfast, convened by Alaska's Adjutant General Craig Campbell, discussed the subject of missile defense, the awareness of emergency planners at the state level of missile threats to the United States, and preparations for debilitating missile attacks.   The state officials agreed to conduct a survey among themselves on these issues, as well as the role of states in missile defense, with a report expected sometime in 2006. www.institutenorth.org  

Arizona

In May, the Arizona Legislature adopted one of the largest expansions of school choice in the nation. The new law eliminates the marriage penalty from Arizona's tuition scholarship tax credit program, enabling couples to donate $1,000, up from $625. As the Economist put it, "Thanks in part to the Goldwater Institute, Arizona has taken bigger strides towards school choice than any other state in the union." In September, the Goldwater Institute released its Legislative Report Card, the state's most comprehensive analysis of the voting records of all Arizona legislators. The Goldwater Institute is also pleased to welcome three new staff members: Ben Barr, Constitutional Policy Analyst; Noah Clarke, Fiscal Policy Analyst; and Ann Seiden, Communications Assistant. www.goldwaterinstitute.org  

Arkansas

The Little Rock School District, Arkansas' largest, is experimenting with performance measures, including performance-pay for teachers.  The Arkansas Policy Foundation recommended performance-pay for teachers in a 1998 report. Executive Director Greg Kaza, in an op-ed in The Arkansas Democrat Gazette (Aug. 20) praised Superintendent Roy G. Brooks, and concluded his vision "is audacious and deserves time to work."

The Foundation is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a nonprofit, nonpartisan economic research organization in Arkansas.  Policy recommendations enacted in the first decade include reduction of the state capital gains tax rate, administrative restructuring of nearly 60 school districts, a uniform accounting system for the K-12 public school system, and charter school expansion.  For policy updates please visit the Policy Foundation's site: www.reformarkansas.org 
 

California

This fall, the Pacific Research Institute published Free to Learn: Lessons from Model Charter Schools, a new book profiling California charter schools that serve low-income regions and shatter the status quo with remarkable gains in student achievement.  PRI scholars are providing testimony before legislative committees, speaking to citizen groups, and publishing commentaries on paycheck protection, teacher tenure, budget reform, and prescription drug discounts, leading up to California's special election in November.  PRI co-released with the Reason Foundation the "Municipal Broadband Compact," a document signed by 20 scholars from numerous organizations stating that if cities like San Francisco become Internet providers, they will "undermine technological progress" and needlessly force taxpayers to subsidize Internet access.  Visit www.pacificresearch.org to learn more. 

Florida

The James Madison Institute recently published two new studies. In "Public Employee Collective Bargaining: A Florida Experience" Jake Bebber challenged the ‘special status' public employee unions enjoy. Presenting his research at a Florida League of Cities conference Bebber argued that unionism is incompatible with the civil service system.  JMI has also been the state leader in protecting property rights in the wake of the recent Kelo decision. Scholar J.B. Ruhl's "Property Rights At Risk?" examining the role of eminent domain, public use and private property rights, was the first of its kind in Florida following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision. JMI also brought Florida's premier property rights experts together in the same room, hosting a SRO policy forum, Florida: In the Wake of Kelo and Beyond. This forum gave legislators, committees' staff and attorney general representatives a comprehensive diagnosis and prescription for property rights, economic development and local land use policy in the state.  The event was filmed for inclusion in JMI's premier episode, "Property Rights at the Crossroads", in a new series of public affairs broadcasting entitled Florida's Emerging Issues.  Watch for a November release of JMI's TABOR study, co-authored by Barry Poulson and JMI's Randall Holcombe. www.jamesmadison.org  

