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Institute Updates


Published on Tuesday, April 01, 2008
ARTICLES

 

  
ALASKA

In February, the Institute of the North co-sponsored a workshop on statewide telecommunications with the University of Alaska to evaluate future needs, identify the challenges to broadband in rural Alaska and determine a roadmap for future investment and infrastructure. As part of the Institute's Security and Defense Program, senior fellow Mead Treadwell, Vanguard editor Michaela Goertzen and the Claremont Institute's Tom Karako (editor of missilethreat.com) met in December with Michael Frankel of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from electromagnetic pulse attack. The commission, created by Congress, is releasing Volume 3 of its report this year, and the Institute's S&D program plans to work with state policymakers to ensure that they include planning for EMP attack in state emergency response plans, as called for by the commission. Since the November 2007 inaugural issue of the Vanguard, the e-newsletter continues to increase its circulation. To receive weekly editions, please email mgoertzen@institutenorth.org. institutenorth.org

  
ALABAMA

Alabama Policy Institute recently launched a new internet tool aimed at holding Alabama lawmakers accountable by tracking legislation and comparing it to original party platforms. This tool is the core of a project known as "Stand & Deliver."API has two upcoming publications. "Should Alabama Create/Fund a Universal Pre-K Program?" analyzes the effectiveness of pre-K programs in other states. "Alabama's Public Education Dilemma: Does Funding Influence Outcomes?" explores relationships between academic inputs and outputs in the state compared to the rest of the nation.alabamapolicy.org

 

ARIZONA

This year is the Goldwater Institute's 20th anniversary. On Feb. 25 the Institute received a tremendous birthday present: The Arizona Capitol Times named it "Government Watchdog of the Year." With tuition tax credit programs, foster care vouchers, vouchers for students with disabilities and the country's most expansive charter school program, Arizona is poised for even greater reform. The Institute helped focus Arizona's future education reform efforts with the release of "School Choice in Arizona: A Review of Existing Programs and a Road Map for Future Reform," by Dr. Matthew Ladner. Ward Connerly is sponsoring a state initiative to end racial preferences in government contracting, hiring, and college and university admissions. Connerly spoke to the Institute in February about the initiative and his life experiences that led him to reject racial preferences. Connerly's remarks are available on Goldwater's website. Institute president Darcy Olsen provided the opposing view when USA Today endorsed the concept of government-funded preschool. Read her rebuttal at goldwaterinstitute.org.

  
ARKANSAS

Twenty-sixcharter schools, a record number, are scheduled to operate in Arkansas in the upcoming 2008-2009 school year. The development underscores the broad consensus that has emerged in the last decade for an education reform once viewed as controversial. Charter school expansion is perhaps the most significant education reform won by Arkansas market-based groups, and offers important lessons about marketing ideas to policymakers. In a 1996 report, Arkansas Policy Foundation analysts Allyson Tucker and Donna Watson argued against Arkansas's weak charter school law.In 1998, the Murphy Commission, a Foundation project, recommended broadening the measure.The charter act was expanded in 1999 afterabipartisan group of legislators toured a successful Texas charter serving at-risk students. It was expanded again in 2005 and 2007 after proponents noted the role that charters play in serving at-risk students. arkansaspolicyfoundation.org

  
CALIFORNIA

Pacific Research Institute's recent report, "California Health Care Deforminator: Model ABX1 1," revealed how the health care proposal from Gov. Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez would increase taxation and government spending by at least $14 billion. The Institute's policy research received extensive media, including CNBC News, NPR and The American Spectator. In a New York Post article, PRI's Sally C. Pipes explained how New York Gov. Spitzer's budget proposal to cut prescription drug spending would actually aggravate the state's $4.4 billion deficit. PRI recently hosted "True Hollywood Scandals: The Courtroom Legacy of Anna Nicole Smith," an event with Horace Cooper discussing the excesses of America's tort system. PRI's highly anticipated "U.S. Tort Liability Index: 2008 Report" is scheduled for a March release. pacificresearch.org

  
CONNECTICUT

The Yankee Institute recently released "Ending Corruption and Waste in Your Public Schools," an advice manual for taxpayer groups and local politicians on detecting inefficiencies and corrupt practices from local education budgets. The study prompted several Connecticut towns and cities to hire firms to begin looking into ways for schools to save money. The author, former superintendent Armand Fusco, Ph.D., has been recruited by one Connecticut town to spearhead a committee of volunteers looking to save taxpayers dollars and improve efficiency and accountability. The Institute is publishing "Three Cures for What's Ailing Long Term Health Care." Of all the expenses contributing to exploding Medicaid costs, none comes close to nursing home bills and related aspects of long term care. Because the Legislature has succeeded in chasing away business with high income and corporate taxes, Connecticut has a disproportionately older population. That means long-term health-care costs will hit the Constitution State especially hard.yankeeinstitute.org

  
FLORIDA

The James Madison Institute hit the ground running in 2008 with a major staff addition and two major policy events. Since coming on board in January, Francisco Gonzalez has energetically jumped in as JMI's development director. A Florida native, Francisco returned to his roots after earning a master's degree in history from the University of Maryland and spending three years with the Intercollegiate Studies Institute in Delaware. JMI continued battling government encroachment on the free market with its latest Backgrounder, "Restoring Florida's Insurance Market," by Eli Lehrer (in conjunction with Heartland and the Competitive Enterprise Institutes' "National Insurance Report Card"). JMI hosted national experts in February for "The Right Rx for Florida: A Health Care Innovation Forum." Priorities for Florida's 2008 legislative session include property insurance reform, energy and climate change policy, expansion of Medicaid reform, local and state government transparency and a taxpayer protection amendment. jamesmadison.org

