The new administration has signaled a return of decision-making power back to the states, creating a pathway for state and local leaders to assert greater control over issues that affect the daily lives of the American people, including education, energy, and economic policy.
For 33 years, this Network has played a critical role in advancing reforms that have transformed the policy landscape from the ground up. In light of recent political changes, both federal and state, some of our Network leaders share opportunities as we enter a new legislative cycle.
Note: Affiliate members may email ladan@spn.org to add updates.
The national election creates both opportunities and challenges. While some might be tempted to think the presidency will solve all of their problems, that won’t be the case, as many states are mired in similar levels of bureaucracy.
If President Trump continues his march toward federalism, we will certainly cheer him on. We are limited government and federalism champions and have been for decades. The shift to the states is the right and constitutional thing to do, and SPN groups are well-established and equipped to handle that shift. Our role just became even more important, and the use of the states as laboratories for good policies should intensify rather than wane. We plan to leverage federal support for universal school choice to help us amplify the program that we passed in 2024.
Additionally, API recently announced the launch of the Alabama Department of Government Efficiency, or ALDOGE, an initiative inspired by the principles of the national DOGE program led by Elon Musk.
ALDOGE is designed to address longstanding issues within Alabama state government, including regulatory overreach, lack of transparency, and inefficiency in government expenditures. ALDOGE will focus on more than just cost savings. It will tackle issues like regulatory overreach and misuse of taxpayer funds.
Regulatory overreach and lack of accountability aren’t just federal problems. There are significant challenges at the state level too. ALDOGE will address these issues head-on, ensuring that Alabama taxpayers have a government that is efficient, transparent, and accountable. API invited state employees, lawmakers, and Alabamians from all walks of life to participate in the ALDOGE efforts. ALDOGE aims to create a more effective state government and reinforce the principles of self-governance.
Arkansas has ushered in several historic policy victories over the past few years, including the passage of the LEARNS Act which created the state’s universal education freedom program, and substantial income tax reform. Opportunity Arkansas has been a critical player in seeing these reforms to the finish line and has set its sights on welfare reform as a top priority for 2025.
Long-term government dependency is a big problem that state policymakers have largely overlooked. While welfare programs are mostly tied up in bureaucracy, rules, and regulations, President Trump’s return opens new opportunities for reform. He is going to need willing partners in the states to help show demand and build the case for change. We are at a place now where states can lead —and in Arkansas, we intend to be the first domino that sets off a chain reaction across the country.
Opportunity Arkansas is aiming to strengthen pathways to independence and has been laying the groundwork for major welfare reform for more than a year with research studies, polling, media, and other educational efforts.
While there was little change from the elections at the state level, the federal results present some intriguing opportunities for the Georgia Public Policy Foundation (GPPF). Georgia now has a greater opportunity to address healthcare-access challenges creatively, particularly with Medicaid expansion likely stalled. The expiration of Georgia’s Medicaid waiver, which GPPF helped champion and includes work requirements, offers a chance to renew and improve it under a second Trump administration. This shift in federal leadership allows policymakers to focus on alternative solutions like increasing healthcare supply and addressing the state’s critical shortage of medical professionals. GPPF is preparing a package of reforms for 2025 and expects heightened attention to these initiatives. Similarly, a pro-growth extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) could bolster state-level tax reforms by preserving broader tax bases that enable rate cuts.
The election results also provide momentum for expanding school choice in Georgia. Following the success of Georgia’s first education savings account (ESA) program, GPPF aims to remove eligibility and funding restrictions while broadening other school-choice options. Additionally, regulatory reform will be a key priority, with plans to streamline state regulatory processes, impose stricter guardrails for burdensome rulemaking, and reduce accumulated red tape. A deregulatory climate in Washington would complement these efforts and facilitate the adoption of state-level transparency measures for federal rules. These federal and state synergies strengthen the foundation for achieving GPPF’s broader goals, including housing affordability and tort reform.
There are no such things as blue states: Rather, there are large blue cities that end up driving the makeup of a state. In America, the number one indicator of voting behavior is where you live. If you live in a major urban city, you will vote liberally, and if you live in a rural area, you will vote conservative.
For example, New York State without NYC is a red state. Washington without Seattle is a red state. And Illinois without Chicago is a red state.
We can solve this problem.
Our “blue city strategy” focuses on the marginal changes in voting that need to happen in cities that ultimately determine statewide outcomes. To win in a place like Illinois, you don’t have to change the whole state: you only have to switch 5 percent of the vote in Chicago. But these efforts come with challenges, especially when up against forces like the Chicago Teachers’ Union (CTU). We ran a documentary and major campaign exposing their corruption—CTU started with 70 percent favorability and are now at 28 percent. We recruited/trained/endorsed school board candidates, with 9 running in competitive elections, CTU spent $1.8 million, and we spent $50,000 and won 6 of the 9 races.