Georgia

Congratulations to 1-year-old Tech High, the charter high school that the Georgia Public Policy Foundation helped create in the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) district. Test scores in the school's first year were among the highest in APS. In September the Foundation celebrated the anniversary of Booker T. Washington's 1895 speech at the Cotton States International Exposition in Atlanta with a luncheon keynoted by Georgia Supreme Court Justice Robert Benham, a Tuskegee graduate, and attended by Washington's granddaughter, Margaret Washington Clifford. The Foundation is embarking on several projects with the Reason Foundation, including privatization of the new city of Sandy Springs and a traffic congestion study involving metro Atlanta. Also in September, TABOR champion (and 2005 Roe Award winner!) Jon Caldara of Colorado's Independence Institute visited Atlanta to testify before a legislative study committee and keynote a Foundation Policy Briefing Luncheon on TABOR. Best wishes to Assistant Communications Director Chris Adams as he moves on to the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce after 2-1/2 years with the Foundation.  www.gppf.org  

Hawaii

Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is working very hard to bring the so-called Akaka Bill [s.147] to public attention and discussion throughout the nation. The bill makes native Hawaiians a "tribe" to avoid [Supreme Court decided] race-based preferences, creating a separate governing entity exempt from much US law. One drop of so-called Hawaiian blood qualifies. The GRIH position is twofold and simple: 1) Full discussion and debate throughout the nation, and 2) Bill amendment to require an affirmative vote of the people of Hawaii before any part of it could go into effect. The vote for statehood in 1959 was 94%. This legislative process has national implications so all states are encouraged to promote discussion on its impact.     www.grassrootinstitute.org  

Indiana

A four-page electronic survey of national experts on city-county consolidation along with a review of current academic literature is near completion. The research, managed by Dr. Sam Staley in cooperation with the Reason Foundation, was commissioned by a study committee of the Indiana Legislature. The commission resulted from an article on government consolidation in the Indiana Policy Review Foundation's summer journal.  Please note the Indiana Policy Review Foundation's address change:  PO Box 5166, Fort Wayne, IN 46895. www.inpolicy.org  

Iowa

Robert (Bob) Stewart joined the staff of Public Interest Institute in July as a Research Analyst.  A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Bob recently graduated from Central College in Pella, Iowa with a B.A. in Economics and Political Science.  He is interested in national and state economic issues, having interned on Capitol Hill and at the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce.  Bob replaced Research Analyst Brad Cook, who left to pursue a master's degree in Economics at Youngstown State University in Ohio.  In September Public Interest Institute welcomed its newest Research Analyst Jonathan (Jon) Miltimore.  Jon received a B.A. in History from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and is completing an M.A. in History at the University of South Dakota.  Most recently Jon served the Bush Administration as an intern in Presidential speechwriting.  Former Public Interest Institute Research Analyst Laura Keith has joined the staff of the Heritage Foundation as a Research Assistant under the Defense Analyst.  www.limitedgovernment.org  

Kansas

Calls for comprehensive Medicaid reform are gaining momentum in Kansas as the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy released its "Medicaid Reform Handbook". The Handbook includes a landmark, four-volume Estate Recovery Primer, detailing the ‘40s-era program from inception to present and other Medicaid reform related studies. The Handbook and Primer were also important components of Stephen Moses' policy briefings to journalists and legislators as part of a state-wide Legislative Long-Term Care Academy co-sponsored by Flint Hills. Similar briefings are planned in the future with Dr. Michael Bond, as he is working on a series of studies for Flint Hills on Medicaid reform. Flint Hills is also involved in other state policy areas, recently publishing a tax and budget policy paper and continues to actively engage in the state's education debate. www.flinthills.org  

Kentucky

The Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Studies celebrated its 2^nd anniversary at a September 19^th dinner, keynoted by Congressman Ron Paul. Held in the hometown of Bowling Green, the staff was delighted that 137 people drove from all over the state to attend.  On October 5, the Legislative Research Commission in Frankfort acceded to Institute persistence by changing their long-standing policy of distributing only paper roll call votes cast by the General Assembly. From now on, www.KentuckyVotes.org can be easily and accurately populated from an electronic file.  The BIPPS staffers in the picture (from left to right) are: Caleb Brown, director of KentuckyVotes.org, Randolph Scott, Intern, Joel Peyton, policy analyst, Aaron Morris, fiscal policy analyst, and Jonathon Absher, Intern. www.bipps.org  