  
GEORGIA

Claiming credit for ideas has never been a priority in the think tank world, but it is rewarding to watch the Georgia Public Policy Foundation's policy proposals make headway in the General Assembly. Transparency bills have been introduced in the House and Senate; the governor as well as House and Senate leaders have endorsed Foundation health care proposals, and the House approved an equitable charter school funding measure. Several transportation funding bills have been introduced and the array of transportation projects is mind-boggling, but the Foundation's push for accountability and prioritization is finding fertile ground. http://www.gppf.org/

  
ILLINOIS

The Illinois Policy Institute launched several projects in February, including a comprehensive transparency project, Open Illinois, which will focus on both local and statewide transparency measures.The ultimate goal:a simple, easy-access website that opens the books on spending decisions in Illinois. The Illinois Liberty Budget project aims to bring free market thinking to our state's budgeting decisions-and to provide concrete examples as to how state legislators can make wiser decisions. The Institute was a leading voice in opposing the big-spending proposals of the governor's State of the State address. John Tillman and Greg Blankenship hit major media markets around the state to address this "bait and switch budget," which is designed to disguise a massive tax increase to fund government-run health care. Heather Wilhelm will join the Institute as director of marketing and communications in March. A new website is on the way, with a launch scheduled for next month. illinoispolicyinstitute.org

  
INDIANA

The winter journal of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation anticipated a tax reform proposal from Gov. Mitch Daniels that would relieve pressure from outraged taxpayers while protecting the state treasury. Five essays were commissioned from Indiana economists describing a wider range of options than raised by either the governor or legislature, some recommending a healthy dose of free-market incentives. The economists' conclusion: Those who favor a big state government, a group that includes the leadership of both parties, are going to find it increasingly difficult to collect taxes in an efficient or even an equitable manner. Stay tuned as the patchwork political compromises meant to work around hard economic laws begin to unravel here. inpolicy.org

  
IOWA

The Iowa Legislature proposes shifting a local-control tax, dedicated to school infrastructure needs, to a permanent tax under state control.The School Infrastructure Local Option tax created in 1998 allows county citizens of Iowa to vote to approve an additional one cent of sales tax to be dedicated to school construction or property tax relief. SILO sunsets every ten years, and local school boards decide how to spend the SILO tax revenue. Legislators want to repeal SILO and increase the state sales tax permanently by one cent. The state would then "equitably" distribute funds to districts. Iowa's Public Interest Institute is exposing this tax grab. In a follow-up to December's "Is the SILO LOSST?," research analyst Deborah Thornton wrote an Institute brief, "Note to Iowa Legislature:Keep your Hands Off our SILO money!" limitedgovernment.org

  
KANSAS

The Flint Hills Center for Public Policy has released Vol. 2 of the Health Care Handbook for Kansas. The handbook contains FHC studies and opinion editorials; it's a resource for legislators and others involved in health care. Also recently released is the 2008 Health Care Digest, a pocket-size booklet summarizing key health care papers. FHC has produced health fact cards which provide bullet points on health care topics. In February Jonathan Williams, director of fiscal policy for ALEC and a Flint Hills fellow, met with Kansas legislators and supporters. flinthills.org

  
KENTUCKY

Jim Waters, director of policy and communications for the Bluegrass Institute, testified Feb. 13 before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor. Waters called on lawmakers to reject a proposal by Kentucky Congressman Ben Chandler for federal financing of school-construction projects. Kelly Smith is the Institute's new director of development. Smith received a B.A. in political science with a minor in business from Ohio University. Smith served on the Ohio Republican Party's finance team and as a field representative for Congressman John Boehner. John Garen, department chair and Gatton Endowed Professor of Economics at the University of Kentucky, has joined the Institute as an adjunct scholar. Garen recently wrote: "Moving to a system with market incentives ingrained in our educational system presents significant challenges. But overcoming these hurdles offers the best chance for an effective primary and secondary schooling system. Let's take this bold step." bipps.org

  
LOUISIANA

Louisiana Family Forum is in the midst of preparations for the second special legislative session called by newly-elected Governor Bobby Jindal.Jindal's first special session reformed ethics laws in the state, boosting Louisiana's standing to No. 1 by the Center for Public Integrity.LFF has secured agreement from Jindal to include in his special call legislation providing a $5000 per child tax deduction for families who enroll their children in private, parochial or home schools. The proposal, estimated to carve $20 million out of the education department's $6 billion budget, is a modest chink in the armor of the behemoth that is the Louisiana educational system. LFF plans to build on the governor's modest proposal in the regular session later this year.lafamilyforum.org

The Pelican Institute for Public Policy has opened it doors with a website launch, new office space and, shortly, the full-tilt undertaking of a transparency program to bring greater accountability to Louisiana government. This program's chances for success are bolstered by new Governor Bobby Jindal's support for the issue. Among other reforms enacted during a three-week special session, Jindal signed into law a requirement that state government budgets be posted online. The Pelican Institute is researching this legislation to assess its full potential and, thus, evaluate the Institute's current plan to educate residents and also advance the issue at the local level. In other news, Pelican Institute president Kevin Kane was interviewed by Jeff Crouere on his TV show, "Ringside Politics." The Institute co-sponsored an event at the World Trade Center, with featured speaker Maurice McTigue from the Mercatus Center. Kane recently addressed the New Orleans City Council Utility Board during a public hearing; he spoke against forcing some kind of "renewable energy" requirement upon Entergy and its customers. pelicaninstitute.org

