November/December 2015 SPN News

STRATEGIES FOR STATE THINK TANKS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015STRATEGIES FOR STATE THINK TANKS – NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015

BY J. ROBERT MCCLURE, PH.D.

Imagine you start a small company that turns into a multibillion-dollar organization—and you become one of the bigger success stories in your field. You lead the development of the company, help it grow and evolve, and then you reach the pinnacle—being named CEO as the company goes public. Imagine then, your dreams dashed. You are forced to resign from the company because of a small donation you made seven years prior to a controversial political cause you felt strongly about.

If you think this could never happen in America, ask Brendan Eich what he thinks, because this is his story. He started a small Internet company called Mozilla, which eventually became a huge company that went public. In 2008, Eich made a $1,000 contribution to California’s Prop 8 initiative, which sought to define marriage as between a man and a woman. The Left wanted Eich’s scalp and used the disclosure of this small donation to force him from the company he helped create. Regardless of one’s position on gay marriage, or any issue, the Left’s tactic of using political donations as ammunition, against the actual donor no less, is a dagger striking at the heart of the First Amendment.

The beauty of liberty is that no matter how much money a person earns, one’s wage is theirs to give, spend, or save—and America is a nation with a big heart. According to the 2014 World Giving Index,

the U.S., referred to as “the world’s philanthropic powerhouse,” ranks at the top of all three giving behaviors measured: monetary giving, volunteering, and helping a stranger. Indeed, the concept of voluntary, private philanthropy and giving of our time, talent, and treasure is as old as our Republic. In fact, in his early 19th century narrative “Democracy in America,” Alexis de Tocqueville was quick to note the generosity of the American spirit.

The tradition of private philanthropy in America is one that is respected, encouraged, and in most cases, even supported through tax deductibility. More importantly, private philanthropy is regarded as a choice not governed by political forces. Unfortunately, freedom’s enemies have zeroed in on this tradition and seek to destroy it. In the case of Brendan Eich, they claimed a small, but hopefully Pyrrhic victory.

Over the past several years, The James Madison Institute (JMI) has made the protection of private philanthropy one of our top policy priorities. As Florida’s oldest and largest free market think tank, we take seriously this threat to freely associate that lies at the core of the Left’s assault.

JMI first began working on this topic in 2009 after observing a series of events in California that were prophetic for Florida. California’s state assembly passed a bill requiring private foundations to publish

continued on page 25

Regulating Private Philanthropy and Strangling Free Speech

1655 North Fort Myer Drive, Suite 360, Arlington, VA 22209 703-243-1655 Fax: 703-740-0314 [email protected] SPN.org @statepolicy

HappyHolidays

“The beauty of liberty is that no matter how much money a person earns, one’s wage is theirs to give, spend, or save.” J. Robert McClure

BY MARK CUNNINGHAM

Personal relationships are the main form of currency in the communications realm of our movement. With that in mind, last summer I had the idea to embark on a week-long media tour across Tennessee to meet with media outlets that didn’t generally cover the Beacon Center.

The idea expanded after brainstorming with our development director, Sam Cosby. In addition to the media aspect of the tour, we also planned to add a fundraising component where Sam would meet with potential donors, as well as donors we did not see regularly. After getting immediate buy-in from our CEO, we planned and executed the trip.

These were my three goals and the results:

CHANGE THE PERCEPTION OF BEACON AS A NASHVILLE-CENTRIC THINK TANK

Like many SPN groups, Beacon Center is located in our state capital. Because of our location, we have great relationships with Nashville-area news outlets and donors. Unfortunately, many of our supporters outside Nashville saw this as a sign that we were less concerned about the rest of the state. This trip gave us the opportunity to reach a new audience through media

and show that we are focused on the state as a whole, not just Nashville. Many supporters and donors have noticed and appreciated the additional media coverage about our work in their areas of the state.

ADD A NEW BASE OF MEDIA CONTACTS

If the only relationship you have with media outlets is via press releases, you will have an extremely hard time breaking through the noise. By going on this trip, I was able to introduce the Beacon Center—and myself—to media personalities who have never covered us before. Most of the people I met with were vaguely familiar with our organization but didn’t really understand what we did. By taking the time to meet with them on their terms, I was able to form new relationships that have paid major dividends in terms of media coverage of our organization and our priorities. I achieved this not only by talking about Beacon’s policy priorities, but also by acting as a resource for them when they need a quote, comment, or even just perspective on an issue.

CONNECT WITH THE MEDIA ON A PERSONAL LEVEL

Many of these meetings did not go as I expected. While I made sure to


BEACON’S ROAD TRIPFOR FREEDOM

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 VOL 17 / ISSUE 6

SPN News reports on issues of importance to state-focused, market-oriented, nonprofit public policy research organizations. Drawing from current updates and events from within the industry, the publication provides timely information on the most pressing issues facing public policy state think tank executives. State Policy Network publishes SPN News six times a year. Individual copies can be ordered from the State Policy Network offices at 703-243-1655. All images used in this issue are owned by their respective copyright holders. All rights reserved.

MISSION STATEMENTState Policy Network is the capacity building service organization for America’s free market, state-focused think tank community. We advance a free society by providing leadership development, management training and networking opportunities for think tank professionals and by promoting strategic partnerships among market-oriented organizations.

STATE POLICY NETWORK™Tracie Sharp, President and CEO

Alexis Baker, Donor Relations ManagerCrystal Bouziden, Donor Relations Manager

Teresa Brown, Director of Leadership DevelopmentRebecca Bruchhauser, Director of Donor Relations

Jennifer Butler, Vice President of External RelationsStarlee Coleman,* Consultant

Todd Davidson, Policy SpecialistDaniel Erspamer, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships

Rebecca Feldman, Manager of Foundation RelationsSarah Ferrara, Coalitions Manager

Brad Gruber, Director of OperationsLynn Harsh, Vice President of Strategy

Spencer Hughes, Manager of Development OperationsCindy Kilduff, Donor Relations Manager

Sharon Milhollin, Executive AssistantKristina Mitten Sanders, Development Specialist

Daniel Montgomery,* Newsletter DesignerKathleen O’Hearn, Director of Coalitions

Rebecca Phillips, Communications Manager Michelle Poehlmann,* Administrative Assistant

Denise Stevenson, Office ManagerBetsy Thraves, Executive Assistant

Meredith Turney, Director of Strategic CommunicationsMaura Weber, Donor Relations AssistantTony Woodlief, Executive Vice President

*Independent contractor

BOARD OF DIRECTORSThomas A. Roe, Founding Chairman (1927–2000)

Gaylord K. Swim (1948–2005) Whitney L. Ball (1962–2015)

Theodore D. Abram ...........American Institute for Full EmploymentCarl Helstrom (Chairman) ................................The JM FoundationJohn W. Jackson ................................... Adolph Coors FoundationAdam Meyerson ..................................... Philanthropy Roundtable Tracie J. Sharp (President) ........................... State Policy NetworkStanford D. Swim ......................................... The GFC FoundationBridgett G. Wagner ................................. The Heritage FoundationThomas Willcox ...................................... Thomas Roe Foundation

1655 North Fort Myer Drive, Suite 360, Arlington, VA 22209 Phone: 703-243-1655 Fax: 703-740-0314

[email protected] SPN.org

twitter.com/statepolicy facebook.com/statepolicy

®

SPN NEWS 2 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015

Champions Corner

FRANCIS MARION TURNER WAS NAMED in honor of an American Revolutionary War hero. Francis’ father fought to protect his values in the Civil War, but in the wake of the battle, he was left an orphan. As a teenager in the late 1870s fighting to survive, he drove 2,700 head of cattle hundreds of miles on the western trail for just $30 a month. He became a well-respected cowboy, and in 1898 he signed an “X” on the dotted line to claim his Texas homestead because he couldn’t read or write. His wife Annie and their family lived in a half-dugout until a flood washed it away, forcing him to build a home in what is now Oklahoma. As he chased the American dream and worked hard to create something from nothing, he had no idea he was building a legacy for future Turner men.

Fifty years later, his two grandsons became University of Oklahoma graduates. One, Billy Vessels, received the Heisman Trophy, while another, Jack, returned to the homestead, which Francis had doubled from its original acreage. Jack’s dad and his uncle made it a family affair as they expanded the family cattle ranch through the purchase of more acreage and cattle.

Jack needed work. He knew the Turner brothers’ small business of selling fuel to farmers and hauling cattle needed help. Luckily, he had good references, so his dad and uncle hired him. “I’d

take any job, any chance to make money,” he recalled. As proof, he started breaking his back baling and hauling hay in the dead of summer.

The Turner entrepreneurial spirit had fueled this small business in the fiercely competitive oilfield trucking industry, but they soon felt the pains that big government and big labor can inflict on small companies. In the 1960s, businesses that needed automobiles relied heavily on General Motors whose vehicles regularly had to be replaced or repaired after 25,000 miles. Jack saw firsthand how innovation in the automobile industry was being stifled

by the demands of union bosses. Even though cars were essential to the operation of the family business, because of the skyrocketing costs, they struggled to make the necessary investment. Jack laughed, “We could have borrowed money. Instead, we struggled for seven years without buying a new truck, because we didn’t know if we’d be able to repay a loan.”

One morning during the GM labor disputes, Jack heard GM had agreed to all of the auto union’s demands. He remembers saying to himself, “Jack, you’re a fool to worry. GM and their executives won’t be penalized by giving in; they will just pass along the new union costs to you by increasing their car prices and eventually the other car manufacturers will do the same.”

“But, once automobile competition increased, costs decreased.” said Jack, looking back. “We struggled less because our guys could get more than a 100,000 miles out of a car.”

For years, Jack and the Turner brothers were devoted to their company. By the 1980s, the business had expanded into five states with 800 employees and 400 trucks, headquartering near the historic Oklahoma City Stockyard where the free market thrived. Jack also served on the Hereford Research Foundation (HRF) board since its inception, identifying valuable genetic research projects. From personal experience, Jack developed an appreciation for the economic growth the free enterprise system created.

Jack Turner A Cowboy’s Legacy for Freedom


◂ Jack Turner with a bronze statue of his bull, Jet Domino L617, who was used in national and international research to improve genetics due to his high EPD (genetic) profile. Photo Credit: Hereford World.