Maine

The Maine Heritage Policy Center authored and published two health care related reports.  "Command and Control: Maine's Dirigo Health Care Program" by Tarren Bragdon, director of health reform initiatives, was published by The Heritage Foundation.  Tarren also authored "Getting the Best Drug Price: Maine Rx Plus Is Not Winning the Battle between Ohio's Best and Maine Rx Plus state drug program."  A third publication, "Maine by the Numbers" was released at the end of October.  The publication is a quick reference guide to how Maine stacks up against the other 49 states in a series of demographic, health, economic, and education rankings. In a statewide speaking tour, Executive Director Bill Becker presented the benefits of a Maine TEL to local service organizations and chambers of commerce.  Bill has given over 25 speeches and is booked through the remained of the year.  On November 4^th, MHPC will hold a conference, Life After Dirigo Health: Effective Alternatives for Affordable Health Insurance in Maine. www.mainepolicy.org  

Two student interns from the University of Maine joined the Maine Public Policy Institute this year, while completing their masters' degrees in economics. Jim Chappelow researched the impact of the Tax Payer's Bill of Rights and Serkan Akjuc studied the expected job losses of Maine's recent tax reform, know as "LD1" and the doubling of Maine's cigarette tax.  Jim and Serkan will represent MPPI at the upcoming Council on State Taxation (COST) North Atlantic Regional Meeting, Boston in late October.  Betsy Chapman, Board Chair, filled in for Jo Kwong of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation and spoke to the Kenyan Community Abroad Annual General Meeting in Boston in July on the role of think tanks in promoting sound public policy.  www.maineinstitute.com 
 

Maryland

The Calvert Institute is issuing a monograph in October in support of recent recommendations of the Steele Commission on Education Reform, which recommended extra pay for teachers in scarce disciplines, merit pay, abolition of the union-controlled teacher certification board, and a liberalized state charter school law. www.calvertinstitute.org  

A groundbreaking Maryland Public Policy Institute study is fresh off the press: "School Choice for Maryland's Foster Children: Fostering Stability, Satisfaction, and Achievement".  It is a first-in-the-nation proposal of its kind by MPPI senior fellow for education policy studies, Dan Lips. Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D., MPPI adjunct fellow, responds to the report of the Governor's Commission on Quality Education in Maryland, which puts forth a number of both positive and troubling recommendations:  "The Steele Commission Report: A Lost Opportunity to Debate Vouchers in Maryland." Johnson discusses how the report fails to even mention school vouchers as a way to improve the educational prospects of children trapped in too many failing Maryland schools. Johnson's comments appeared in a Washington Post article, "Lt. Governor Releases Guidelines for MD Schools" (September 15, 2005). In a related report, "Top Five Myths of Vouchers and Why They Should Not Impede Education Reform in Maryland" Johnson takes on five myths of school vouchers commonly promulgated by opponents of vouchers. www.mdpolicy.org  

Massachusetts

Following the death of its Chairman (Colby Hewitt, Jr.) and a change in leadership (James Stergios, Executive Director), Pioneer Institute has hired three new staff members:  James Gass is the Director of Educational Research and Programs; Steve Poftak is the Director of Research and the Shamie Center for Better Government; and April Anderson is the Director of External Affairs and the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship.  Upcoming Pioneer events include the Lovett C. Peters Lecture on November 1, 2005 featuring Angus McBeath, superintendent of schools in Edmonton, Canada, speaking on "Creating Successful Schools".   The annual Entrepreneurship Conference entitled Trends in Urban Small Business Financing: Best Theory and Practice will be held on December 15.  In the area of education research, the Institute is launching projects on the use of student performance data in driving educational improvement, the impact of charter schools on district schools, and the possibility of employing tax credit strategies to drive wider acceptance of school choice.  Research to promote more effective government will analyze the cost and quality of eight key services (comparing a sample of six states), the state's pension system, its hodge-podge of programs to encourage urban redevelopment, the impact of local and state housing regulations on the overall supply and prices, the cost of sitting or expanding business (by several business types) relative to comparable states, and the cost of health care.  More details can be found at www.pioneerinstitute.org, which will be redesigned by early in CY06. 