  
MARYLAND

Cecilia Januszkiewicz has joined the Free State Foundation as a senior fellow to work primarily on budget reform projects and tax and spending issues. Januszkiewicz served as secretary of the Maryland Department of Budget and Management from June 2005 to January 2007. She developed and managed Maryland's $30 billion operating and capital budgets, managed the state employee health benefits program that provides coverage for more than 200,000 state employees, retirees and dependents, and supervised the state's personnel and information technology policies. In the state budget office Januszkiewicz served as the principal financial advisor to Gov. Robert Ehrlich. Prior to that she served as deputy budget secretary and as a Maryland assistant attorney general. freestatefoundation.org

  
MASSACHUSETTS

The Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University released a new study in February identifying biases in the measurement of the federal "prevailing wage" mandated by the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931. By adding 22 percent to the cost of labor on public construction projects and 9.91 percent to overall construction costs, taxpayers shell out $8.6 billion a year more for public construction projects than they would if unbiased measures were used. BHI suggests repealing Davis-Bacon Act. Next best would be to shut down the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division and transfer the job of measuring prevailing wage to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In January, the Institute testified against a biotech bond bill, saying such measures - in contrast to low, broad-based taxes - are unnecessary subsidies to industries. On the day before Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, the Institute participated in yet another Job Shadow Day. Boston Tech Academy junior Hieu Thong followed BHI communications director Frank Conte in his daily routine and duties. beaconhill.org

Over the past few months, Pioneer Institute conducted two media campaigns to help preserve Massachusetts education reform. In the first, Pioneer opposed Gov. Deval Patrick's hand-picked choice to be Massachusetts' next education commissioner, a strident charter school and standardized testing opponent. Due in part to Pioneer's efforts, Boston's Globe and Herald, and every other daily newspaper in the state, editorialized against the governor's choice. The Board of Education selected an out-of-state candidate instead. Subsequently, Pioneer challenged Gov. Patrick's attempt to gut the Board of Education's independent authority and place many of its powers in the hands of a politically appointed education secretary. Pioneer placed 32 education op-eds in Massachusetts dailies in the last year. Pioneer Institute's Better Government Competition is current seeking the best ideas from around the nation on reforming K-12 education. First prize is $10,000. pioneerinstitute.org

  
MINNESOTA

The Center of the American Experiment has been working behind the scenes and on center stage critiquing two recent state task force reports in Minnesota - one on health care and the other on climate change - whose recommendations are less than free-market ideal.In response to the "Health Care Transformation Task Force," the Center's Peter Nelson has been leading the way in coordinating a group of local physicians, economists and others in making the case for substantially better ways of broadening insurance coverage in the state. The Center is bringing to town Dr. Margo Thorning, vice president and chief economist for the American Council Capital Formation in Washington, for a major public forum as well as media appearances and private meetings with gubernatorial staff, legislators, business leaders and others in response to Minnesota's proposed "Climate Change Action Plan." americanexperiment.org

More than 200 individuals participated in the Freedom Foundation of Minnesota's State of Conservatism in Minnesota Conference, which brought together activists and nationally renowned conservative leaders. Presentations explored, examined and offered insights into the opportunities for today's conservative movement. Such movement leaders as Gov. Tim Pawlenty, U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, Michael Barone, Vin Weber and nationally acclaimed pollster Tony Fabrizio energized the audience with speeches and presentations imploring activists to transcend the vicissitudes of political cycles, and reminding them conservatism is -alive and well in Minnesota, and that answers for the many challenges of the 21st century can be found in free-market solutions. "Minnesota by the Numbers" a quick guide to how Minnesota state spending stacks up against the other 49 states has been distributed to returning legislators. The Freedom Foundation is unveiling a bipartisan Transparency Caucus within the Minnesota Legislature to coincide with the release of a local government spending study. freedomfoundationofminnesota.com

  
MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi Center for Public Policy president Forest Thigpen has been appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour to a 37-member commission to study the state's tax code and make recommendations for its improvement by Aug. 31. In February, MCPP published briefs on charter schools, transparency in government spending and the concept of a statewide health insurance exchange. Transparency bills were introduced by a liberal Democrat, the Senate president pro tempore (a former national president of ALEC) and almost the entire freshman class of House members. All of these legislators attended MCPP's policy seminar in November, where Grover Norquist presented the transparency concept. mspolicy.org

  
MISSOURI

The Show-Me Institute has continued its ambitious publication schedule, recently releasing three new policy studies. In December, a study that reexamined Missouri's burdensome income tax system cited evidence from non-income tax states suggesting Missouri could replace its income tax without abandoning current levels of governmental services or distorting economic growth. In January, two additional policy studies, one exploring the economic impact of a statewide tuition tax credit, the other examining a Kansas City light rail initiative, were well-received by the media. Institute staff and scholars were featured prominently in radio and print interviews throughout the state. They also promoted policy discussions by publishing op-eds and letters to the editor on pressing issues. Show-Me has initiated a new speaker series in collaboration with St. Louis University designed to bring the country's top scholars to help educate policymakers on the challenges facing today's public arena. showmeinstitute.org

  
MICHIGAN

"Striking the Root," a collection of two dozen essays written by Mackinac Center president Lawrence W. Reed, was published in February. Focused on the superiority of individual liberty over government coercion, the essays are taken primarily from Reed's long-running column in The Freeman. The Center's newest publication, Capitol Confidential, is generating buzz. The bimonthly newspaper, which examines policy issues ignored by most media outlets, has attracted more than 2,000 subscription requests and hundreds of new donors. Michael D. LaFaive, director of the Center's Morey Fiscal Policy Initiative, has been interviewed by media across the state to discuss Gov. Jennifer Granholm's State of the State address. Diane S. Katz, the Center's director of science, environment and technology, coauthored a policy brief on the opportunities, limitations and public policy impacts of bio-monitoring. mackinac.org