STATE POLICY NETWORK UPDATES

ALABAMA

As the Alabama Policy Institute’s first year under new leadership comes to a close, they have taken time to reflect on the accomplishments of the last year and look forward to building on the successes of the last 26 years. In looking to the future, API relocated to a new office in downtown Birmingham. Revitalization efforts in Birmingham have spurred economic growth in the area, and they are thrilled to be part of that movement. On October 22, 2015, API hosted its Annual Birmingham Dinner, featuring Laura Ingraham as keynote speaker. With over 1,000 attendees gathering in support of API, its mission, and its goals, API has never been better positioned for success in 2016. API is pleased to welcome Andrew Yerbey to its team as senior policy counsel. Andrew comes to API with his Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Alabama and Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University. alabamapolicy.org

ARKANSAS

One day after Advance Arkansas Institute president Dan Greenberg personally presented Governor Asa Hutchinson with

AAI’s newest paper, A State Obamacare Exchange: Arkansas’s Worst Option, Governor Hutchinson spoke to the state’s Health Reform Legislative Task Force, asking “Why are we building a state exchange, rather than relying upon the continued partnership with the federal exchange?” Shortly thereafter, Gov. Hutchinson notified Cynthia Burwell, head of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, that he had asked Arkansas’s Health Insurance Marketplace Board to stop its development of a state Obamacare exchange. Hutchinson added that his proposed healthcare reforms would not require the state to have its own Obamacare exchange, but that he wanted to wait for the task force’s final recommendations before taking further action. Conservatives are winning the long battle to rid Arkansas of an Obamacare state exchange. advancearkansas.org

Arkansas freshman Governor Asa Hutchinson’s administration announced recently it was privatizing its In-Home Services program. Arkansas Policy Foundation executive director Greg Kaza noted in a Jonesboro Sun op-ed that privatization has emerged as an issue in Arkansas. Governor Hutchinson observed, “This is an example of a government program that is no longer sustainable and can be ended because the private sector has stepped in to meet demand.” Kaza noted, “Privatization has been in the news in Arkansas at other times in 2015. A measure during this year’s legislative session would have allowed privatization of school districts, including Little Rock, deemed in academic distress. The proposal failed, but another privatization initiative establishing educational vouchers for students with disabilities and the children of active-duty military personnel was enacted by policymakers.” The Foundation is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. arkansaspolicyfoundation.org

CALIFORNIA

In August, California Policy Center launched the first phase of its Civic Performance Profiles project, a searchable database profiling the financial health and elected officials for over 1,000 cities, counties, and school districts. For example, the data exposes Los Angeles County’s unfunded liability of $26.7 billion just for retirement healthcare benefits, on top of an estimated $13.3 billion in unfunded pension liabilities. Taxpayers can now easily search and learn about these staggering numbers wherever they live in California. Eventually, the database will also include over 10,000 profiles of elected officials, showing their votes on key issues, and their campaign contributions. The civic profiles database is a part of CPC’s ongoing California Transparency Project, which includes www.TransparentCalifornia.com, a comprehensive searchable online database showing over three million active and retired government employees’ compensation and pensions by name. californiapolicycenter.org

As 2015 closes, Pacific Research Institute will have published two more education studies in both Colorado and New Jersey on the successes/failures of middle-class schools in communities throughout these states. Lance Izumi’s Not As Good As You Think studies have also covered schools throughout Michigan, Texas, and Illinois. PRI continues to showcase its California Prosperity Agenda (CaPA)—a set of 12 commonsense, bipartisan reforms to halt California’s long-term trajectory of economic decline and advance prosperity and opportunity throughout the state. This bold and cutting-edge project includes tax reform, public pension reform, a sound water policy, regulatory relief, and education


Alabama Policy Institute is excited to build on its success and pursue opportunities to advance freedom at its new office location in Birmingham, Ala.



reform, among other goals—all measures that will improve the lives and prosperity of Californians and their families. Thus far, PRI has published two outstanding studies on both tax reform and water/drought issues and solutions in California. pacificresearch.org

CONNECTICUT

Throughout August, September, and October, the Yankee Institute hosted a series of “Shirt Off My Back” town halls, designed to convert discontent with the tax hikes in the recent state budget into constructive action. As part of an effort to expand Yankee’s sphere of influence among Connecticut residents, Yankee offered free t-shirts (to replace those taxed away!) to those who provided their contact information. In late September, Yankee released Unequal Pay, a study by Andrew Biggs of American Enterprise Institute, showing the dramatic disparity in compensation between Connecticut’s public and private sectors, and it held events including the study’s author throughout the state. Finally, in late September, Yankee also held a Future of Freedom Summit, a day-long event co-sponsored by the National Review Institute and the Reason Foundation. Particularly aimed at state residents under 35, the summit included panel discussions, break-out sessions, and opportunities for networking and training. yankeeinstitute.org

DELAWARE

The Caesar Rodney Institute is pleased to introduce its new president, Chuck Daniel. Chuck comes to CRI from the American Cancer Society where he was responsible for getting the NFL to go pink for breast cancer in October. Remember that next time you watch an NFL game! Chuck spent 20 years in the Marine Reserves and retired as a Gunnery Sergeant.

Send him a welcome email at [email protected]. CRI hosted Stephen Moore for an “American Enterprise” dinner at the Ed Oliver Golf Club in Wilmington. Moore spoke to a packed room about the perils facing the private sector in the face of a slew of government regulations. He addressed concerns about the increasing number of people not working and decreasing number of people becoming entrepreneurs. caesarrodney.org

FLORIDA

The Foundation for Government Accountability continues its partnership with state leaders to find and develop innovative solutions that unleash the power of the American individual to improve their own lives and the lives of those in their communities. The FGA recognizes the powerful impact individuals can have solving the problems government can’t when they are empowered to get involved, whether that’s by helping connect someone in need with a job, or offering free dental care to a low-income family. The FGA’s biggest challenge this year will be to help move two million people out of the cycle of welfare dependency and give them the tools and the opportunity to find rewarding and meaningful work. The FGA knows that work and independence improve people’s well-being and outlook while growing the economy and strengthening critical safety nets for those who truly need them. thefga.org

More than 150 thought leaders attended the inaugural James Madison Institute Annual Retreat, the largest liberty movement gathering in Florida, to discuss a broad range of policy ideas. The two-day long educational and networking event held at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort featured top experts, elected officials, authors,

entrepreneurs, and young leaders from across the state and nation. American Enterprise Institute’s Arthur Brooks delivered an inspirational opening session keynote. Sharing the liberty message on Florida college campuses is the goal of JMI’s Campus Representatives program, which launched this year. Talented student ambassadors on eight well-known Florida campuses have already had a major

impact, directly reaching more than 8,000 students since mid-August. Promoting campus Constitution Day events, JMI launched a “man-on-the-street”-style video starring students answering questions about the Constitution. What they say may surprise you. Watch here: http://bit.ly/StudentsonConstitution. jamesmadison.org

HAWAII

Over the summer, the Grassroot Institute examined the state’s homelessness problem, convening an expert panel to examine free-market solutions to homelessness and affordable housing. Working with Judicial Watch, Grassroot challenged the constitutionality of a state-sponsored, race-based election intended to create a Native Hawaiian government. In late October, a hearing was held on a preliminary injunction to stop the election while the case is being decided. The legal team is confident they will prevail. Grassroot scored a victory for transparency when a state court required the agency compiling the voter roll for that election to release its voter list. Many of the Native

JMI Campus Representatives proudly display their school spirit at the inaugural JMI Annual Retreat.

SPN NEWS 5 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015SPN NEWS 4 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015


Hawaiians on the list had been added without their consent, and the resulting public debate brought attention to wider concerns about the agencies involved. grassrootinstitute.org

ILLINOIS

This fall, the Illinois Policy Institute helped usher in an era of entrepreneurship in Chicago with the legalization of food-cart street vending. Illinois Policy took an issue few were talking about, brought it to the public’s attention through a media campaign, and saw laws changed. Illinois

Policy interviewed hundreds of vendors, including Claudia Perez, whose thriving business funded her children’s college educations. This outreach allowed Illinois Policy to share its free-market message with hundreds of thousands in Chicago’s Latino community and throughout the city. Illinois Policy surveyed 200 vendors to learn more about the economic impact food carts have on the city, and the research revealed that legalizing street vending could create thousands of new jobs and $8.5 million in additional sales-tax revenue. Illinois Policy’s food-cart legalization efforts were mentioned in over 24 media stories. illinoispolicy.org

INDIANA

The Indiana Policy Review has begun a fundraising drive to commission research from adjunct scholars on popular but unexamined local economic-development proposals. Tom Heller would question the effectiveness of obtuse tax increment financing schemes. Maryann O. Keating wonders why Hoosier policymakers cannot connect the dots between a goal of increasing the total number of citizens voluntarily and productively employed with making it more profitable for firms to hire workers. This could be done by permitting each employee to earn and take home more of his earnings, or both. Finally, John Kessler would design a handy 5x5-inch chart for council audiences trying to sort out whether their representative’s vote makes economic sense. inpolicy.org

IOWA

It is with regret that Public Interest Institute announces the passing of longtime supporter and chairman of its board, David M. Stanley. David served on the Institute board since the Institute’s

founding in 1989. He was also involved in many organizations in Iowa, nationally, and internationally, including Iowans for Tax Relief, National Taxpayers Union, World Taxpayers Associations, New Hope Foundation, Iowa Wesleyan University, and United Marriage Encounter. David served in the Iowa Legislature for 12 years and was House Ways and Means Chairman and Senate Majority Leader. A Celebration of Life Service was held in September in

Muscatine, Iowa, for David and his wife, Jeanie Stanley, who preceded him in death earlier this year. His wisdom and guidance will be missed by the current and former employees of Public Interest Institute. limitedgovernment.org

KANSAS

For the fourth consecutive year, Kansas Policy Institute published its Kansas Freedom Index this fall. The index tracks the educational and economic freedom votes of each legislator. The scores confirm that the votes are less about party affiliations or labels like liberal, moderate, or conservative and more about a philosophical belief in the role of government. The filters are not “D” and “R,” but “E,” “L” and “C.” Some citizens and legislators have a strong philosophical belief in an expanding government, while others are grounded in a strong philosophical belief in limited government. And, there are some Kansans for whom the primary litmus test is circumstantial instead of a strong philosophical belief about the role of government. The Freedom Index is a concrete way for citizens to better understand the goings-on in the capitol and its impact on their lives. kansaspolicy.org

KENTUCKY

On September 17, 2015, Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions president, Jim Waters, was mentioned in a Courier-Journal article with regard to Kentucky’s proposed state-run broadband plan: “Next, as Jim Waters...recently pointed out, it’s unclear how a statewide network would affect consumer privacy. There is no telling what the state will do with the data transferred over its network.” The Institute will continue to fight these

The son of a food-cart street vendor shows his support for his parents’ business at a rally organized by Illinois Policy and the Institute for Justice.