Michigan

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy added three new staff members in September. Thomas Washburne became the director of the Center's newly launched Labor and Education Research Center. Michael Jahr joined the Labor and Education Research Center as communication specialist. Both previously worked in Washington D.C. for Members of Congress from Indiana; Washburne as chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Michael Sodrel and Jahr as communications director for U.S. Rep. John Hostettler. Ted O'Neil also joined Mackinac as Education Research Associate. He brings over a decade of experience in journalism and public service including a term as a Midland County Commissioner to his post writing and editing Mackinac's education periodicals. www.mackinac.org  

Minnesota

Center of the American Experiment has launched www.IntellectualTakeout.com, a groundbreaking website designed to expose college students to conservative free-market ideas that are not always readily available in the classroom.  The website provides students with quick access to a menu of conservative ideas and perspectives on a number of topics, including Cultural Studies, Economics, Education, Environmental Studies, Foundations of Liberty, History, Political Science, and Hot Topics.  American Experiment is also launching a newly redesigned and vastly improved home website, which can be found at www.AmericanExperiment.org. During this year's annual Fall Briefing, American Experiment welcomed political humorist P.J. O'Rourke to Minnesota.  During the sold out event, O'Rourke gave his humorous take on "Government v. the Free Market."  

Mississippi

The Mississippi Center for Public Policy is focusing its attention on rebuilding the Mississippi Gulf Coast after the amazing destruction that was caused by Hurricane Katrina. MCPP President Forest Thigpen has been named to the Education Committee of the commission Governor Haley Barbour set up to make recommendations for the rebuilding process. MCPP has developed a network of free-market experts from around the country to give input into the process. It has also worked with Heritage, Reason, Evergreen Freedom Foundation, AEI, NCPA, and others to produce papers issued by MCPP to guide the state's approach to rebuilding.  www.mspolicy.org  
 

Missouri

The Show-Me Institute, Missouri's free-market think tank, is off to a strong start. It opened its offices in August. In the subsequent two months, the Institute's 2-man policy staff launched a website, attended two conferences, produced three op-eds, and laid groundwork for an ambitious fall publishing schedule. Two studies on tax policy are in the works, and the Institute expects to launch initiatives on education and property rights next spring. www.showmeinstitute.org  
 

Nevada

Colonel Oliver North was the keynote speaker at the Nevada Policy Research Institute's 14^th Annual Tribute Dinner, "A Salute to Our Troops," at the Venetian Resort/Hotel/Casino on Thursday, October 13, 2005.  Colonel North, reporting for FOX News, has visited Iraq several times since 2001, where he accompanies soldiers into battle.  Stateside, he tells their powerful stories.  Approximately 350 attended the event and special guests for the evening were U.S. Congressman Jim  Gibbons, State Senators Bob Beers, Sandra Tiffany and Barbara Cegavske, as well as state Assemblymen Valerie Weber, Heidi Gansert, Sharron Angle, Chad Christensen and Garn Mabey.  Other special guests included airmen from Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, Nevada.  www.npri.org  

North Carolina     

The John Locke Foundation is pleased to announce the addition of six new policy analysts to its research staff: Michael Sanera (Research Director and Local Government Policy Analyst); Joe Coletti (Fiscal Policy Analyst); Daren Bakst (Legal and Regulatory Policy Analyst); Nancy Winter (Health and Human Services Policy Analyst); Terry Stoops (Education Policy Analyst); and Jon Sanders (Research Editor and Policy Analyst). JLF has also hired Dr. Troy Kickler to direct its North Carolina History Project.  JLF released three policy reports: Building the Future: The School Enrollment Boom in North Carolina; A Citizen's Guide to Spending in Wilmington; and Reassessing North Carolina's Charter Schools. JLF also hosted luncheons with environmental physicist Dr. S. Fred Singer; historian Larry Schweikart; First Amendment expert Donald Downs, and former U.S. congressman Bob Barr. www.johnlocke.org  

New Jersey

Taking advantage of the news media focus on U. S. Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, the Center for Policy Research of New Jersey (CPR) compared the vetting of U. S. Supreme Court nominees to the vetting of NJ Supreme Court nominees and pronounced the NJ process to be seriously deficient.  In two op-eds, CPR advanced constitutional changes that would enhance the public's knowledge of State Supreme Court nominees.  These reforms were endorsed editorially by The Times, the daily newspaper covering the State's Capitol and surrounding region.  As part of its coverage of the gubernatorial campaign, UPN 9 News is covering the major issues being addressed by the candidates, and CPR appeared on October 14^th discussing property tax issues.     

Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) recently hosted the 2005 Student Conference on Liberty and Self-Government, a two-day event featuring policy makers, business leaders, and scholars. Students attended workshops concerning issues such as Social Security reform, the need for limited government, the importance of the free-enterprise system, and the War on Terror. Rich Lowry, editor of the National Review, delivered the keynote address at a dinner attended by nearly 100 students plus many friends of OCPA. To assist in planning the student event and to further our ongoing research efforts, OCPA has an outstanding staff of five student interns for the fall semester. On the research front, as Oklahoma students returned to the classroom, OCPA released "Education in Oklahoma: The Real Costs". Citizens and policy makers alike are now asking the question, "Why does the state claim only $6,429 is spent educating each student in our public schools when the real cost exceeds $11,250 per pupil?" www.ocpathink.org  

Oregon

Cascade Policy Institute in Portland, Oregon will be hosting the first of a two-part series on asset building opportunities in low income communities.  The first conference, entitled "Wheels to Wealth", held on October 24, focused on the impact of car ownership in reducing poverty, increasing job opportunity, and promoting financial stability.   Margie Waller from the Brookings Institution and Carolyn Hayden from the National Economic and Development Law Center joined a team of civic leaders in Portland to discuss this issue, as well as it's effect on other policies related to transportation, land use, and housing. www.cascadepolicy.org  

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth Foundation has added two new staff members this fall.  Former four-term lawmaker and businessman John Kennedy joined the Foundation as Director of the State Government Reform Project which will advocate for Constitutionally limited legislative terms, give voters the power of initiative and referendum, and annually cap increases in state and local government taxing and spending.  Nathan Benefield, who is completing his doctorate work at Loyola University in Chicago, joined the Foundation as Research Associate.  The Foundation also continues to encourage lawmakers to become Statesmen through its Speaker Franklin Project, by holding an awards banquet in November and a candidate training school in December in advance of a much anticipated primary season in 2006. www.commonwealthfoundation.org  

South Carolina

The South Carolina Policy Council released an issue brief on the potential impact of the Kelo decision on South Carolina property rights. The Policy Council's research was cited in a press conference in which Governor Sanford and leaders in the General Assembly pledged to protect property owners. The paper was also widely quoted in the media and is serving as a catalyst for the property rights reform effort in South Carolina.  www.scpolicycouncil.org  

South Dakota

Great Plains Public Policy Institute has followed the lead of several other think tanks and included a Spend-O-Meter to their web site for South Dakota state government.  The Meter, along with ongoing articles on spending, provides a ready reference for the issue of government spending and the need for caps on revenue and spending.  www.greatplainsppi.org  
 

Tennessee

In September, the Tennessee Center for Policy Research introduced an updated version of www.tennesseepolicy.org with new features, revamped graphic elements and expanded content. The website will soon host the "Local Tax Burden Database," a unique interactive vehicle empowering taxpayers in Tennessee to view how much they pay in combined local taxes. Taxpayers can then compare their current tax burden to what it would be in surrounding areas, thus promoting a new age of tax competition among Tennessee's cities. In the face of Tennessee's ongoing government ethics debate, TCPR released "Influence from the Inside: An Investigation into the Prevalence of Lobbyists on Tennessee's State Boards and Commissions." The study-featured in a headline story in the largest paper in the state-uncovered lobbyists occupying seats on state boards at a rate nearly 200 times greater than non-lobbyists despite frequent and direct conflicts of interest.  TCPR's most recent report tallies the cost of Tennessee's Transportation Bill earmarks for each of the state's nine congressional districts. The piece encourages Tennessee's Congressional Delegation to offset a portion of the federal government's recent spending spree by rejecting funding for needless projects in their districts.  