  
MINNESOTA

The Citizens' Council on Health Care will soon release a report critiquing the genetic surveillance and research legislation recently passed by the U.S. Senate (S. 1858), and awaiting a hearing in the U.S. House (H.R. 3825). At the state level, CCHC released "The Citizens' Report of Dissent" just days before the Minnesota Health Care Transformation Task Force Report was released. The CCHC report called into question the Task Force principles and recommended actions saying they jeopardized individualized care, privacy and self-determination, imposed limits on care, created conflicts of interest between patients and doctors, supported health care rationing and an individual health insurance mandate, and established a two new government bureaucracies. The "Report of Dissent," along with a link to the Task Force Report, are on CCHC's website, along with a petition opposing the proposed Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange. CCHC's president, an appointed member of the Minnesota Genetic Information Task Force, is a member of the new state subcommittee on secondary uses of genetic information. A CCHC survey seeking citizen opinion on DNA ownership is online. cchconline.org

  
MONTANA

The first (and thus far only) free-market think tank based in Montana that is focused exclusively on Montana issues is up and running in Big Sky Country. MPI launched on Jan. 1. The Montana Policy Institute's initial policy goal is to set the stage for TABOR. An MPI study currently in the works will provide policy leaders and analysts credible arguments for limiting Montana government growth and expanding individual freedom.The Montana Transparency Project, which will offer a comprehensive, searchable state and local spending database, is in development. Carl Graham is MPI's CEO.Contact Carl at cgraham@montanapolicy.org with questions or to offer suggestions.MPI looks forward to making a difference for liberty in Montana. Visit our website at montanapolicy.org

  
NEBRASKA

The Platte Institute for Economic Research shed its formative label with an official unveiling on Feb. 4 at the Omaha Press Club. Platte president Pete Ricketts and executive director Roger Lempke addressed more than 40 prominent Omaha business and community leaders. The Institute's formation garnered major headlines in the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star. Formed to do rigorous academic research on issues effecting Nebraska's economic opportunities, the Platte Institute has the first such activity already underway. At the initial unveiling Lempke announced an agreement with Creighton University and renowned Midwest economics professor Ernie Goss to provide a study on the state's tax policy and spending compared to bordering states. In mid-January the Institute hired Berk Brown as its editor. During his career, Berk has earned awards from the Nebraska Press Association and Minnesota Newspaper Association for his journalistic work and column writing. platteinstitute.org

  
NEVADA

Nevada Policy Research Institute created a buzz among the Nevada media establishment in January after releasing a statewide survey with the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice that revealed widespread dissatisfaction with the state's public education system.Only 11 percent of Nevadans would choose to send their own children to a traditional public school if given other options. NPRI hosted President Bush in Las Vegas for a policy speech focusing on the War on Terror and the "transformative power of liberty." The event generated lots of media attention for NPRI, which continues to raise its profile in the Silver State. npri.org

  
NEW HAMPSHIRE

After a steady drumbeat of fiscal analysis, the state government and the governor have finally admitted to a revenue shortfall in the current budget. The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy 's recent work has pointed out that the problem is at least $200 million, and a $50 million proposal by the governor merely delays the pain until after the next election. A recent Bartlett paper, "A Growing Budget Hole," analyzes the long-term problem from a budget that spends $300 million (or 15 percent) more than it raises. As charter school opponents use the budget to starve the state's nascent charter movement, the Center is calling for the inclusion of charters in the proposed education funding plan. jbartlett.org

  
NEW MEXICO

Gov. Bill Richardson made his government-based health care reform proposal the top agenda item for New Mexico's 30-day 2008 legislative session. In response, the Rio Grande Foundation published several issue briefs and its representatives have appeared regularly on television, radio and in print outlets, thus becoming New Mexico's leading organized opponent of socialized medicine. The Foundation has become a one-stop-shop for health policy analysts. Policy papers detailing the flaws inherent in both single-payer systems and bureaucratic systems like Richardson's were published and distributed statewide along with an additional paper which included specific market-based solutions. In addition to health care, the Foundation discussed education tax credits (a top legislative priority for 2008), the need for reasonable regulations on oil and gas drilling in the state, and problems with massive government subsidies given to the state's film industry. On May 1 the Foundation will host John Stossel in Albuquerque. riograndefoundation.org

  
NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolinians now sacrifice on average nearly five percent of their total income to pay for city and county government, a number that has been steadily growing. Taxpayers learned that fact only because of the John Locke Foundation's annual By The Numbers tax-burden rankings. JLF exposed myths about North Carolina's average teacher compensation, warned policy makers about potential budget problems linked to Medicaid-funded long-term care, highlighted new peer reviews questioning the economics of proposed global warming policies, and investigated problems with the state's municipal annexation laws. George Will and Peggy Noonan helped celebrate JLF's 18th anniversary at events in Charlotte and Raleigh. Meanwhile, the author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution shared his insights with a North Carolina History Project audience. JLF's Carolina Journal keeps shedding light on dubious deals like North Carolina's first TIF project and the Randy Parton Theatre, which, thanks to CJ investigations, has changed both its management structure and name. www.johnlocke.org