Public Interest Institute mourns the loss of its dedicated supporter and Chairman of the Board, David M. Stanley.



egregious cases of taxpayer waste. The Institute also congratulates Jim on winning second place in Think Freely Media’s Great Communicators Tournament at SPN’s Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids, Mich. bipps.org

MAINE

In September, the Maine Heritage Policy Center released A Declaration of Fundamental Expectations of the Citizens of Maine, MHPC’s diagnosis of what’s gone wrong in Maine over the past several decades and its prescription to revive it. The Declaration is more than just a document; it is a call to action to Maine citizens to demand reform. MHPC will also release its 2015 Piglet Book, a report exposing the rampant abuses of taxpayer dollars in Maine. The first Piglet Book, published in 2007, was a huge success, inspiring money-saving reforms at the Maine Turnpike Authority, the Maine State Housing Authority, and many other agencies. MHPC will share the 2015 Piglet Book with legislators, media, and concerned citizens to raise awareness of the vast amount of government waste. In October, MHPC added policy analyst Liam Sigaud to its team. mainepolicy.org

MARYLAND

Maryland Public Policy Institute hosted a debate on September 24 titled “The Baltimore City Property Tax: How much should it be cut?” at the John and Frances Angelos Law Center – University of Baltimore. Debaters included Louis Miserendino, director of the McMullen Scholars Program at Calvert Hall College High School and Matthew Gallagher, president and CEO of the Goldseker Foundation. The debate was moderated by Andrew Green, editorial page editor of the Baltimore Sun. Through this event

MPPI engaged members for the public and business community on the topic of what must be done to lower the property tax in Baltimore City. The debate strengthened the case for lowering Baltimore’s property taxes in order to draw more people, jobs, and investment because debaters on opposite political sides confirmed that the issue is no longer if taxes should be lowered—but how and when. The property tax issue is sure to be a top issue in the upcoming mayoral race in 2016. The debate also fostered new connections among the city’s thought leaders. mdpolicy.org

MASSACHUSETTS

PIONEER INSTITUTEP U B L I C P O L I C Y R E S E A R C H

Pioneer Institute released its latest book, Drilling through the Core: Why Common Core is Bad for American Education, at the National Press Club and other events. After gaining passage of a “soft receivership” and expanded privatization powers for Massachusetts public transit system, 100 members of the Carmen’s Union picketed Pioneer’s office. The Institute’s response was a plan to save the system hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Pioneer has

launched a statewide campaign to expand charter schools and a film project to fight constitutional barriers to school choice. The 2015 Lovett C. Peters Lecturer is David Welch, who initiated last year’s landmark teacher tenure case, Vergara v. California. Pioneer’s reports on healthcare price transparency received national coverage, including the Washington Post. With the state legislature holding hearings on ridesharing regulation, Pioneer published a report urging reforms to the taxi industry. pioneerinstitute.org

MICHIGAN

The Michigan Education Association had a trick up its sleeve this year for teachers who wanted to opt out of the state’s largest public sector union. It changed the address where unwilling members should send their opt out letters and buried it at the bottom of a web page. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy exposed the MEA’s scheme

and gained additional media to inform teachers of the August opt-out period. The Mackinac Center Legal Foundation has said the “August Window’ is illegal. The Michigan Employment Relations Commission agreed with that opinion in September with a unanimous decision. This summer’s privatization survey of all public school districts in Michigan revealed 70.8 percent of districts contract out at least one major service. That’s up from 31 percent in 2001. mackinac.org

MINNESOTA

Center of the American Experiment launched the Employee Freedom Project to

Pioneer Institute is pleased to launch its latest book, Drilling through the Core: Why Common Core is Bad for American Education.

The Mackinac Center’s August Opt Out campaign educates members of the Michigan Education Association about their rights.

Louis Miserendino, director of the McMullen Scholars Program at Calvert Hall College High School debating how much the Baltimore City property tax should be cut.



counter the enormous power and influence of public labor unions so that public employees can be freed from the tyranny of being forced to support candidates and policies that they oppose. The project also aims to help voters get the representation they deserve and enable elected officials to do their job without calculating the pain of opposing public unions. They kicked off the project on November 5, 2015, with a panel featuring Doug Seaton, who represents personal care attendants against SEIU in the Greene case; former National Labor Relations Board member Professor John Raudabaugh from Ave Maria School of Law and the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation; and F. Vincent Vernuccio, Esq., director of labor policy at the Mackinac Center. Kim Crockett, the Center’s EVP, moderated the panel, which was co-sponsored by the Federalist Society. americanexperiment.org

Earlier this fall, Freedom Foundation of Minnesota members and their guests packed a ballroom where they were treated to a spirited discussion of how America has been an unmatched force for the defense of freedom, peace, and security around the globe and why and how America must lead again. The event was the FFM’s 2015 Annual Dinner and the speaker was former vice president Dick Cheney. Cheney is the author of the new, best-selling book, Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America, and he spoke to FFM

members on his plan to restore world peace through the strength of America and her allies. According to Vice President Cheney, “Since September 11th, there have been numerous terrorist plots and attacks against the United States including 12 this year. The next President must be willing to safeguard our nation, our allies, and our interests.” freedomfoundationofminnesota.com

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi Center for Public Policy is leading the way in educating the public about a ballot initiative that would hand education funding decisions to the judiciary. In addition, MCPP has been working to obtain agency federal and fine/fee budget revenue data with the goal of reducing dependency on the federal government and lowering regulatory barriers for businesses. MCPP’s newest report looks at the consequences of the Waters of the United States rule for Mississippi counties, business owners, and farmers. Finally, MCPP congratulates Elaine Vechorik, winner of the Vernon K. Krieble Foundation’s 2015 Unsung Hero Award, for her amazing work in Mississippi. mspolicy.org

MISSOURI

The shooting of Michael Brown by officer Darren Wilson last year in Ferguson, Mo., was a tragedy that produced riots and much conversation about why it happened. It also produced the Ferguson Commission report prompted by Governor Jay Nixon. While the intent behind the report was good, Show-Me Institute called it out for focusing on old, tired liberal solutions. Show-Me analysts spoke of the folly of raising the minimum wage to $15/hour on radio stations around the state. James Shuls and Michael McShane wrote of the mistake of

not including school choice as a remedy in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and senior writer Andrew Wilson called it a “bridge to nowhere” in his op-ed in the American Spectator. showmeinstitute.org

NEBRASKA

In October, the Platte Institute hosted its annual Legislative Summit, featuring the Institute’s founder, Governor Pete Ricketts, as the keynote luncheon speaker. The event, which was well-attended by lawmakers, business leaders, community stakeholders, and the media, featured presentations and panels on the Institute’s key priorities in advance of the 2016 legislative session. Topics included discussions on tax reform, opportunity scholarships, public pension reform, and resisting the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. The Institute also awarded State Senator Jim Smith with the first annual Connie Brown Freedom Award for his commitment to fighting for tax reform in Nebraska. platteinstitute.org

NEVADA

After a summer spent letting school district employees throughout Nevada know about their ability to opt out of union membership, the Nevada Policy Research Institute announced in September that teacher union membership declined by over 1,500 employees. NPRI used emails, media

Billboards like this one were positioned along freeways in Las Vegas to inform teachers that membership in the Clark County Education Association is voluntary. Following the information campaign, the union’s membership dropped by 7 percent.

Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives Kurt Daudt introduced Vice President Dick Cheney at the Freedom Foundation of Minnesota’s 2015 Annual Dinner.



coverage, billboards, and word of mouth to inform teachers of their rights. Thanks to NPRI, over $1 million is staying with teachers instead of union bosses. In the last four years, NPRI has helped over 3,500 school district employees opt-out, costing the union over $3.5 million. NPRI, working with the Association of American Educators, also expanded its annual National Employee Freedom Week campaign to over 100 groups around the country. The coalition, which empowers union members with information on opting out of union membership, earned coverage around the country, including in the Washington Times, Orange County Register, and Boston Herald. npri.org

NEW HAMPSHIRE

The state’s budget impasse was resolved last month with agreement on business tax cuts, which the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy first pitched using research on the number of companies and total percentage of the workforce affected (92%). The Center’s paper A Tale of Two States: Economic Recovery in Massachusetts vs. New Hampshire is a pointed follow-up to its work earlier this year on New Hampshire’s declining economic strength over the last thirty years and shows how much worse New Hampshire has fared on job growth than Massachusetts. It is helping create momentum for more action on tax cuts and high energy rates. The Center is also proud that its former policy director Grant Bosse was named the new editorial page editor of the New Hampshire Union Leader, perhaps the most important policy advocacy position in the state. jbartlett.org

NEW MEXICO

This summer, the Rio Grande Foundation hosted events with Tom Palmer of the

Atlas Network who spoke on “Government Control vs. Self Control” and Cato’s Randal O’Toole who discussed Albuquerque’s proposed bus rapid transit system and why it does not make sense given the City’s transportation future. Dr. Matthew Ladner of the Foundation for Excellence in Education helped the Foundation celebrate Milton Friedman Day on July 31 with a compelling talk on New Mexico’s challenging future demographics. In addition to its continued strong media presence in New Mexico, the Foundation’s president, Paul Gessing, appeared on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition to express his concerns about plans for the state to provide financial support for Amtrak’s Southwest Chief. riograndefoundation.org

NEW YORK

When the Governor set out to make New York the first state with a $15/hour minimum wage, the Empire Center for Public Policy fought back, changing the conversation and informing taxpayers about how damaging the mandate would be for all New Yorkers. Headlines were made statewide when the Center exposed a secretive $1.1 billion slush fund. Recipients included CBS, which received $5 million in taxpayer dollars for keeping The Late Show in New York. The Center launched a more mobile- and user-friendly www.SeeThroughNY.net, making it easier to search and share millions of lines of government spending data. The Center sued the Metropolitan Transportation Authority when it failed to provide data guaranteed by the state’s Freedom of Information Law. The MTA knew the Center had a strong case and settled out of court, agreeing to provide the data and to pay attorney fees and costs. empirecenter.org

NORTH CAROLINA

Civitas Institute hosted a social event and book signing on October 14 in Charlotte, N.C., with Garland S. Tucker III, author of Conservative Heroes: Fourteen Leaders Who Shaped America, from Jefferson to Reagan. Civitas also hosted a luncheon and talk in Charlotte on October 28 with Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute. He discussed his latest book, The Conservative Heart, and how conservatism can be a winning movement for happiness, unity, and social justice. Civitas also scheduled town hall meetings on school choice in Wilmington (October 29) and Charlotte (November 10). These events, “Fulfilling the Promise: Empowering Parents through Educational Choice,” focused on how education savings accounts can improve educational opportunity and give hope to students, families, and communities. nccivitas.org

Reporting from the John Locke Foundation’s journalism arm, Carolina Journal, led the National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys to ask U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to investigate the prosecution of a gang leader by Raleigh-based U.S. Attorney Thomas Walker. The group expressed “grave concern” based on CJ’s reporting of how Walker dealt with Reynaldo Calderon’s death threat against a federal prosecutor. In public policy news, JLF scored a hard-

The $2,680 check the MTA wrote to the Empire Center doesn’t sound like much in the context of the MTA’s $16.5 billion budget, but an important signal has been sent to all New York government agencies: follow the law or pay up.