The risk we run by doing nothing is not just in Illinois. As urban populations grow, the risk of traditionally red states flipping blue becomes significant. For example, if Austin, and Houston continue to grow, Texas will turn blue. And winning a presidential office become near impossible. This dynamic creates the need for a long-term strategy that focuses on engaging urban voters. While it’s important to chase the wins in red states, they are easily undone when a state flips, as we’ve seen in states like Michigan (and Michigan is very red without Detroit).
In Chicago this coming year, politicians are going through their budget and trying to raise an additional $2 billion for the city of Chicago through taxes, and we are going to stop it.
Not just that, but when we turn a major blue city, like Chicago, we will have a blueprint on how to win back our entire country.
At the federal level, we’re focused on our poverty initiative and welfare reform, advocating for work requirements to reduce poverty and crime. By exposing corruption and making ineffective leaders politically toxic, the strategy can transform key cities and states.
Our Democrat governor spent a lot of money to break the Republican supermajority in the House and Senate, but every effort failed and both chambers added a few members. Perhaps the bigger news, however, is the state school board flipped from 6-4 Democrat to 6-4 Republican. With theoretical veto-proof majorities, Kansas may be poised to pass an ESA school choice bill, and there are high hopes for property tax reform and several accountability measures. Kansas Policy Institute has been a leading voice for education freedom and commonsense fiscal policy and is working closely with the new majority on several issues, including:
Maine had very large gains in our state legislature for conservative candidates, and the Republicans came very close to re-taking the Maine House of Representatives (they were 3 votes short) and made good gains in the state Senate as well. That left us with a very workable legislature, albeit one that is still run by a progressive majority, backed up by a progressive governor.
The big item for us this year is going to be the state budget. We have already projected a budget deficit, so it will involve defending against tax increases while also trimming the explosive growth that the state government has seen in the last few years. Given the political landscape changing, we are now in a position to force compromises on that, whereby in the last two sessions the progressives have had the ability to more or less do whatever they wanted without any mindfulness to the opposition. The emphasis federally on government efficiency with DOGE is already spilling over here with bills being sponsored to create a state version of DOGE, particularly in the context of the deficit and need to reform.
Also, with Trump’s win in the popular vote there has been a little momentum to perhaps undo Maine’s recent decision to join the National Popular Vote Compact, which only barely passed last session. So, too, with the Ranked Choice Voting, which once again proved to be a major headache for the state with our second district race for Congress. While elimination is uncertain, now there is momentum to try.
There is a sense of political movement here in our direction that is likely to aid us significantly in this legislative session.
In terms of state electoral victories, Ballot Question 1 was approved by the electorate, giving the state auditor the power to audit the legislature. Pioneer’s Mary Connaughton has been calling for increased transparency in state government for more than a decade and, over the past year, was a leading voice on this ballot question, appearing at forums, in print, and on TV and radio. The resounding passage of the ballot question was a strong step forward to increase transparency.
As for new opportunities resulting from the federal election, Pioneer is focused on seven opportunities:
This November, Michigan voters broke the Michigan Democratic trifecta, signaling a shift in the political landscape. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy has equipped incoming House members and leadership with policy recommendations.
Anticipating their loss of a political trifecta, Michigan Democrats sought to pass hundreds of bills in the final legislative days of 2024. Mackinac was prepared and we deprived Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of her top policy priority—more money for wasteful corporate welfare programs.
Looking ahead to 2025, the Mackinac Center sees new opportunities to strengthen Michigan’s economy and promote prosperity for families. This work includes:
With President-elect Trump’s calls for education reform, there is a significant opportunity to achieve universal school choice in Mississippi. The Mississippi Center for Public Policy has been tirelessly pursuing increased legislation for education freedom over the past two years. Part of the strategic approach to secure universal education freedom was establishing a personalized education budget for every child. This was accomplished in 2024, thanks to the efforts of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, Empower Mississippi, and other allies, as the governor signed historic education funding reform into law. Generally, having Republican control of the federal government makes it easier for us to encourage local Republicans to deliver on tax cuts and red tape reduction.
Mississippi’s legislative session began January 7, and Empower Mississippi is eager about the opportunities for a number of key reforms this session, especially around school choice. We have a governor and speaker of the house who are champions for school choice, so, we are optimistic about the chance to expand public, charter, and private school choice, all this session. Additionally, already introduced House Bill 1, the “Build Up Mississippi Act”, would eliminate the state’s income tax over ten years, reduce the sales tax on groceries, increase the general sales tax and fuel tax, and make other substantive changes to Mississippi’s tax code, with a goal of making Mississippi’s tax code the most economically competitive in the nation.