  
NORTH DAKOTA

On Feb. 14, 2008, Rudie Martinson started working for the North Dakota Policy Council as Transparency Project director. By March, NDPC will launch "Sunshine on Schools" to detail all K-12 budget information in North Dakota. NDPC is also distributing an issues guide to all lawmakers and legislative candidates. It might be minus 30 degrees in North Dakota, but things are heating up at the NDPC! policynd.org

  
OREGON

John Charles, president of Cascade Policy Institute,was a featured speaker in February at the annualDorchester Conference, Oregon's largestRepublican Party policy forum. John also addressed the recentHeartland Institute-sponsored International Conference on ClimateChange in New York. In May he'll speakon "The Benefits of Market-Based Road Pricing" at the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association Conference in Orlando.John's policy brief, "The Environmental Benefits of Globalization,"will also be published intheanthology, Contemporary Issues Companion: Consumerism, scheduled for release this spring.Senior policy analyst Steve Buckstein and Cascade board member Michael Barton testified beforethe OregonHouseCommittee on Healthcare against a constitutional change requiring health care to be listed as a "fundamental right."Votersmay weigh in on this issue in November. Cascade is collaborating with the Cato Institute and the Institute for Justice oneducational tax-credit legislation to be introduced in the state capitol in 2009. cascadepolicy.org

  
PENNSYLVANIA

The Allegheny Institute provided background work and advice on legislation that will reform the local transit agency, and provided input for drafting legislation that will limit the growth of state debt. The Institute continues to drive the case for real school choice in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. The Institute hosted Milwaukee Mayor John O. Norquist to discuss his successes in implementing a voucher system for Milwaukee's public school children, and what lessons can be learned so that Pittsburgh's parents and children can benefit from school choice as well. alleghenyinstitute.org

A new Commonwealth Foundation report released in February identified $6.7 billion in "unhealthy" state spending in advance of the governor's budget proposal. "Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2008" is part of Commonwealth's "Pennsylvania Diet Plan," which includes radio ads, billboards, regular emails with "spending diet tips" and a website, PADietPlan.com. The Foundation continues educating lawmakers and the public about the benefits of leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike, given motorist and federal government opposition to the state's plans to toll Interstate 80. The Commonwealth Foundation will continue to champion school choice in the Keystone state, including the launch of an educational campaign touting taxpayer benefits with SchoolChoiceSaves.org.Upcoming publications include a primer on public cyberschools, an exposé of the state teacher unions, a "Real Report Card" adjusting school-level results on the state standardized test to the NAEP, and revisiting the Foundation's proposed Property Tax Relief Scholarship Act. commonwealthfoundation.org

The REACH Foundation is planning educational campaigns and events designed to highlight school choice across Pennsylvania during the 2008 legislative session."Visions of Choice" will highlight nine families benefiting from school choice programs.The campaign, which runs from March until August, includes publications and press conferences honoring these students. REACH is also collaborating with national partners to facilitate fact-finding trips for out-of-state groups focused on school choice issues. Groups will get a first hand look at the implementation of Pennsylvania's innovative Educational Improvement Tax Credit program and the positive impact it is having on students' educational futures.As always, REACH is heavily involved in protecting and expanding the EITC program during this legislative session. REACH's seventh annual birthday rally in support of the EITC program is being held on Tue., May 6 in Harrisburg.paschoolchoice.org

  
RHODE ISLAND

The Ocean State Policy Research Institute announces two new board members and officers. The Honorable J. William Middendorf served a number of presidential administrations in high-level positions, including U.S. Navy secretary and ambassador to the European communities, the Organization of American States and the Netherlands. He is a founding member of the Heritage Foundation. Lloyd Monroe is a financial advisor and earned a B.A. and M. A. in history at Brown University, and his J.D. from Indiana University School of Law. Monroe served with distinction as an assistant United States attorney, and as a special attorney assigned to the organized crime section of the U.S. Department of Justice. Board officers were elected Dec. 22. Jon Scott is now board chairman; Daniel S. Harrop, M.D., vice chairman; Jay Jacot, treasurer; and Thomas Wigand, J.D., SPHR, secretary. oceanstatepolicy.org

  
SOUTH CAROLINA

The South Carolina Policy Council's board of directors has named Ashley Landess president.Landess, who has been with SCPC since 1998, previously served as vice president for public affairs. She has served on several task forces and study committees, and currently is a member of the state lottery commission. Gov. Mark Sanford said Landess "has always been a strong advocate for substantive government reform and holding the line on spending." Senate President Glenn McConnell said he's worked with Ashley for 10 years and has "always counted on her and the Policy Council to show leadership on the tough issues, and to stand up for the taxpayers in this state." S.C. St. Rep. Nikki Haley called the Policy Council "the conscience" of the General Assembly. Haley stated, "Ashley is one of the first people I call when I need substantive answers. She's a tough leader, an expert on policy issues and a force to be reckoned with in Columbia." scpolicycouncil.com

  
SOUTH DAKOTA

Spending transparency legislation has been introduced in the 2008 South Dakota Legislature. The bill passed a House committee but the governor opposes it. The Great Plains Public Policy Institute has an intern following and reporting on legislative developments for the online "Tax and Spending Report," a daily highlight of Appropriations Committee action that is sent to all legislators, media and supporters. greatplainsppi.org

  
TEXAS

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility is pleased to welcome Andrew Thompson to serve as community relations manager, working to building a strong network of activists throughout the state. He interned with TFR in the summer before graduating from Texas A&M last December. TFR's political action committee announced its list of endorsements in the Republican and Democratic primaries. In the days leading up to the March 4 primaries, TFR's PAC will host telephone-based town hall meetings with tens of thousands of registered voters and selected candidates. empowertexans.com