The National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys referenced Carolina Journal’s reporting in its request for an investigation.



fought victory for free markets when state lawmakers and the governor agreed to end a decades-old state taxpayer subsidy to the solar industry. JLF led a major educational effort, which dozens of solar lobbyists and advocates fought in hopes of extending the subsidy. At JLF’s urging, the new state budget requires state agencies, local governments, and local education agencies to post budget and spending data to a common website. johnlocke.org

OHIO

The Buckeye Institute inaugurated former Ohio Speaker of the House William G. Batchelder, III as its Edwin Meese, III Distinguished Fellow on October 7 with a sold-out dinner celebration. The 75th Attorney General of the United States and President Reagan’s dear friend, Ed Meese, delivered keynote remarks praising the Institute’s work, the leadership of its president Robert Alt, Speaker Batchelder’s three decades of public service, and State Policy Network members’ work promoting liberty and prosperity in the states. buckeyeinstitute.org

OKLAHOMA

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs continues its efforts to provide all families with the freedom and ability to pursue the best education possible for their students. In a project spearheaded by senior vice president Brandon Dutcher, OCPA recently had an opportunity to interview Republican lawmakers and leaders in the state, including Senator James Lankford and Attorney General Scott Pruitt, about why Oklahoma needs school choice. OCPA used these interviews, combined with clips of GOP presidential candidates speaking about this important policy, to create a

six-minute video calling for school choice in Oklahoma. Oklahoma school choice supporters have shared the video, titled “Republicans Embrace School Choice,” widely on social media. It can be viewed at www.ocpathink.org/choice. ocpathink.org

OREGON

In September, Cascade Policy Institute, in conjunction with the Executive Club and the Reason Foundation, hosted David Nott who spoke about ending the public employee union stranglehold on state politics. Local attorney, Herb Grey, spoke at a CPI Policy Picnic on administrative overreach in the Sweet Cakes by Melissa case. In October, Cascade co-sponsored an event featuring journalist John Fund who discussed a “Visitor’s Guide to an Alien Planet: Washington, D.C.” Later in the month, Jared Meyer spoke to a crowd on his new book, Disinherited: How Washington is Betraying America’s Young. CPI has been invited to coordinate a panel to give testimony in November before the Oregon State Senate Education Committee on the Nevada Education Savings Account program. The panel will include Nevada State Senator Scott Hammond. cascadepolicy.org

PENNSYLVANIA

This October, Pennsylvania’s Governor Tom Wolf tried and failed for the third time to push massive tax hikes through the state legislature. Twelve years ago, in a similar vote, the taxpayers of Pennsylvania were crushed. This time, they won, thanks to Pennsylvania’s rapidly expanding freedom movement that has galvanized entrepreneurs, business owners, and patriots statewide and has driven an ongoing “climate change” for freedom in Pennsylvania. As part of this momentum and to continue driving their side’s success, Commonwealth Foundation is pleased to

welcome aboard Douglas Baker as its new vice president of communications, a brand new role. Doug joins the Foundation’s team and state from Louisiana, and he has extensive experience in policy, politics, and communications across the country, most recently having served as Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal’s director of policy and communications. commonwealthfoundation.org

SOUTH CAROLINA

How do you measure policy impact? In the number of lives changed. Take, for example, the 1,500+ students with exceptional needs that are now enrolled in a school that will help them reach their full, God-given potential thanks to South Carolina’s new Exceptional Needs Tax Credit Scholarship. Meet the Hollingsworths: they were nearly at their wits’ end trying to meet the unique challenge of educating their grandson Cody, who struggles with severe autism. Thanks to the tax credit scholarship, Cody is now enrolled at Hidden Treasure Christian School, an environment where he has blossomed and overcome significant behavioral challenges. To his grandparents, this means nothing short of life-changing, incredible peace of mind, knowing that Cody is in the best possible place for him. Much work remains ahead for the Palmetto Promise Institute and South Carolina leaders and citizens to make sure that every Palmetto State student has that same opportunity! palmettopromise.org

With the collapse of many state roads and bridges during October’s flooding, many citizens and journalists are now asking tough questions about South Carolina’s transportation system. South Carolina Policy Council has been asking those questions for years—and making an impact.



The Nerve revealed a trend in which top staffers at the Department of Transportation were leaving their jobs and going straight to companies that maintain large DOT contracts. The potential for conflict was obvious, so in August the acting DOT head announced new ethics requirements stopping the practice. In another piece based on the results of a FOIA inquiry, The Nerve revealed flagrant abuses, improper influence by politicians, and outright theft at the agency. State lawmakers will doubtless try to avoid reforming DOT; instead they’ll try to raise taxes and dump new revenue into the system. SCPC has made that option harder than ever. scpolicycouncil.org

TENNESSEE

With the holiday season upon us, the Beacon Center has some very exciting news. Beacon is proud to announce the formation of the Beacon Center Legal Foundation, which is being led by its new litigation director, Braden Boucek. The Legal Foundation will fight for individuals by removing senseless legal barriers because they believe all Tennesseans—regardless of their means—have the right to pursue the American Dream. In related news, after announcing the Legal Foundation, the Beacon Center also filed its first lawsuit against the Nashville Metro Government on behalf of P.J. and Rachel Anderson. The Andersons are challenging the city’s unfair

and unconstitutional Airbnb regulations. After another fantastic SPN Annual Meeting this year in Grand Rapids, the Beacon Center is excited to welcome everyone to Nashville in 2016. Get ready for a great time in Music City! beacontn.org

TEXAS

The Texas Public Policy Foundation celebrated its 26th anniversary in November by hosting a gala at the George W. Bush Museum and Library in Dallas, Tex., with special guest Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. The Foundation also hosted its second annual At the Crossroads: Energy & Climate Policy Summit in Austin. Center for the American Future director, the Honorable Robert Henneke, partnered with Center for Education Freedom policy analyst Michael Barba to submit an amicus brief for the ongoing school finance trials. Center for Fiscal Policy economist Dr. Vance Ginn partnered with Center for Health Care Policy director John Davidson to publish a report titled Texas Medicaid Reform Model: A Market-Driven, Patient-Centered Approach. Tickets are now available for the Foundation’s Policy Orientation, which will take place January 6–8, 2016. texaspolicy.com

VERMONT

The Ethan Allen Institute is gearing up for the legislature’s return in January, readying for fights on school choice, “green” energy policy, a proposed first-in-the-nation carbon tax, and a potential debate over the expansion of Vermont’s sales tax to include services. EAI was privileged to work with the Interstate Policy Alliance on a short, documentary-style video depicting the negative impact subsidized renewable energy development is and will have on Vermont’s signature landscape. The video will be launched in late fall/early winter. EAI

found IPA great to work with, and they are grateful for the opportunity. ethanallen.org

VIRGINIA

Thomas Jefferson Institute gained a long-sought spending victory. In 1999, the Institute first issued a paper suggesting a transparent rating system for new road projects based on objective criterion including congestion relief, economic development, efficiency, and safety. After years of working with leading officials, the Institute saw that concept codified and enacted. The Institute also updated its paper, Tax Restructuring in Virginia, offering 23 different revenue-neutral economic scenarios to expand the economy and create tens of thousands of private sector jobs. A summary was sent to all candidates in this year’s General Assembly races, with a letter co-signed by the Virginia Manufacturers Association, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the Virginia Retail Federation. The Institute is leading the charge to “Defund Iran,” seeking to ensure Virginia state government eliminates investments with companies doing business with, and strengthening, Iran. thomasjeffersoninst.org

WASHINGTON

In September, Washington Policy Center held its Eastern Washington Annual Dinner event, drawing over 750 attendees. The dinner featured former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton and Heritage Foundation’s Chief Economist Stephen Moore. In October, WPC held its Annual Dinner in the Seattle area, attracting over 1,550 attendees, including 350 young professionals and college students. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice Jay Sekulow headlined the event.

A collapsed bridge in South Carolina’s Lowcountry (October 5, 2015)



With a photo of Whitney Ball wearing a crown illuminating the screens behind her, Kim Dennis, president and CEO of the Searle Freedom Trust, recalled a conversation she had with the DonorsTrust founder and past president shortly before her passing in August.

“We were searching for her successor and, at that point, she still very much hoped to get back to the office because she wanted to serve as a mentor to that person,” Dennis said. “But she realized that if we had a new president, that she would have to come back in a different role. So she thought about it for a while, and then she proposed to me that she come back as Queen of DonorsTrust.”

This year at its 23rd Annual Meeting, State Policy Network remembered the late Whitney Ball with the 2015 Roe Award, an honor it chose to bestow upon her last year with the full expectation she would be able to accept it in person. Instead, the evening ceremony was dedicated to celebrating the life of a woman who made a profound impact on SPN, its members, and the entire freedom movement.

“When you think of pioneers of the conservative movement, you think of Joe Coors, you think of Tom Roe, you think of Ed Feulner,” said John Jackson, executive director of the Adolph Coors Foundation. “I would add Whitney Ball to that list.”

Throughout the award presentation, close friends and colleagues pointed to Ball’s faith and love of country as her motivation to grow DonorsTrust into the organization it is today and mentor those around her. Photos of Ball showed the infectious sense humor and zeal for life that made so many want to emulate her. Her legacy was palpable as Lawson Bader, the newly appointed President of DonorsTrust, accepted the Roe Award on Ball’s behalf.

As the last photo of Ball—one of her celebrating her 50th birthday wearing a crown—came across the screens, Dennis offered a final and fitting ode to Ball:

“Whitney, the once and future Queen of DonorsTrust. Long live the Queen.”

SPN 23rd Annual Meeting Celebrates Movement Leaders

ROE AWARD Whitney BallThe Roe Award was established in 1992 and fittingly named after the late Thomas A. Roe, Jr., founder of State Policy Network. Mr. Roe was a loyal supporter of the state-based think tanks, providing support through his South Carolina-based Roe Foundation. The annual Roe Award pays tribute to those in the state public policy movement whose achievements have greatly advanced the free market philosophy. It recognizes leadership, innovation, and accomplishment in public policy.