Texas

September and October have been busy months for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, welcoming two new staff members, hosting several policy events, and publishing five innovative studies. Stepping into a new position is Jamie Story, who will serve as the education Policy Analyst for the Foundation's Center for Education Policy. She is an honors graduate from Rice University, and was an associate at Bain & Company. Joining the Foundation's development team is Donna Peterson, a graduate of Arizona State University. She is charged with supporting the contributed income program on behalf for the Foundation. The new studies, all available online at www.TexasPolicy.com, make ground-breaking strides in exploring important facets of state policy: education, new criminal justice reforms, property rights, and the state of the economy. The Foundation also hosted a series of policy events around the state with economist Steve Moore, discussing the state of Texas' economy, while a sold-out event in Austin focused on moving to a performance pay system for teachers.   

Utah

On October 11, the Sutherland Institute held a "Grand Slam Evening" with conservative political commentator, syndicated columnist, and baseball enthusiast, George F. Will.  The night began with an intimate dinner set up right on the infield at Franklin Covey Ballpark which was followed by the keynote address presented to nearly 400 business and community leaders, legislators, journalists and interested citizens.  Will hit the ball out of the park with his articulate and well-grounded look at the issues in politics today, often drawing similarities between politics and his passion for baseball.  He said that the success of America lies within the culture and that citizens need to rediscover the obvious in knowing that "nothing is more important than the strength of their families."  www.sutherlandinstitute.org

NEW SUTHERLAND ADDRESS:

Sutherland Institute

Gateway Tower West

15 West South Temple Street, Suite 1600

Salt Lake City, Utah 84101

(Phone/Fax/E-mail remain the same) 
 
 

Vermont

The Ethan Allen Institute, in cooperation with FreedomWorks-Vermont, is sponsoring a first-ever Vermont FreedomFest on October 15 at Vermont Technical College, Randolph Center.  The keynote speaker will be Steve Moore, founder of the Club for Growth and now on the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal, speaking on "Prosperity and Freedom". There will be workshops on current issues and three sessions on techniques for building grassroots support.  Vermont Governor Jim Douglas and other candidates will attend the windup reception. www.ethanallen.org  

Virginia

On Tuesday, October 18^th, the Virginia Institute for Public Policy and Citizens Against Government Waste held a news conference in Richmond to release the Virginia Piglet Book.  The "Freedom & Prosperity Agenda", an 11-plank legislative agenda for 2006, has more than 30 sponsors in the General Assembly.  In an effort to ensure the entire state is covered, the Tuesday Morning Group coalition now has local chairs for each of the 11 congressional districts, and chairs for the 100 House of Delegate districts are currently being selected.  www.virginiainstitute.org  

Washington State

In the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina, Evergreen Freedom Foundation (EFF) President Bob Williams authored an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on Katrina, priorities of government, and the separation of powers. The article had a massive impact on the debate that followed. Bob's WSJ Katrina op-ed resulted in both national and international press coverage, including appearances on Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor, CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight, ABC Nightly News, BBC International, and numerous other radio and television outlets. Bob's comments on the failure of local officials to respond to the emergency also resulted in mentions in the NY Post, the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Washington Times, and Roll Call, among others.  EFF has been using the leverage of this added exposure to push core functions of government efforts in the Gulf States. EFF is now working with other free-market think tanks to advance these reforms both at the state and national level as efforts are being made to force fiscal restraint on Congress during the reconstruction of the Gulf region.  www.effwa.org  

Washington Policy Center hosted their 2005 Annual Dinner on September 27^th with over 800 in attendance. Zell Miller and Jennifer Dunn were the guest speakers and Zell's speech on the importance of freedom in our country and around the world can be seen at www.zellinseattle.com. WPC also released two policy briefs and five policy notes on all of the initiatives appearing on the ballot in November: "Overview of Initiatives 330 and 336: Proposals to Reform Washington's Medical Liability Law;" "Guide to Initiative 900: Reviewing Government through Performance Audits;" "Initiative 901 Would Extinguish Most Public Smoking in Washington:" "Initiative 912 Fuels Debate Over New Gas Tax."