More than 800 policymakers attended the Texas Public Policy Foundation's 6th Annual Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature Jan. 9-10. The orientation's proceedings, including keynote speeches from Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, internationally renowned economist Dr. Arthur Laffer, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, are available in the multimedia section at TexasPolicy.com.The Foundation has released the first paper in its "Thinking Economically" project, which is designed to provide a basic economic education for policymakers, the media and the general public.Dr. Laffer is the author of the series, which is also available on the Foundation website. The Foundation's new Center for Natural Resources will focus on how market mechanisms, performance-based standards, property rights, and more rigorous scientific and risk-benefit analyses provide the most effective basis for environmental protection and are fundamental to sustaining the economic growth on which continual environmental improvement depends. The Center's director will be Kathleen Hartnett White, former chair of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

  
UTAH

While in Utah on Feb. 5, Ed Feulner, president and founding trustee of the Heritage Foundation, announced the creation of the Sutherland Institute's new Center for Limited Government. The Center is designed to promote the principle of "Limited Government as the essence of Good Government."Dr. Feulner said transparency and accountability are paramount to any government's ability to lead with the trust of its citizens, noting Sutherland's work on a bill requiring public financial information be made available online. "This is a great example of why, in just 13 years, the Sutherland Institute has become Utah's premier think tank," he said. "Today, Utahns can look to the Sutherland Institute as an independent policy voice and the conservative thought leader in the state." sutherlandinstitute.org

  
VERMONT

The Ethan Allen Institute's first State House Roundtable of the year on Jan. 24 focused legislative attention on the major issue of replacing the Vermont State Hospital, the subject of EAI's new report "Don't Send Me to Waterbury!" Meanwhile the legislative leadership rushed forward to make Vermont the planet's paragon of global warming concern and sacrifice. The Institute published a handy chart showing the major recommendations of the Commission on Climate Change, with the right hand column explaining exactly who would shoulder the burden by their implementation (typically: taxpayers.) One notable item: "Require state government plow trucks and police cruisers to pay for carbon offsets for their fuel consumption." The last recommendation on the list: "Explore new economic models and paradigms." (The former Soviet Union may be a leading candidate here.) On April 10 the Institute will hold its 15th Annual Jefferson Day event. It will feature "Thomas Jefferson" himself, in the person of Dr. Clay Jenkinson, a noted Jefferson scholar and reenactor. He'll speak on his book Becoming Jefferson's People: Re-Inventing the American Republic in the Twenty-First Century. ethanallen.org

  
VIRGINIA

With a possible $1 billion state budget deficit, the Thomas Jefferson Institute's focus has been on state finances - both now and in the future. The Institute worked to explain the budget transparency advantages of legislation sponsored by State Sen. Ken Cuccinelli to members of the House of Delegates. The bill remains alive, although carried over for consideration until next year. At the local level, Institute staff have worked with new members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (the state's largest local jurisdiction) to create a Citizens Budget Oversight Committee and begin developing local budgetary transparency. The Institute issued its annual "Fiscal Analysis of a Pennsylvania-style Corporate Tuition Tax Credit," demonstrating the fiscal benefits of school choice; published a "Communications Policy Guide," with the Institute for Policy Innovation, for distribution to state opinion leaders; and conducted a private dinner briefing with two key opponents to proposed high-occupancy toll lanes to answer their questions. thomasjeffersoninst.org

  
WASHINGTON

The Evergreen Freedom Foundation's education reform documentary, "Flunked," will be given a sneak peek March 18 in suburban Seattle. Narrated by Joe Mantegna, star of "Criminal Minds" on CBS, the movie focuses on heroes in education. TV critic Michael Medved will host. View the trailer at the Foundation's website, effwa.org. The EFF blog, www.libertylive.org, recorded more than 867,000 hits by mid-February and is averaging about 60,000 hits per week so far in 2008. EFF's new media center is on a regular production schedule of EFF video updates, a monthly program called "Freedom Matters" and shorts on various subjects. All are available on-line at the website. A state agency ruled in favor of an EFF attempt to help a Vancouver, Wash. teacher direct her union dues to a charity of her choice. The union fought the teacher for two years saying her choice of charity wasn't good enough. The charity fights sex trade in kids.

In January Washington Policy Center released three major publications - "The Washington State Piglet Book: Connecting the Dots on How Government Wastes Your Money" (with Citizens Against Government Waste); "24 Ways to Improve the State's Small Business Climate"; and "Five Principles of Responsible Transportation Policy." The policy recommendations from these studies influenced debate during the 60-day legislative session. WPC also launched its Center for Education, whose director, Liv Finne, quickly went to work analyzing and critiquing the proposal to unionize daycare workers. On April 15 WPC will hold a national budget and tax reform conference focusing on budget transparency, accountability and performance. Twenty-five representatives from SPN groups will attend the conference and an SPN workshop after the event. Jason Mercier, director of WPC's Center for Government Reform, has been working with legislators and the governor's office to develop a searchable website database of state spending, based on ALEC's model legislation. WPC has raised $3.8 million for its Free Markets for Washington capital campaign, with a goal of $4.2 million. Six of eight planned research centers are operational. washingtonpolicy.org.