SPN 23rd Annual Meeting Celebrates Movement Leaders

Unsung heroes don’t always look like polished award winners.

Sometimes, they look like Elaine Vechorik as she was

three years ago when she decided she wanted to help make

Mississippi a freer state.

Upon receiving the Vernon K. Krieble Foundation’s 2015

Unsung Hero Award, Vechorik shared how her failures led to

her successes, and how the freedom movement can identify

more unsung heroes like her in other states.

“If you want success, be a dreamer and never give up because

big victories come from small beginnings,” said Vechorik, who

has led campaigns in her state to increase gun rights, curtail

Medicaid fraud, reform civil asset forfeiture, and more.

Vechorik explained how the all-too-common tactics of writing

unread blogs, complaining, and working for parties that don’t hold

people accountable stifled her early efforts. It was not until she began

volunteering with groups like the Mississippi Center for Public Policy

and Mississippi for Liberty that she began to experience policy wins,

like turning a proposed gun permit price increase to a price decrease.

“Elaine has truly made a difference for liberty. She is an exact

example of a person who is an unsung hero who lives among

us,” said Helen Krieble, founder and president of the Vernon

K. Krieble Foundation.

Vechorik reminded the audience that the heroes of their

states may be diamonds in the rough.

“I challenge you to look for someone like me in your state.

Not me as I am now, receiving an award. Look for the person

who failed,” Vechorik said. “Look for someone willing to try;

open the door to them; direct them to training; encourage

them; help them make the connections.

“Don’t wait and hope that someone fully qualified is going to

knock on your door, because you can make it happen for someone.”

Anyone who thinks blue states are a lost cause hasn’t met Kristina Rasmussen.

The executive vice president of the Illinois Policy Institute works daily to prove otherwise, making her the ideal recipient of the 2015 Overton Award.

“We at SPN are honored to be able to give the Overton Award. We don’t do it lightly, and we don’t do it every year,” said SPN Executive Vice President Tony Woodlief. “When we do it, it’s because we’ve seen an EVP or a COO who has fully occupied the space which (Joe Overton) so ably filled, which is serving as a bridge between vision and reality, between ambition and implementation.”

And that’s exactly what Rasmussen has done since joining the Institute in 2009.

“Kristina helped to grow a talented team and she is a steward of that team, getting things done everyday,” said Illinois Policy Institute CEO John Tillman. “It is turning Illinois from a blue state to currently a purple state with tinges of red.”

Rasmussen’s colleagues praised her for her commitment each day to making a difference in Illinois and beyond, her refusal to take no for an answer, and her ability to energize her team.

“Kristina comes into our office every single day with the goal of changing Illinois, and it’s not just for her,” said Matt

Paprocki, Illinois Policy Institute senior vice president. “It’s for her kids. It’s for the poor and disadvantaged who live in our state.”

Upon accepting the award, Rasmussen urged others in the freedom movement to keep working—even in states that seem like lost causes—so they too can experience successes similar to those in Illinois.

“We fight inch-by-inch, issue-by-issue, and we change hearts, minds and laws,” Rasmussen said.

“Thanks to the legacy of men like Joe Overton and Thomas Roe, we are well primed for success going forward,” she said. “We have the opportunity every single day to wake up and change someone’s life for the better.”

UNSUNG HERO

Elaine VechorikOVERTON AWARD Kristina RasmussenThe Overton Award recognizes an outstanding COO or EVP—an individual who not only helps create the organization’s vision, mission, and strategic direction, but who also oversees its day-to-day implementation.

UNSUNG HERO AWARD Elaine VechorikThe Vernon K. Krieble Foundation’s Unsung Hero Award honors an individual whose work defines entrepreneurial public policy and makes a difference for freedom in his or her community.

SPN NEWS 13 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 SPN NEWS 14 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015

All Roads Lead to Annual Meeting: SPN Forges Connections NationwideThe SPN Annual Meeting is perhaps most well-known and appreciated for connecting leaders and peers across the network. Annual Meeting attendees journey across the country to see old friends, make new ones, and meet inspirational speakers and industry experts who will challenge them to sharpen and expand their vision, strategies, and solutions.

The SPN 23rd Annual Meeting was no exception. Over 1,000 movement leaders, partners, supporters, and influencers gathered in Grand Rapids, Mich., to consider ways they could help everyday Americans envision their need for freedom. This year, SPN’s inaugural Annual Meeting mobile app offered a glimpse into just how powerful the conference is in drawing together this community of freedom fighters. Attendees took to the app before Annual Meeting to share photos of the places they were coming from to get to Annual Meeting.

The stunning breadth of starting points was a testament to the network’s growing number of

leaders who will go the distance, great or small, to learn how to defend and expand freedom.

For more Annual Meeting photos, visit SPN’s Facebook page at

www.Facebook.com/StatePolicy.

Mt. Rainier – Rebecca Phillips, State Policy Network

Austin, Texas! – Meredith Turney, State Policy Network

Independence Institute crew at Denver International. Watch out, Grand Rapids! – Alexandra King, Independence Institute

The Libertas team is packed and ready to go! – Connor Boyack, Libertas Institute

New York to Grand Rapids with a shot of the Chrysler Building. – Brandon Muir, Reclaim New York

Coming (with 9 month old Rhett) from Palo Alto! – Jamie Kohlmann, AC Fitzgerald & Associates

Reporting to Annual Meeting from Puerto Rico. – Francheska Rios, Fundacion Libertad Puerto Rico

I’m leaving from Baltimore, but my trip originated in a small town in Virginia. – Ryan Nichols, The Heritage FoundationGreetings from Midland!

– Kim Fischer

Idaho Freedom Foundation vice president Fred Birnbaum had a tough time in security yesterday in Boise. #freedompatdown – Dustin Hurst, Idaho Freedom Foundation

Coming from Oconomowoc, Wisc. – Rich Jefferson, Ballotpedia

Goodbye, D.C. See you soon, Michigan! – Grace Courter, Atlas Network


Also in September, the state Supreme Court overturned the charter school law approved by voters in 2012. Immediately following, WPC hired a top media firm to produce a video project telling the story from the eyes of parents and schoolchildren currently enrolled, as well as teachers and principals of these schools, and is working to ensure school choice remains in Washington state. washingtonpolicy.org

WISCONSIN

The MacIver Institute was honored with two awards this fall. First, MacIver president Brett Healy was presented with the Patriot Award in recognition of the Institute’s extraordinary support of National Guard soldier and MacIver employee Captain Bill Osmulski. Osmulski has been a member of the National Guard for eight years and recently returned from a nine-month deployment to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Second, MacIver’s director of communications, Nick Novak, won a Spark Freedom Trendsetter

Award, which recognizes creativity, execution, achievement, and overall excellence in free market communications and marketing. Novak won the award for his work on MacIver’s “How Washington is Betraying America’s Young” event. The event featured a panel of five millennials from Wisconsin talking about the extreme overreach of the federal government and how it is impacting young Americans. maciverinstitute.com

WYOMING

Taxation of the minerals industry has grown an outsized government bureaucracy and an attendant spending addiction on the part of Wyoming legislators. Wyoming has the highest ratio of government workers to private sector workers in the country. Now with the decline in the minerals industry, Wyoming’s current rosy balance sheet is threatened. There are unrealistic calls for more taxation to raise state revenues, but Wyoming’s private economy, slow to recover from the Great Recession, does not need more taxation. Wyoming needs to shrink government spending by about 25 percent, much like Louisiana has done, and it needs to remove barriers to growth of private sector jobs. Wyoming Liberty Group will host Governor Bobby Jindal at an event on November 16, 2015, to raise awareness of possible solutions to Wyoming’s economic challenges. wyliberty.org

ASSOCIATES

In September, the Acton Institute brought together leading economic scholars in Jerusalem to discuss “Judaism, Christianity,

and the West: Building and Preserving the Institutions of Freedom.” This daylong conference was co-sponsored by the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies and is the fourth in Acton’s One and Indivisible? Religious and Economic Freedom conference series. This event was Acton’s first to be held in the Middle East. Conference participants discussed the significant influence that Judaism and Christianity had on shaping the institutions of freedom that the West enjoys today. All lectures were recorded and can be found on Acton’s website. acton.org

Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. military has been deployed 51 times. Despite an almost frenzied operation tempo, no president has made serious or substantial investments in the U.S. armed forces. The next president must begin to rebuild America’s military. Earlier this fall, the American Enterprise Institute’s Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies released a new report, To Rebuild America’s Military, as a blueprint for the way forward. AEI marked the launch of this groundbreaking report with a discussion between Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), and former Senator and current AEI scholar, Jim Talent. For more information about AEI’s defense studies work or to request a copy of To Rebuild America’s Military, please contact Janine Nichols ([email protected]). aei.org

Registration is now open for the 2015 States and Nation Policy Summit (December 2–4) in Scottsdale, Ariz. Register and book hotel rooms at www .alec.org/snps-member-registration/. Like American Legislative Exchange Council on Facebook: www.facebook.com/alec .states. Follow ALEC on Twitter: twitter

Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, ESGR Chair Emeritus Fred McCormick, Brett Healy, and Bill Osmulski celebrate Brett Healy’s Patriot Award.

WPC’s Chris Cargill, Amb. John Botlon, WPC chairman Craig Williamson, Stephen Moore, and WPC president Dann Mead Smith joined over 750 attendees at WPC’s Eastern Washington Annual Dinner.

SPN UPDATES FROM PAGE 11

Guess who’s about to leave Wilmington, DE, for Grand Rapids? – Denise Chaykun, Ceterus

New York to Grand Rapids with a shot of the Chrysler Building. – Brandon Muir, Reclaim New York

I’m leaving from Baltimore, but my trip originated in a small town in Virginia. – Ryan Nichols, The Heritage Foundation

Idaho Freedom Foundation vice president Fred Birnbaum had a tough time in security yesterday in Boise. #freedompatdown – Dustin Hurst, Idaho Freedom Foundation

Gabe and I are on our way to Annual Meeting from Charlottesville, Va.! – Whitney Athayde, Independent Women’s Forum

Coming from Oconomowoc, Wisc. – Rich Jefferson, Ballotpedia

Came off Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota to join you in Grand Rapids! – Kim Crockett, Center for the American Experiment

From Charleston, SC! – Claire Kittle Dixon, TalentMarket

Here in Grand Rapids from Hawaii. – Joel Sorrell, Sorrell Design & Photography

Leaving Bozeman, Montana. – Wendy Purnell, PERC

Leaving my (hunting??) dog behind in sunny Arizona! – Matthew Gallaher, Goldwater Institute

Leaving Hillsdale and heading toward Grand Rapids – Nathaniel Lehman, Hillsdale student

This Miami Hurricane fan (and FAU & Maryland alumnus) is traveling to the Annual Meeting from Tallahassee, Fla., home of the Florida State University. – Francisco Gonzalez, James Madison Institute


Annual Meeting by

the Numbers

Total Attendees

1,005

States Represented

48

State Think Tank Executives

& Staff

343

National Partners

207

Sponsors

103

Speakers

167

Generation Liberty Fellows

52

NOT A BLANK PAGE Although it certainly looks like it.



