State-Level Center-Right Revolutions

Published on Wednesday, August 20, 2008
ARTICLES

Almost 14 years ago Americans for Tax Reform began holding weekly gatherings in Washington, D.C., now referred to as the "Wednesday Meeting." What began as a group of modest size has grown into a weekly get-together of 120-150 influential political, policy, business and grassroots leaders. Today, these meetings provide an opportunity for members of the center-right movement to share information on policy issues affecting states and the nation.

The success of the Wednesday Meeting spurred the idea of implementing similar meetings in individual states. What began as an effort to organize state level center-right coalition meetings at the turn of the century has resulted in 53 such meetings in 44 states.

The state coalition meetings take place on a monthly basis. When the state legislatures are in session coalitions will often meet on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, as there is much more information to be shared. The center-right meetings are typically comprised of state legislators and their staffs, free-market think tank staff, executive branch officials, party officials, small government-oriented business interests and grassroots activists, among others.

Mary Adams, chair of the Maine coalition, notes that the meeting presents an opportunity to bring together "a talented tapestry of influential people across the spectrum." Indeed, those who make up the state center-right coalitions, as is the case with the Wednesday Meeting, work on a vast array of different issues with different areas of focus, and may even disagree on a given issue.

"It's no surprise that very often like-minded groups can find each other on different sides of the same issue. But we've found that the relationships developed out of the meeting ensures that folks can disagree without being disagreeable," says Michael Quinn Sullivan, president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and chair of the Texas coalition meeting.

What brings the groups together and makes them cohesive is, when it comes to everyone's interests or focus, they want the same thing - to be left alone by the state and mitigate the role of an ever-encroaching government.

"Ours is a low maintenance coalition," says Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. "Unlike the other team, ‘the Takings Coalition,' our respective missions are not in conflict. Taxpayers want the government to stop taking more of their hard-earned money, homeschoolers want to be left alone to educate their children, gun owners want their second amendment rights respected, small business owners want the government out of their way so they can create jobs, people want to be left alone with their faith, and so on," adds Norquist.

One key function of the state coalition meetings is the facilitation of collaborative activities between coalition members, many of whom may not have previously known one another and the potential for their cooperation.

"Our monthly meeting supplies a forum where our people quit working in their silos and get together to share information and work together," says Todd Kruse, chair of the Minnesota coalition meeting. Kevin Kane, president of the Pelican Institute for Public Policy and chair of the recently organized Louisiana coalition meeting, echoes the sentiments of Kruse. "We've only held two meetings thus far and already several participants have told me that they are working on issues with people they met through the meeting. It is proving to be time well spent for everyone involved," says Kane. "The meeting helps keep everyone informed - legislative offices, movement groups, activists and friendly lobbyists," adds Sullivan.

The center-right coalition network has been integral to the advancement of liberty at the state level for the past eight years and will play a leading role in the battles to come. "For some time, I've noticed when I read the state news that the most beneficial projects being done in Maine are being done by someone in the coalition," says Adams. He attributes such effectiveness to the fact that the state coalition meetings have "enough talent and ability in one room to plot, promote and manage a meaningful revolution."

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Patrick Gleason is state affairs manager at Americans for Tax Reform. Write him at pgleason@atr.org.