  
NATIONAL

The Alliance for School Choice's new and improved website features the latest news, research and activityon school choice. Visit and sign up for updates, view the re-designed School Choice Activist and learn about school choice in your state. Also, find out where U.S. presidential candidates stand on choice, and soon you'll be able to track all state-level choice-related legislation. allianceforschoolchoice.org

Identical bills were introduced this winter in the Kansas Legislature to impose statutory emissions caps and institute the first-in-nation punitive carbon tax. Americans for Tax Reform vehemently opposed these bills and successfully conveyed to lawmakers their adverse economic impact and odious precedent. The carbon tax and other onerous regulations were subsequently stripped from the bills in both chambers. The 2008 International Property Rights Index was released Feb. 26. The index measures the significance of both physical and intellectual property rights and their protection of economic well-being. The Alliance for Worker Freedom recently released a "Congressional Legislative Scorecard," as well as a Davis-Bacon legislative briefing packet. ATR is launching a new website to call attention to Capitol Hill's "Hypocrisy Caucus," which is comprise of members of the House that voted for a one year ban on the Fairness Doctrine but have not signed on to a permanent repeal (hypocrisycaucus.org). Grover Norquist's book, Leave Us Alone, is now available. atr.org

The American Legislative Exchange Council will soon release its latest edition of the "Report Card on American Education: A State by State Analysis." This comprehensive examination of the American education system ranks the performance of the school systems in the states, and the District of Columbia according to several criteria, including National Assessment of Educational Progress, SAT and ACT scores. As in years past, ALEC found no immediately evident correlation between conventional measures of education inputs, such as expenditures per pupil and teacher salaries, and educational outputs, such as average scores on standardized tests. The national per-pupil spending average is $9,295. Yet 69 percent of American eighth graders perform below proficiency in math and 31 percent in reading, according to 2007 NAEP results. Despite these distressing statistics, pockets of success do exist, and can help guide policy makers and educators in the right direction towards better schools. alec.org

This summer the Atlas Economic Research Foundation will host its first Atlas MBA for Think Tanks program, a new initiative to provide"intellectual entrepreneurs" thorough exposure to the fundamentals of think tank management.From July 21 through August 1, near Atlas's headquarters at the Westin Alexandria Hotel in Alexandria, Va., participants will learn about strategic planning, fundraising, accounting and budgeting, marketing, the uses of new media, networking, building and managing a team, and performance measurement.Participants will gain exposure to other freedom-oriented organizations and enjoy field trips to historical Washington, D.C.-area landmarks.Participants will collaborate on group projects, compete for prizes and interact with peers from different countries. Ideal candidates for the Atlas MBA program are intellectual entrepreneurs running start-up think tanks, or promising young staff at existing think tanks who could be future leaders within the think-tank movement. atlasusa.org

Cato Institute senior fellow Robert A. Levy is co-counseling D.C. v. Heller, the Supreme Court's long-awaited crack at what the Second Amendment means when it guarantees a "right to keep and bear arms." A fresh edition of CatoPolicy Report chronicles the case, the perils of the state-based push for individual health insurance mandates and managed competition, and the ongoing federal-level struggle over habeas corpus. Cato released a new study by Indur Goklany on climate change. Even taking IPCC estimates at face value, sacrificing economic growth now would deprive of us of the technological means of solving the problem in the future. Cato is pleased to report that the State Health Policy Summit, held in Baltimore in January, saw a majority of SPN think tanks represented. The election year brings new Cato book releases: The Politics of Freedom, by executive vice president David Boaz, and The Cult of the Presidency, by senior editor Gene Healy. Don't miss Cato University, July 20 through 25 at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in sunny San Diego.

The Center for Competitive Politics teamed with the Institute for Justice to file a federal lawsuit on behalf of SpeechNow.org challenging campaign-finance laws that restrict the ability of independent citizen groups to advocate in federal elections. SpeechNow.org voices support for candidates who favor free speech and opposes backers of so-called campaign finance "reform" that restricts First Amendment rights. But Federal law and the FEC forbid anyone from giving SpeechNow.org more than $5,000 per year, and impose a host of complicated rules on the group. It has become virtually impossible for new independent speech groups like SpeechNow.org to raise start-up funding and effectively reach voters. If victorious, SpeechNow.org will pave the way for federal elections free of onerous government limits. SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission was filed in the District of Columbia. campaignfreedom.org

The Galen Institute has been working to facilitate a more informed debate over health policy this presidential primary season. Galen President Grace-Marie Turner wrote a commentary recently for The Wall Street Journal detailing the consensus among Republican presidential candidates around free-market ideas for health reform. Commentaries published in major newspapers, including Investor's Business Daily, explained how the high cost of job-based health insurance is chewing up the raises of American workers. And Grace-Marie continues her busy speaking schedule, with a recent presentation to a conference sponsored by the James Madison Institute in Tallahassee for Florida state legislators. She also spoke to 700 health insurance agents and brokers in February at a National Association of Health Underwriters conference, and to hundreds more people at the Conservative Political Action Committee conference in Washington, D.C.. Grace-Marie also presented testimony before the New York State Assembly's Committee on Health, where she said competition and choice can help control health care costs. galen.org

The Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options welcomes Martín Perez as board chairman, and Anthony J. Colón as interim president. Perez, president of the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey and a founding partner of Bombelyn and Perez law firm, brings more than 20 years experience as a civil rights lawyer. A native of Puerto Rico, Perez earned his master's in secondary education from Seton Hall, and his juris doctor from Rutgers Law School. Colón has nearly 30 years of experience reforming education. He has led several prominent education policy groups, including Washington, D.C.'s Fight for Children, a non-profit dedicated to preparing urban youth for post-secondary education and careers, and the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest constituency-based Hispanic organization. Colón is a founding member of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. He also serves as chairman of the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence and as vice chair of the D.C. Public Charter School Board. Hispanic CREO looks forward to an exciting future with these two new leaders on board. hcreo.org