SPN NEWS 17 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015SPN NEWS 16 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015SPN NEWS 16 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015


.com/ALEC_states. Two new reports are available at www.ALEC.org: The Effect of State Taxes on Charitable Giving (www .alec.org/publications/2015charitablegiving/) and Federally Managed Lands in the West: The Economic and Environmental Implications for the States (www.alec.org/publications/2015federallands/). alec.org

Americans for Fair Treatment is an organization formed in 2014 to help represent taxpayers, teachers, public employees, and union members against public-sector union abuses while guaranteeing their safe anonymity. On behalf of its members, AFT sued the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and the School District of Philadelphia earlier this year to stop the practice of “ghost teachers”—unions pulling teachers out of the classroom to do union work on taxpayer time. The case is now headed to Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. theaft.org

America’s Future Foundation launched a new partnership with the Washington Policy Center to supplement the activities of their Young Professionals program in Seattle. AFF will build on WPC’s networking and education by providing writing classes, a communications tournament, and other skill development. A new AFF chapter opened this fall in Milwaukee and others are forming in cities across the country. Chapter leaders met in Dallas in October for a Leadership Conference headlined by Dr. Robert Lawson. AFF invites your think tank to partner with them in your city to reach young professionals—contact Kathryn Shelton at [email protected] to learn more. americasfuture.org

Atlas Network was thrilled to be a sponsor of SPN’s Annual Meeting this year. They know that what happens in the states matters to the rest of the world, and that’s why they focus on introducing state-based think tanks to a global network of inspirational people and compelling ideas. If you haven’t already, sign up for World10, Atlas Network’s biweekly email newsletter (visit onatl.as/world10signup to subscribe). World10 brings together the most compelling news from free-market think tanks across the globe, providing you with a snapshot of the innovative new developments happening throughout the worldwide freedom movement. atlasnetwork.org

With thousands of people attending their events each year, The Bastiat Society has become the largest network of liberty-minded business people in the world. They are also determined to show young people they can go into the private sector and remain connected to the ideas of liberty. While their chapters continue to host local meetings, The Bastiat Society organized their very first mentorship class. After receiving 60 applications from around the world, they are working to deliver an experience that will enhance participant’s leadership and communication skills, while exploring the role entrepreneurs play in a free society. Sign up to be a mentor today! bastiatsociety.org

Along with the National Center for Policy Analysis, The Beacon Hill Institute authors David G. Tuerck and James Angelini released The U.S. Corporate Income Tax: A Primer for U.S. Policymakers, which

seeks to broaden the upcoming debate on tax reform. In July, project manager Frank Conte delivered a presentation on interstate competitiveness to a visiting delegation organized by the U.S. State Department and World Boston to study the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. BHI also found that plans for a new Nevada power plant would cost ratepayers more than $600 million over six years. beaconhill.org

Thanks to generous donors, ten Benjamin Rush Institute students attended Free Market Medicine Association’s Second Annual Conference in Oklahoma City, culminating in a private tour of the Surgery Center of Oklahoma to see a direct pay, transparent pricing medical practice in operation. Several reflection articles highlighting their enthusiastic free market medicine takeaways are posted to BRI’s blog. Four BRI students attended the American Academy of Private Physicians’ Conference in September in Washington, D.C. Nationwide, academic year 2015–16 has begun with a stronger start than ever with four lectures/panels and six introductory meetings held or scheduled. Please view lectures and videos from BRI’s 2015 Leadership Conference on BRI’s website. benjaminrushinstitute.org

Are your donors targeted for intimidation? Capital Research Center’s September Organization Trends reports on efforts to use “disclosure” laws and regulations to name and shame conservative donors. Are liberal nonprofits in your state reaping tax dollars and Left-wing foundation funds to serve immigrants? The July Foundation Watch tracks the money flows to many states. Are property rights in your state about to be brushed aside, thanks to the EPA’s “Waters of the United States” regulation? The October Green Watch explains the threat. capitalresearch.org



Center for Competitive Politics petitioned the Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari in Delaware Strong Families v. Attorney General of Delaware, a Third Circuit decision requiring a 501(c)(3) to disclose its supporters’ private information as a condition of publishing a nonpartisan voter guide. Legal Director Allen Dickerson argued two cases before the Tenth Circuit in which the Center is representing nonprofits that, because they engage in issue speech, would be required to publicly identify their donors. Chairman Bradley A. Smith spoke at a Heritage Foundation forum on the dangers of forcing non-profit groups to disclose their donors. campaignfreedom.org

Congressman Pete Sessions invited Twila Brase, president of Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom, to Washington, D.C., for an all-day National Physicians Council for Health Care Policy discussion that included Sessions’ healthcare reform bill. Brase has also been invited to Washington, D.C., to participate in a multi-day meeting with the Catholic Media Coalition to discuss end-of-life issues. The Health Freedom Minute, CCHF’s weekday radio broadcast, is expanding. They recently added 18 stations (NM, OK, PA, UT) and are now reaching over 5 million people on 367 stations nationwide. Hear the Health Freedom Minute or sign up for the weekly CCHF Health Freedom eNews at their website. cchfreedom.org

`The Compact for America Educational Foundation, as the Compact Administrator for the Compact for a Balanced Budget, is working closely with the Compact Commissioners to obtain passage of the

activating legislation in the U.S. Congress before the end of the year. This would give a green light to the state legislatures to join the Compact in the upcoming 2016 state legislative sessions. State-based Network members will be instrumental in helping to identify state legislative leaders who understand the importance and urgency of joining together with other states in this game-changing Compact. compactforamerica.org

Competitive Enterprise Institute announced an October merger with the Center for Class Action Fairness, a public interest law firm. The merger combines both organizations’ proven track records, creating a legal program dedicated to protecting the rule of law and supporting economic freedom, prosperity, and innovation. Attorney Ted Frank founded CCAF in 2009 to challenge incentives for abusive class action litigation. Frank will continue to lead the team and its pro bono advocacy. In November, CEI President Lawson Bader will be departing CEI to join DonorsTrust as president and CEO. Executive Director Greg Conko will become acting CEI president. cei.org

In “Culture Wars,” the current volume of The Black Book of the American Left, a nine-volume collection of David Horowitz’s 30 years of conservative writings, Horowitz shows how today’s Left uses culture as a battleground and how conservatives can fight back. Political correctness, Horowitz believes, is merely an updated version of the communist party line. He analyzes in detail the other ways in which the Left has prosecuted its 50-year culture war—by pushing multiculturalism (versus “e pluribus unum”), by rewriting American history to transform it into a narrative of violence and victimhood, by conquering and controlling the mainstream media,

and by making identity politics and gender into weapons of cultural aggression. horowitzfreedomcenter.org

All of us at DonorsTrust appreciate the outpouring of support we’ve received in the wake of Whitney Ball’s death. As founder and president of DonorsTrust, Whitney’s passing leaves a void both in DonorsTrust and in the greater liberty movement. Her receipt of the Roe Award at SPN’s Annual Meeting offered a touching tribute, allowing the movement for which she cared so deeply to honor her one last time. Whitney built DonorsTrust into a strong defender of donor intent for liberty-oriented causes, and that work continues unabated. We look forward to Lawson Bader joining as CEO in November and building on Whitney’s legacy. donorstrust.org

Earlier this year, The Fairness Center stopped a scheme by Pennsylvania Governor Wolf and unions to forcibly unionize home healthcare workers by securing an emergency injunction. Dave Smith, a quadriplegic man with muscular dystrophy, and his homecare worker, Don Lambrecht, don’t want a union coming between them, so The Fairness Center helped them file suit against the Governor. This case has gotten new impetus, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will hold a hearing on it this fall. In addition, Dave and Don’s story has been told in major news outlets across the state like the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. fairnesscenter.org

Foundation for Economic Education is now offering special bundles of its best-selling publications on economics and the freedom philosophy such as The Law, Are We Good Enough for Liberty?, Great Myths



of the Great Depression, Economics In One Lesson, and more at fantastic discounts of over 75 percent off of retail prices. These discounts are available for orders of 100 or more books—perfect for students and junior staff. Only friends of FEE get this great price. To find out more or order copies today, email [email protected]. FEE’s full selection of books is available at www.store .FEE.org. fee.org

Foundation for Excellence in Education recently launched www.DropTheSuitNV.org and a digital campaign to generate awareness and support for Nevada’s ESA program in the face of the ACLU’s misguided lawsuit to block this historic program. They are encouraging all Nevadans to sign a petition telling the ACLU to Drop the Suit! But more importantly, the new website encourages parents to apply for the new program and provides valuable information about the program’s benefits. When it comes to their children, parents are the best decision makers. excelined.org

In early October, veteran editor and journalist John Bicknell joined Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity as executive editor for www .Watchdog.org. Bicknell has been a journalist for more than 30 years. He served as an editor at Congressional Quarterly, and when CQ merged with Roll Call, he continued as national security editor before becoming editor of the opinion pages. Bicknell will work with Vice President of Journalism Will Swaim as the Franklin Center implements plans to expand beyond its 16 state bureaus, while growing staff in five key states: Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. franklincenterhq.org

The U.S. ranks 16th in the Fraser Institute’s latest Economic Freedom of the World index (http://tinyurl.com/nmekllo). The U.S. was ranked 12th last year and second in 2000. The top 10 jurisdictions are Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, Mauritius, Jordan, Ireland, Canada, with Britain and Chile tied for 10th. Considered the world’s premier survey of economic freedom, the report measures economic freedom in five areas—size of government, legal structure/security of property rights, access to sound money, freedom to trade, and regulation of credit, labor, and business—by analyzing 157 jurisdictions. Subscribe to Insight, Fraser Institute’s U.S. newsletter, at http://tinyurl .com/lfk4fp6. fraserinstitute.org