Montana’s elections have been highly competitive in recent years, reflecting the state’s shifting demographics as an influx of new residents reshuffles its political landscape. While the election results are generally favorable towards Frontier Institute’s efforts to promote things like free-market economic policy and school choice, there is one remaining progressive stronghold in Montana: the Montana Supreme Court. The state Supreme Court is dominated by progressive justices and consistently overturns good pro-freedom legislation, which Frontier plans to invest significant resources and time into addressing.
In the absence of high-profile federal elections, the state legislature, courts, and executive branch will consume a majority of the state media attention. Supreme Court cases will continue to spotlight state constitutional issues. The tax and spending decisions of local governments and schools will generate headlines. This is a fertile environment for a think tank like ours to increase our influence and build consensus around real solutions to Montana’s biggest challenges.
With the new administration likely to prioritize regulatory reform and the Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision paving the way, Nebraska has a significant opportunity to advance “regulatory modernization.” Framing these efforts as a way to support entrepreneurs, small businesses, and everyday citizens can help build broad, bipartisan support. The Platte Institute has amplified solutions for complex regulatory issues, sharing how state and local lawmakers can push back against federal overreach and shape policies that promote transparency and accountability at the state and local levels.
Changes at the federal level, including potential cuts to education funding, could create ripple effects for Nebraska’s education system. Programs heavily reliant on federal dollars may demand greater state contributions, influencing spending and tax policies. While federal funds may seem appealing, they often come with strings attached and can disappear unexpectedly. Platte has been a voice for fiscal responsibility in the state and warned lawmakers and the public about the long-term consequences of increased federal spending, including inflation and the national debt.
Governor Kelly Ayotte is a longtime reader of the Josiah Bartlett Center’s work. Many of her policy priorities and those of House leadership share significant alignment with the Center’s priorities. There is somewhat less overlap with Senate leadership, but there is still broad agreement on numerous policy fundamentals. This political realignment opens doors for transformative policy achievements, but the window for action is narrow, with many big issues being moved forward quickly.
Key areas of focus include housing, where deregulation-driven reforms could address New Hampshire’s severe affordable housing shortage without resorting to subsidies or mandates. On education, the political landscape offers the best chance yet to expand Education Freedom Accounts to universal eligibility and address broader reform ideas such as universal open enrollment and increased accountability. Economic growth also stands as a critical priority, with Gov. Ayotte saying in her inaugural address that she will prioritize economic opportunity. Opportunities include turning New Hampshire into the only right-to-work state in the Northeast, rolling back unnecessarily strict environmental and business regulations, and making meaningful cuts to state spending. On spending, the governor has appointed Josiah Bartlett Center President Andrew Cline to her newly created Commission on Government Efficiency. The post-election landscape presents unparalleled opportunities for impactful policy changes. For the Bartlett Center, strategic focus, persuasive advocacy, and increased donor support will be essential to making the most of this historic moment.
New Mexico remains a “blue” trifecta with the legislature actually becoming more progressive after November. One thing to consider is that our state is in the midst of an unprecedented oil and gas boom. We have money in abundance and government has grown while some modest tax cuts have been given in recent years. With that groundwork in mind, Rio Grande will be focused on the following:
New York’s costly and ineffective climate policies continue to burden consumers without delivering meaningful environmental benefits. The Empire Center’s critiques of these policies have already played a crucial role in slowing down proposed legislation. If the federal government shifts toward a more commonsense energy policy, Empire will demonstrate how New York’s current climate agenda is disconnected from both national trends and practical realities. Moreover, in 2025 we are already pushing back with our policy analysis, media hits and legal measures.
Education also remains a top concern for New Yorkers. Early findings from Empire’s K-12SOS Scorecard reveal that New York spends an average of $33,000 per student, with some schools exceeding $50,000 per student. With comprehensive data on spending and performance of 4,500 schools we will tell parents and politicians in individual school districts that the current system wastes money and deprives their children of world-class education. Our analysis will show that education freedom in New York would lead to improved education outcomes, and substantial savings for taxpayers.
Up and down the ballot, free-market policy ideas won in Pennsylvania. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle received a clear mandate to pursue policies that will improve the cost of living, reduce energy costs, expand school choice, slash red tape, cut taxes, and spend taxpayer dollars responsibly.