 In November WPC will also host its Small Business Conferences in both Eastern Washington and the Seattle Area with over 50 co-sponsoring organizations focusing on improving the business climate. Washington Governor Christine Gregoire will be the keynote speaker at the Seattle conference lunch.  Recently, WPC President Dann Mead Smith was appointed by Governor Gregoire to be one of seven members of the new Washington State Performance Audit Citizens Advisory Board. This is due to WPC efforts with their policy guide Agenda 2005 and extensive background on the issue.  www.washingtonpolicy.org 
 

National Members

On September 29^th, Americans for Tax Reform hosted three tremendously successful break-out sessions in conjunction with the SPN Annual Meeting held in Charleston, SC.  The sessions were moderated by Grover Norquist and the panels included state legislators and other tax and labor policy experts.  ATR also hosted the opening reception with South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford.  ATR welcomes Aric Nesbitt and Elizabeth Karasmeighan to new roles at ATR.  Aric is the new State Coalitions Manager.  After graduating from Hillsdale College and then getting his Masters in International Business Aric worked with ATR as a Federal Affairs Associate and has also managed numerous state legislative campaigns in Michigan.  Elizabeth Karasmeighan, the new State Government Affairs Manager, previously worked with ATR as a State Coalitions Associate, Operations Manager, and Intern Coordinator.  Elizabeth graduated from Trinity College and is working on her Ph.D. in Economics at George Mason University. www.atr.org  

The Atlantic Legal Foundation recently filed a friend of the court brief in the Supreme Court in Rumsfeld v. FAIR, arguing that on-campus military recruiting is essential to national defense and maintaining an all-volunteer military, and that Congress, not the Judiciary, has the constitutional responsibility for "raising a military." The Foundation's clients include former Secretaries of Defense James Schlesinger and William Perry and former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Generals Hugh Shelton and John Shalikashvili, former Marine Commandants, former Superintendents of West Point and the Air Force Academy, and numerous 4-star and 3-star admirals and generals from all U.S. Military Services.  Atlantic Legal is dramatically expanding its work in parental choice in education, publishing the first in a series of state-by-state law guides, to inform charter school leaders on what they need to know about unionization efforts. The Charter School Advocacy Program launches on November 7, when Atlantic Legal will proudly present the inaugural Freedom Award for Leadership in School Choice to Dr. Rod Paige, former US Secretary of Education.     www.atlanticlegal.org  

Competitive Enterprise Institute analysts have provided timely commentary on: financial regulation; the link between energy policy  and hurricanes; the hype over global warming and hurricanes; the lifting of Davis-Bacon wage mandates; attorney general activism; bogus Teflon lawsuits in eight states; the benefits of pesticide use; the fallacy of gas-gouging; important property rights protections in the Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act; ethanol mandates in Wisconsin; a U.N.-driven effort to assert control over the Internet; and a new libertarian film called Serenity.  In August, CEI filed a lawsuit challenging the 1998 tobacco settlement in federal district court in Louisiana.  In October, CEI announced the selection of the 2006 Warren T. Brookes Journalism Fellow, Timothy P. Carney.  www.cei.org 
 

The Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment (FREE) has offered seminars for the federal judiciary for 14 years. This October, FREE offered its first seminar for state appellate and Supreme Court judges, legislators, and other state officials. The topic was Environmental Economics for State Officials and speakers included Steven Eagle, George Mason University School of Law, on property rights; Dean James Huffman, Lewis & Clark College, Northwestern School of Law, on water markets and subsidiary; Dwight Lee, University of Georgia, Terry College of Business, on public goods and central vs. local control; and David Schoenbrod, New York Law School, on the EPA. Next year FREE will offer another state-oriented seminar. The proposed topic is Environmental Federalism: States, NGOs, and Environmental Quality. Call (406) 585-1776 for more info.  www.free-eco.org 

The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) is accepting applications for its Spring Capital Semester program, held in partnership with Georgetown University, until December 1, 2005. During the 15-week program, students intern at Washington-based think tanks and in Congress and earn 12 transferable credits from Georgetown University. They attend exclusive site briefings at the White House and U.S. Capitol. In addition, they meet leaders and government officials, hear from policy-makers at regular guest lectures and interact with D.C. professionals through networking activities. TFAS has been educating young leaders on the values of freedom, democracy, and free-market economies since 1967, and prepares young people for honorable leadership by educating them in the theory, practice, and benefits of a free society. For more information, visit www.dcinternships.com. 