Free State Foundation president Randolph May and FSF senior fellow Seth Cooper’s new book explores the foundational underpinnings of intellectual property (IP) that inform the Constitution. The Constitutional Foundations of Intellectual Property: A Natural Rights Perspective, available on Amazon and through Carolina Academic Press, explains how a natural rights perspective has informed the development of IP rights from John Locke through Abraham Lincoln. Readers, whether academics, students, policymakers, or just ordinary citizens, will find the book not only useful and informative, but also interesting with its blend of history, biography, philosophy, and jurisprudence. freestatefoundation.org

In 1980, Bob Chitester produced the highly-acclaimed Free To Choose, a 10-part

series on the life and philosophies of Milton Friedman. Five years later, Bob created Free To Choose Network to continue creating public television documentaries and to promote the value of personal, economic, and political freedoms. Thirty years later, FTCN continues to bring entertaining productions to public television audiences, as well as new streaming audiences with its Roku Channel. Find them at https://channelstore.roku.com/details/45386/free-to-choose, and watch for a two-hour documentary on Adam Smith, the world’s first economist and a moral philosopher, in early 2016. freetochoosenetwork.org

The digital version of The Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom was named a top reference website for 2015 by the American Library Association. Robert Rector authored two important works: The Redistributive State: The Allocation of Government Benefits, Services, and Taxes in the United States and a comprehensive look at Poverty and the Social Welfare State in the United States and Other Nations. Each year Heritage hosts more than 200 public events, which it archives on its website. Among recent events was a “Summit on Workers’ Empowerment” to draw attention to excessive government regulations and the impact of Big Labor on the American workforce. heritage.org

Have you seen Love Gov yet? The Independent Institute’s five-part, satirical video series Love Gov: From First Date to Mandate hit 1.8 million views in October! Also featured on Stossel on Fox Business, “Breaking Up with Government,” these comic yet insightful videos have captured the attention of millennials who are increasingly frustrated with government’s ever-expanding reach into their lives. Combined with their MyGovCost mobile



app, which invites users to calculate their burden of federal spending, the Institute is providing new and innovative platforms for young people to engage with the essential ideas of liberty. Watch, enjoy, and share with others! independent.org

No scholars, no research, no change. That’s why the Institute for Humane Studies has developed Find Scholars—a FREE service that connects liberty-based organizations to experts who can help advance their goals. The Find team has successfully connected credible academic experts to engage in research, op-eds, media comments, and speaking opportunities with organizations such as the Platte Institute, Coalition to Reduce Spending, Mackinac Center, and the Commonwealth Foundation. If you are looking for experts on any policy area, please email: [email protected] (http://theihs.org/find). theihs.org

As GOP presidential candidates mulled whether conservatives should have a “climate change insurance policy,” the Institute for Policy Innovation presented three diverse perspectives on market-based solutions in September to an audience of students and others. Once negotiators finalized the Trans-Pacific Partnership, IPI addressed the center-right’s growing protectionist bloc, explaining that free trade and free markets go hand in hand. And on The Jim Bohannon Show, Merrill Matthews discussed the growing support for an Article V Convention of the States to provide a check on the federal government’s overreach. ipi.org

The Jesse Helms Center welcomed Dr. James Otteson on November 2 as part of the BB&T Program on the Moral

Foundations of Free Enterprise. Over 100 students heard Dr. Otteson discuss his new book, The End of Socialism, addressing the question, “Is socialism morally superior to other systems of political economy?” Also, Dr. Peter Frank, the Jesse Helms free enterprise fellow, spoke at the John Locke Foundation to announce the release of Free Enterprise Now: A Curriculum for the Next Generation of Leaders. The website, released summer 2015, has already reached thousands of students in both traditional and home schools. jessehelmscenter.org

In September, The John W. Pope Center for Higher Education Policy published a report entitled The Decline of the English Department. Authored by Director of Policy Analysis Jay Schalin, the report investigates current trends in English departments, including why student enrollment has declined and how both internal and external pressures have led to widespread changes in the curriculum. Schalin found that English departments are losing students, lowering standards, and calcifying into hard-left intellectual orthodoxy. The report investigates these trends across the country and in the University of North Carolina system. Read the full report on their website. popecenter.org

Judicial Watch continues to investigate former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and to expose IRS corruption. Recently obtained documents from the State Department show a nearly five-month gap in Clinton’s emails, and the State Department instructed her attorney to delete a Benghazi-related email. JW filed a lawsuit seeking records of Bryan Pagliano, Clinton’s director of IT during her 2008 campaign, to see if the State Department spent taxpayer money to manage Clinton’s homebrew email server. Pagliano reportedly plans to “plead the Fifth”

before Congress. New information in the IRS scandal shows Lois G. Lerner also used a private email account denominated “Toby Miles.” judicialwatch.org

Just Facts has published extensive research on education to help parents, voters, lawmakers, and policy analysts slice through the heated rhetoric that clouds this issue. This original resource contains hundreds of facts about the results, costs, and possible reforms of the U.S. education system. Whether you are interested in K–12 education, higher education, or preschool, you’ll find clear, reliable, and rigorously documented facts at www.justfacts.com/education.asp. justfacts.com

As leaves are falling, Mercatus Center at George Mason University scholars continue dropping top research. Robert Graboyes expanded his Fortress and Frontier conversation and kicked off SPN’s Annual meeting with a highly successful health education dinner discussion and conference panel featuring healthcare innovators, including Jason Hwang of Icebreaker Health and Aaron Dallek of Opternative. In other health policy, scholar Marc Joffe reviewed state financial data and found that growth in state Medicaid spending is crowding out spending on education and transportation infrastructure. Finally, scholars Stephen Miller and Zach Gochenouer analyzed North Carolina’s fiscal and institutional health and produced a comprehensive diagnostic of the state. mercatus.org

Moving Picture Institute has launched its online comedy YouTube channel, We the Internet. Watch We the Internet videos about “trigger warnings,” stadium subsidies,



student debt, and more at www.YouTube .com/WeTheInternetTV. Dreaming Against the World, an MPI-supported documentary from Oscar-nominated filmmakers, premiered at the prestigious Telluride Film Festival. The film tells the story of a Chinese artist who was wrongly imprisoned during the Chinese Revolution and fought for self-expression and his freedom to create. Visit www.MovingPictureInstitute.org to learn about MPI’s films and talent development programs. Contact [email protected] to arrange screenings and recommend filmmakers for fellowships, grants, and internships. thempi.org

On December 4, the National Center for Policy Analysis is hosting a panel discussion: “Leading Diverse Cities—Three Texas Women Leading the Way in Governing.” The program will present different ideas, viewpoints, challenges, and successes from the perspective of women mayors. Panelists will be Mayor Betsy Price of Fort Worth (fifth largest city in Texas), Mayor Beth Van Duyne of Irving (home of the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys—a place with unique security and partnership perspectives), and Mayor Nelda Martinez of Corpus Christi (a coastal city with a heavily Hispanic population). The program will be at noon at the Addison Marriott Quorum. www.ncpa.org/events. ncpa.org

National Right to Work Foundation filed an amicus curiae brief in the upcoming Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association case urging the Supreme Court to rule that mandatory union dues for public sector employees violate the Constitution. The NRTW Foundation also launched a grassroots lobbying campaign that generated thousands of petitions to state attorneys general urging them to add their names to pro-Friedrichs briefs in support of ending mandatory union dues. The push helped ensure that 18 attorneys general signed on

to the amicus brief—twice as many as signed on to an earlier brief to the High Court. nrtw.org

Pacific Legal Foundation has filed petitions for writ of certiorari at the Supreme Court, including Kent Recycling Services v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Hawkes Co., et al. v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. PLF is seeking Supreme Court review of its constitutional challenge to Obamacare. PLF’s suit argues that the law’s tax penalties violate the Origination Clause, which requires that bills for raising revenue must start in the House of Representatives. Obamacare began in the Senate under a “gut-and-amend” ploy by Sen. Harry Reid. Julio Colomba, Raymond Nhan, and Caleb Trotter have joined PLF’s College of Public Interest Law. pacificlegal.org

In forthcoming publications from the Property and Environment Research Center, 2015 PERC Impact Fellow Javier Angulo looks at the unintended consequences of solar policy and net metering in Arizona; PERC’s Reed Watson and the James Madison Institute’s Sal Nuzzo work to uncover emerging water markets in Florida; and 2015 Impact Fellow Alison Grant debunks the Eight Great Myths of the California Drought. Meanwhile, as you contend with the EPA’s rule 111(d), PERC wants to help you tell stories of enviropreneurs in your state who are innovating in the energy space. Email [email protected] to tell them how they can help. perc.org

Since 2014, Reason Foundation has been advising the administration of Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett on a two-stage reform of

the city’s Municipal Employees’ Retirement Plan. The city just adopted an ordinance that creates a more responsible amortization policy for paying off the city’s pension debt. A new study by vice president of research Julian Morris estimates that the “social costs of carbon” have been falling and calls into question the analyses of the Obama Administration’s new Clean Power Plan and other federal regulations targeting emissions of greenhouse gases. Mark your calendar for December 8 when Reason and the Georgia Public Policy Foundation present “The Case for K–12 Student-Based Budgeting in Georgia,” a panel discussion at The Cobb Galleria in Atlanta. reason.org

Spark Freedom recognized the hard work of the following organizations at the 2015 Trendsetter Awards: Media Relations: Charles Siler & Kristina Ribali (Foundation for Government Accountability) for “Stop the Scam” Events: Nick Novak (MacIver Institute) for “How Washington is Betraying America’s Young” Identity: Bill of Rights Institute for “BRI Rebranding 2015” Promotional & Collateral: Foundation for Economic Education for “The Freeman Re-Envisioning” Website: Joshua Treviño, CJ Bankhead, and Caroline Espinosa (TPPF) for “TexasPolicy.com” Marketing on a Shoestring: Illinois Policy Institute for “Jobs Facebook Video Ad” Advertising: Foundation for Government Accountability for “Unhealthy Utah—Defeating Utah’s Medicaid Expansion” Social/Interactive Media: James Madison Institute for “Sharp Mind, Noble Heart” sparkfreedom.org

Save the date: The Steamboat Institute’s hugely popular 8th Annual Freedom Conference & Festival will be held August



26–27, 2016, in the spectacular Rocky Mountain setting of Steamboat Springs, Colo. This “conservative alternative to the Aspen Institute” is the only conservative public policy conference to feature a gondola ride to the mountaintop for the keynote dinner, a post-conference Coyote Gold Margarita Party and outdoor concert, and the nation’s conservative thought and policy leaders. Registration will open early spring 2016. Sign up at www.steamboatinstitute.org to get email updates. This event will sell out! steamboatinstitute.org