The federal election results don’t significantly change our policy agenda. Educational choice, tax relief for businesses and families, controlling government spending, and regulatory reform (particularly to unleash Pennsylvania’s energy potential) remain our top priorities. Notably, these are all issues Governor Shapiro supported during his campaign and in his public rhetoric over the past two years.
Because Pennsylvania will have a divided legislature and divided government, there will need to be negotiation and compromise. The Commonwealth Foundation will continue its research, education, and advocacy efforts to engage grassroots coalitions and hold lawmakers accountable.
There are several federal issues on the horizon that will impact Pennsylvania, and Commonwealth is ready to engage:
With a significant shift in the ideological balance in the State Senate in the wake of the 2024 election, the Palmetto State now has two legislative bodies that will prove fertile soil for the Palmetto Freedom Agenda, the biennial agenda of Palmetto Promise Institute (PPI). Building on a strong track record of success in the last three legislative sessions, PPI will continue to relentlessly advance freedom and opportunity in the policy areas where it has earned the trust of the General Assembly: K-12 and higher education, healthcare, energy, tax policy, and legal reform.
Already, Palmetto Promise is seeing that the 2025-26 legislative priorities announced by the majority caucuses of the Senate and House align well with the policy recommendations PPI has introduced. Palmetto Promise will continue to win victories for freedom in South Carolina using its tried-and-true formula: research and relationships amplified through cutting-edge communications. With a new 501c4 organization in place for the new legislative session, Palmetto Promise is more optimistic than ever about the prospects for its Palmetto Freedom Agenda in 2025-26.
For the South Carolina Policy Council, these recent election results bring a new wave of optimism. The defeat of Democratic Senators Mike Fanning and Gerald Malloy signals a potential shift in the legislative landscape (even though the senate already maintained a Republican super majority prior to these elections). Fanning was a vocal opponent of school choice, and his departure opens new possibilities for advancing educational options. Malloy’s loss also removes a major roadblock to meaningful reform on joint and several liability–a policy that has hurt small businesses across South Carolina.
Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey has announced that the GOP is currently discussing key issues for the 2025-26 legislative session. He confirmed that restoring the state’s ESA (Education Scholarship Account) program and reforming joint and several liability are top priorities for GOP leadership, aligning directly with SCPC’s 2025-26 Legislative Agenda. With these election outcomes, it’s clear these will be central issues for SCPC in the coming year.
The national election results bolster Tennessee’s existing momentum for school choice and tax cuts. While President Trump and the incoming Congress seek to expand school choice and restore the 2017 tax cuts, the national push will only enhance the favorable environment in Tennessee. Governor Bill Lee and legislative leadership filed SB1/HB1 as the first bill of the session to enact The Education Freedom Scholarship Act of 2025. This legislation will provide universal school choice across the state, and Beacon Center of Tennessee’s advocacy partner, Beacon Impact, is working for passage.
Furthermore, with many provisions of the 2017 tax cuts phasing out and expiring in 2025, Beacon is working to make full expensing for Tennessee business investments permanent. As President Trump and Congress look to renew these cuts nationally, Beacon will push to make full expensing in Tennessee permanent by decoupling it from federal law. The momentum in DC will augment Beacon’s efforts to enhance the state’s pro-jobs environment and help the Volunteer State live up to its motto: “Tennessee-America at Its Best.”
The Freedom Foundation is actively targeting 14 states with legislation aimed at reforming union practices and advancing transparency. With the Trump administration, there are several key union reform opportunities at the federal level also:
The changing political landscape has indeed opened new opportunities and posed new challenges for the Cardinal team. We are focused on leveraging the momentum of both the national and state moods to advance our key policy goals.
In light of election results, we see renewed potential to push forward a substantial number of legislative priorities.
With two state supreme court elections, a state senate hanging in the balance, and an election for a new governor and attorney general, the next two years in the Badger State will determine whether the state becomes the next “Illinois” or “Florida.”
At the Institute for Reforming Government, we are charting the conservative comeback. Our lawyers will become engaged in a unique “Court Watch” project that will educate the public on the importance of the state supreme court and the dangers of judicial activism. Last November, we launched a pilot Center for Leadership Excellence. In order to build a talent pipeline, we’re training 16 local leaders in leadership principles and then giving them the contacts and network that they need in order to make a difference in public service.
Voters and what they value have been key to understanding public perception of policy issues. Rural voters decided the Wisconsin 2024 election, handing Trump the White House – but also helping Democrat Senator Tammy Baldwin win re-election. IRG, in partnership with State Policy Network, released its two-month study of rural voters. Through focus groups and polling, this ground-breaking study dives deep into the most pivotal voting bloc in perhaps all of America.