Naming it a "Recommended Reading on Energy" from which "(n)umerous lessons can be learned from the electricity deregulation debacle in California and elsewhere," The Wall Street Journal describes the Independent Institute's new book, Electric Choices: Deregulation and the Future of Electric Power, as a valuable tool to "learn from those mistakes." Furthermore, it "provides an excellent synthesis of the current perspectives that shape the national debate on electricity restructuring," according to the Journal. Electric Choices, edited by Independent Institute research fellow Andrew N. Kleit from Penn State University, collects 15 of the nation's leading energy economists and analysts to examine issues and challenges in restructuring electricity markets. They consider the benefits of a well-designed, market-based restructuring program: lower prices, increased consumer choices, and reliable supplies. They also consider the challenges: electricity is not storable, is currently transmitted through a natural monopoly distribution system, and there is resistance to real-time pricing. With all the noise surrounding the so-called energy crisis that faces most states and our nation overall today, Electric Choices is worth keeping the lights on to read. independent.org

WikiFOIA at www.wikifoia.org, a project of the Lucy Burns Institute, is spearheading the Sunshine Blogger Project, a transparency initiative in which bloggers in all50 states are sending a similar open records request to their respective governor's office for four recent days of email.This will allow a cross-state comparison of the ability of gubernatorial offices to produce electronically stored public documents. Sherry Schultz is LBI's new director of education projects.She is workingwith free-market-oriented groupsto provide an array of information on the risks and opportunities of engaging with the Web 2.0 world.An e-newsletter about co-thriving with your state's blogosphere, online identity management and more is available to SPN member groups.To inquire email sherryschultz08@gmail.comor call 608-255-0688.

In 2008, the Manhattan Institute proudly celebrates 30 years of turning intellect into influence. Manhattan Institutescholars provide rationalsolutions topolicy challenges facing America.By utilizing free market principles, the Institute helped develop and disseminate ideas thatignited reform throughout the world. Read the history and highlights of the Manhattan Institute at manhattan-institute.org. Senior fellows Jay P. Greene and Marcus A. Winters are soon releasing "The Effect of Special Education Vouchers on Public School Achievement: Evidence from Florida's McKay Scholarship Program."Greene and Winters evaluate Florida's vouchers program for disabled students on the academic performance of disabled students who remain in the public school system.This study is the first empirical evaluation of the impact of exposure to a voucher program for students with disabilities on public school productivity.

The Moving Picture Institute, a New York-based foundation that promotes freedom through film, is delighted to announce the launch of the New Free Speech Movement, a campaign to bring "Indoctrinate U" to campuses across the country. Evan Coyne Maloney's incendiary exposé of higher education's disregard for First Amendment rights kicked off Jan. 29 with spectacularly successful campus tour screenings at Duke University and Louisiana State University at Shreveport. The film is scheduled to screen at Indiana University, Ohio University, East Tennessee State University, San Diego State University, Bucknell University and others. Maloney's film has played to packed theaters in Washington, D.C., Cleveland and the Twin Cities. It has drawn standing ovations and critical acclaim from academics, pundits, journalists and higher education officials. To sign up for a screening in your area, visit www.IndoctrinateU.com and join thousands of other Americans who have pledged to see this film. To arrange a campus screening, email marina@thempi.org. MPI is accepting applications for internships. thempi.org

The National Center for Policy Analysis has made a key addition, naming Terry Neese as a distinguished fellow.Neese, co-founder and past president of Women Impacting Public Policy, will spearhead the NCPA's examination of policies that work for families that work.Neese headlined a January congressional briefing on Capitol Hill in cooperation with Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues that examined the need for flexible and portable benefits, a flexible workplace, health care solutions for small businesses, and a tax law that doesn't penalize working spouses.In February, the NCPA turned its attention to taxes and the budget, publishing key studies on the increasing progressivity of the tax law and the impact of the Bush tax cuts.The NCPA also hosted a congressional briefing featuring Rep. Paul Ryan, ranking member of the House Budget Committee, who discussed short-term stimulus and long-term needs for entitlement reform. ncpa.org

The National Taxpayers Union launched a new "Standing Together" Taxpayer Grant Program to help taxpayer advocates establish citizen groups at state and local levels. The NTU Foundation released three important studies: a comprehensive analysis of the major presidential candidates' spending agendas; a report on President Bush's 2008 State of the Union address; and an assessment of Bush's fiscal 2009 budget. Among the major findings: Presidential frontrunners would boost the federal budget by a range of $7 billion to $287 billion annually, according to NTUF's analysis of 450 proposals from eight candidates. President Bush proposed some admirable cuts in federal outlays, but these likely will meet with stiff resistance from Congress. NTUF is helping plan the annual World Taxpayers Associations conference in Atlanta, April 24-26. ntu.org

The National Right to Work Foundation helped secure U.S. Supreme Court review of a controversial Ninth Circuit rulingupholding a California lawthat pressures companies to assist in coercive union organizing. Specifically, by barring employers that receive state grants over $10,000 annually fromproviding employees with truthful information about the downsidesof unionization (or to otherwise "assist, promote, or deter union organizing"),the California statute interferes with an employee's choice of whether or not to join a union. This type of law, whichFoundation attorneys have helped to strike down in otherstates, paves the way for coercive "card check" organizing in which employees are frequently browbeaten and harassed into union-dues-paying ranks. The high court agreed to hear the case after Foundation attorneys filed a briefarguing that the California's special-interest statute is pre-empted by federal law. It will nowdecidewhether the California state policy violates the Supremacy Clauseof the U.S. Constitution.National Right to Work Foundation have themselves brought 13 cases to the U.S. Supreme Court and assisted in many others. nrtw.org

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