How competitive is the United States tax code? How business-friendly is your state’s tax system? Check out the new editions of the Tax Foundation’s International Tax Competitiveness Index and State Business Tax Climate Index at their website. taxfoundation.org

The Fund for American Studies is now accepting applications for Leadership & The American Presidency (LTAP), a new program developed with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute (RRPFI). This Washington, D.C.-based program will recruit outstanding college students to enroll in an academic course designed to promote effective leadership through hands-on simulations and case studies of the American presidency. Students will also hold an internship and participate in site briefings and guest lectures that will further develop leadership skills and an understanding of American history. Students will be incorporated into the TFAS student body of six other Washington, D.C., summer programs. Learn more at www.DCinternships.org/LTAP. tfas.org

Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty’s representation of Marquette University

Professor John McAdams has continued through the summer, and Marquette will decide soon whether or not to fire him. Professor McAdams, a tenured political science professor, has been an outspoken critic of politically correct speech and university policies that, on balance, favor liberal causes over conservative students’ interests. Professor McAdams’ academic freedom and First Amendment rights—and those of many other academics—are being increasingly challenged at universities across the country. Last year, Marquette began proceedings to fire McAdams because of his public criticisms of a teaching assistant who refused to allow a philosophical debate in her class on gay marriage, calling the topic akin to racism and disallowed in her classroom. will-law.org

This summer, Young America’s Foundation held its 37th annual National Conservative Student Conference featuring leaders such as Mark Levin and Senator Tom Cotton. YAF has also enjoyed a busy fall. YAF’s video of students interviewed about 9/11 was viewed more than 250,000 times and featured on-air by Rush Limbaugh. In addition, 3,000 students attended Dr. Charles Krauthammer’s YAF-sponsored lecture at Cedarville University, and hundreds of students have attended or will attend fall conferences at the Reagan Ranch and YAF’s national headquarters. Additionally, YAF chapters are growing daily and attracting national attention for their bold activism. yaf.org


For those who value liberty and a proven, positive, active strategy in pursuit of individual freedom, free markets, and limited government, State Policy Network (SPN) provides both current and deferred opportunities for you to make a difference.

SPN’s unique focus is to grow, strengthen, and empower our dynamic network of more than 60 organizations who fight for constitutional government and economic liberty in all 50 states. Through this thriving interstate network built up over the past two decades, SPN strategically deploys our battle-tested strategy to secure durable wins for liberty. These big wins are creating momentum and, ultimately, national impact.

State Policy Network launched the Freedom’s Future Legacy Society to recognize extraordinary partners who make commitments to SPN’s mission through bequests and other estate planned gifts. Just as your current gifts are deeply appreciated, SPN is sincerely grateful to those who share their intentions to make a legacy gift, investing in the pursuit of a durable freedom majority.

To learn how you can make a lasting impact on the future of our nation by becoming a “charter member” of SPN’s Freedom’s Future Legacy Society, please contact Cindy Kilduff at [email protected] or 703-910-3481.

He also learned early on that making money alone isn’t success, but it did provide an avenue to financially support and serve on community boards. Through his philanthropy he has shown the benefit of people coming together voluntarily, because not all problems need big government solutions.

Sadly, he also experienced and witnessed pain and suffering within his own family caused by alcohol and drug abuse. He has spent the majority of his life working to help others through his involvement in Faith Partners and by serving on the Governor’s Task Force on Substance Abuse.

“I came to believe God has a purpose for each of us while we reside on earth. We must become aware of our purpose, accept it as our purpose, and work to bring God’s purpose for our life to fruition.” For more than 30 years, Jack has been a tireless advocate, as he accepted his purpose: “To do all I can to prevent substance abuse from happening in the lives of others; and, if it does, help them to find sobriety.”

Through his support of the SPN network, Jack has added protecting his family’s values to his own legacy. “Washington has become too powerful. They’re getting away with too much, but by working to give the states back more control, it will help place the power back with people where it belongs.”

Today he sees in government the same phenomenon he observed in the automobile industry: the coercive power of government unions is hurting and stifling innovation of core government services and the education of our children. SPN’s strategy to take on government unions and return power to the people is one of the important programs in which he invests.

“The most sickening part is those powerful unions want more money. Even when the evidence clearly shows that kids get a better education with charter schools, the unions oppose them.”

Coming from humble beginnings, Jack feels “it shouldn’t matter if kids’ families are poor or live in poor neighborhoods —we still have an obligation to provide our kids with a quality education.” That’s one of the reasons he supports SPN’s strategy. He thinks it’s imperative to leave a legacy for freedom by investing in strong infrastructures that supports the fight for liberty in every state—including

the improvement of educational options for our children.

Love of country, the protection of free enterprise, and the pursuit of freedom is a Turner family affair. Today, the fourth and fifth generations of Turners are looking to leave their mark on their family’s legacy. Jack’s grandsons have advanced degrees and love spending time at the ranch together. Michael Turner was elected to

the Oklahoma state legislature in 2012 at 25 and became a friend of the Oklahoma Council for Public Affairs, an organization Jack has long supported.

At 87, Jack is proud to be the third generation to expand the original family homestead and become a nationally respected registered Hereford breeder. He can be found in his new office on the historic Stockyard grounds—most days by 7 a.m. Jack continues to carry out his grandfather’s legacy through his courage to take risks and explore new opportunities, his passion for the free market of the cattle trade, and the willingness to work hard to build something from nothing.

JACK TURNER FROM PAGE 4 ROAD TRIP FROM PAGE 2

discuss the Beacon Center and our policy priorities, many of these conversations turned personal...and that’s a good thing. I spent 45 minutes talking to a newspaper columnist in Memphis about whether the Grizzlies could make a playoff run. I spent a tour of a Knoxville TV station talking to a producer about my Pennsylvania upbringing. And I discussed my college experience and the cold Milwaukee winters with a writer in Kingsport.

Ultimately, connecting with media on a personal level will not only mean they are more likely to cover you, but they are also more likely to cover you favorably. As we all know, media personalities tend to have a liberal lean. However, it is a mistake to think that ideology takes precedence over personal relationships and need for quality material. Even if they disagree with your position, the media will treat you more fairly in coverage of that issue if they trust you and like you personally. Our trip has proven this to be true.

After five days of meetings, great barbecue, lots of laughs, and a few beers, this road trip was more successful than I could have ever imagined—and not just from a media perspective. We were also able to raise more money and gain a new network of donors. By working together, accommodating each other’s schedule, and even sitting in on each other’s meetings where it made sense, Sam and I were able to achieve both our goals and position our organization better for the long run. Because of this success, I will be taking a second annual media tour this November. I would urge every organization in the network to do the same.


Francis and Annie Turner

ROAD TRIP FROM PAGE 2


the race, gender, and sexual orientation of both their board of trustees, and of the staff and leadership of the charities that they supported. The bill was based loosely on the idea that since philanthropic foundations were tax-exempt, the government possessed the right to regulate heavily the practice of private giving.

This piece of legislation was eventually pulled, but only after Left-leaning groups blackmailed numerous philanthropic organizations into supporting their pet causes.

At its core, the enemies of debate use thinly veiled extortion disguised as public policy to stifle their political adversaries. Is your opponent effective? Use donor disclosure and impose mandates on philanthropic giving to cut off their air supply of funding, or to bully them to back off their projects. This is old-fashioned political gamesmanship, plain and simple—and we all lose as the First Amendment takes a beating in the process.

Unfortunately, this destructive approach migrated to the Sunshine State. In 2009, a movement based on misleading statistics and the message of “helping Florida’s minorities,” started to gain traction. JMI recognized this unparalleled threat and sought to uncover the truth behind the motives of this effort. Matthew Vadum, a member of JMI’s research advisory council, published a Policy Brief titled “The Future of Philanthropy in Florida.” This report exposed the cataclysmic intentions behind the effort to force public disclosure of donor information.

As a result of JMI’s work, both the public and policymakers were keenly aware of the dangers facing private philanthropy. Subsequently, the Florida Senate took the lead in passing SB 998, a preemptive measure designed to protect the information of donors and the causes they support. SB 998 was ultimately passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law in 2010 by then Governor Charlie Crist.

Of course, the battle never ends. In 2014, a national organization called Represent.Us teamed up with the Tallahassee Tea Party placing an initiative on the Tallahassee city election ballot creating an ethics commission with sweeping power to root out political corruption. The initiative passed with more than 60% approval. And while donor disclosure isn’t mandated by the initiative, the door is open for the unelected commissioners to eventually require it. Represent.Us isn’t stopping in Tallahassee. They want to pass similar laws in cities all across the country.

And it’s not just local ballot measures we’re facing. Statewide initiatives have been introduced in Arkansas and California that would require non-profit groups to report the names and addresses of their supporters to the government. State lawmakers in a dozen states and campaign finance

regulators in another half-dozen are considering regulations to do the same.

The enemies of free and open debate continue to plot their attack, but we are also at work encouraging more civic engagement on this issue. Just this year, JMI hosted a public debate on the merits of donor disclosure laws. This forum, between Mr. Hans A. von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow and manager of the Election Law Reform Initiative at the Heritage Foundation and Dr. Craig Holman, a political lobbyist at Public Citizen, provided a platform for students, policymakers, and citizens to learn about the importance of charitable giving in our society and potential threats to donor privacy.

The idea of government controlling, whether directly or indirectly, where money flows in the philanthropic arena goes against the fundamental meaning of freedom. Our country continues to thrive because of innovation, economic opportunity and the voluntary generosity of the American public. Moreover, private philanthropy has proven time and time again to be far more effective at serving those in need than simply another government program.

Florida is home to millions who choose to support a variety of charities in many ways. The James Madison Institute has taken a stand to not only thwart regulations on private giving, but also to safeguard the future of free association. As we’ve seen, it is inevitable that certain charitable givers and the organizations they support will continue to face challenges to their freedom of choice. It happened here in Florida, and your state may be next, if these foes haven’t made their way there already.

Organizations like JMI, and our SPN partners around the country, must expose these misleading tactics, the deceptive motives and the false messages being peddled in this important debate. It’s up to us to prevent the next Brendan Eich from facing persecution for simply exercising his First Amendment rights.

J. Robert McClure is president and CEO of The James Madison Institute. Write him at

[email protected].

REGULATING PHILANTHROPY FROM PAGE 1

“Our country continues to thrive because of innovation, economic opportunity and the

voluntary generosity of the American public.”

1655 NORTH FORT MYER DRIVESUITE 360 ARLINGTON, VA 22209

Date post:	24-Jul-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	state-policy-network
View:	216 times
Download:	3 times

November/December 2015 SPN News

Documents