The Galen Institute has published a new paper, HSAs and the States: Lifting the Barriers, written by David Hogberg, Ph.D.  Recent surveys and media reports show that more and more businesses are or will soon offer health savings account (HSA) plans. While this is excellent news for health care consumers, there are still many state government barriers that interfere with the efficient delivery of HSA plans. This study examines those barriers and offers suggestions for overcoming them.  It can be read online at www.galen.org. 

The Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) has focused its efforts on multiple policy fronts: telecommunications, intellectual property, Social Security, health care, taxes and technology.  IPI has had tremendous success as the first policy organization to produce and air its policy commentaries on XM Satellite Radio.  At a July social security luncheon in Washington, DC,  IPI welcomed participants Sen. Jim DeMint (SC) and Rep. John Shaddegg (AZ), and released two Social Security publications:  "Stop the Raid, Start the Accounts", and "Price Indexing: The Undoing of Personal Accounts".  In September, IPI released "Intellectual Property Rights and Human Rights" at the General Assembly meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland.  IPI President Tom Giovanetti has been attending WIPO meetings all year.  www.ipi.org  

In his new book, Education Myths, Manhattan Institute senior fellow Jay P. Greene provides facts to debunk 18 commonly held myths regarding education reform.  On October 26^th, the Manhattan Institute will release a new report titled "Trial Lawyers Inc.: Healthcare", which sheds light on the unwholesome effects of lawsuit abuse on our wallets and our well-being.   www.manhattan-institute.org  

The National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) will feature former Clinton advisor and Fox News Commentator Dick Morris at its October 25^th Distinguished Lecture Series luncheon in Dallas.  The NCPA has also added staffers Sharyn Casey (standing on the right), senior development manager, and Lorrie Rodriguez (seated on the left), associate director of development.  Check out the NCPA's new E-Team Web site at www.eteam.ncpa.org.  

National Taxpayers Union Foundation's latest VoteTally study, which reported that both the House and Senate voted to spend roughly $200 million for every hour they were in session in 2003 and 2004, received coast-to-coast coverage in September by Cal Thomas, whose article is syndicated to 550 newspapers. Coming soon: 2005 BillTally results, which tracks legislative sponsorship habits rather than votes. Following the release earlier this summer of a NTU Foundation "Issue Brief" on how universities are overcharging taxpayers for student labor on federal research projects, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce has asked the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General to investigate this and other alleged instances of research grant abuse. Recently the Foundation revealed its redesigned website at www.ntu.org with several new and popular features, including a handy list of spending reduction legislation introduced so far in the 109th Congress and a series of charts depicting who has shouldered the federal income tax burden over time. 

In late September, the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of DaimlerChrysler v. Cuno, as recommended by an amicus brief filed by the Tax Foundation on July 15. The Tax Foundation recommended review of the Cuno decision on grounds that it is legally flawed and threatens state tax competition.  The Tax Foundation usually advises states against enacting targeted tax relief packages such as the Ohio provision at issue in Cuno, but because the right of states to shape their intrastate tax climate must be preserved, the Foundation's amicus brief argued that the Supreme Court should review and overturn the ruling. The Tax Foundation continues to be active on the state tax front, hosts a monthly state tax working group meetings to more effectively exchange information and partner with State Policy Network members and corporate state tax professionals on state fiscal policy issues. For those interested in the monthly State Tax Working Group or for more information on our state tax research, please contact Julie Burden at Burden@TaxFoundation.org.  www.taxfoundation.org  

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