November 15, 2024
Week in Review: November 15, 2024
America First Policy Institute’s advocacy arm, America First Works (AFW), applauded President Trump’s appointment of AFW board member Lee Zeldin as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Cardinal Institute celebrated its 10th anniversary, noting how the liberty movement, and Cardinal’s presence within it, is truly worldwide.
Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University launched a new series of free-to-use resources for policy projects, including tools that grant access to peer reviews, connections to scholars, and academic research.
Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation released a recap of the November 2024 local bond election results, showing that out of the 48 bonds that were on the ballot across the state, and 20 passed, resulting in $623.8 million in new spending.
James Madison Institute released its 2025 Policy Priorities, which detail a robust and visionary set of initiatives for the next year that reinforce the principles of limited government and economic liberty. The Institute also released 10 for Tech: A Policy Tool Kit for States to Embrace Innovation in 2025, which presents 10 action-oriented policies that state lawmakers can implement to cultivate innovation to advance free markets, protect citizens and consumers, drive their economies, and produce prosperity.
Kansas Policy Institute’s investigative arm broke a story showing that Kansas taxpayers have apparently paid for the sex change surgery for a convicted murderer in state prison.
Palmetto Promise Institute announced a generous $500,000 donation from South Carolina native Ravenel B. Curry III to the ESTF Families Rescue Fund, a fund established to support families impacted by the recent SC Supreme Court decision regarding the Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) program. This additional substantial gift brings the Institute halfway to its goal of securing the funds needed to cover third-quarter payments for the 2024-2025 school year and sustaining the education of South Carolina students whose futures depend on this vital program.
Sutherland Institute launched its Work & Opportunity Initiative, which seeks to identify and address any barriers to upward mobility experienced by Utah families, especially those striving to escape poverty.
Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, the Southeastern Legal Foundation, and the Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies released a new resource guide, Protecting Title IX: A Resource Guide for School Boards, that aims to empower school boards with the legal insights needed to understand and respond to the complex Title IX requirements of the federal government.
The Buckeye Institute, in an amicus brief in Holman v. Vilsack,called on the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to protect access to America’s legal system as Congress intended when it passed the 1980 Equal Access to Justice Act.
Liberty Justice Center sent a demand letter to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to hold Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. accountable for abusing his position of power and bypassing mandatory CPSC protocol to advance his personal agenda. The Center issued this demand letter on behalf of Nested Bean, an immigrant-owned business that has been decimated by Trumka’s targeted attacks. The Center also filed an amicus brief with the US Supreme Court, representing an interfaith coalition urging the court to reject the Oklahoma Attorney General’s attacks on religious minorities and the nation’s first-ever religious charter school.
Pacific Research Institute filed an amicus brief in a case before the California Supreme Court that has the potential to devastate innovation in future life-saving medications.
Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty made a court filing supporting fourth-generation Tennessee farmer Robert Holman which identified over sixty federal DEI programs that discriminate against Americans every day, creating a roadmap for the new Congress and Administration to root out harmful DEI policies in the federal government. The Institute also filed an amicus brief in the US Supreme Court to challenge provisions in the Oklahoma State Constitution that violate the First Amendment principles of religious liberty.
New Jersey: In a victory for workers’ rights, a New Jersey plumber won a case against a union which illegally withheld money from his paycheck — and which tried to justify its actions by claiming that Janus didn’t apply since the union called the money “assessments” rather than “dues” (Liberty Justice Center).
Ohio: Investigation into discriminatory legal programs at Ohio’s public law schools resulted in the schools ending their unconstitutional race-based programs — a victory for the rule of law and the US Constitution (The Buckeye Institute).
Washington: With 94% of votes in, a ballot initiative looks set to pass in the state that reverses a law that would have banned access to natural gas in homes. In an election with strong headwinds, key research helped defend choice, cost-effective energy, and affordable housing by providing the intellectual framework for this initiative (Washington Policy Center).
Nationwide: A court order clarifying the scope of a preliminary injunction halting the federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program expanded the ruling so that it now applies nationwide — a significant victory that protects many businesses from the federal government’s from unlawful discriminatory practices (Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty).
Alabama Policy Institute released a brief that examines the potential impacts of two models of Medicaid expansion and the negative implications associated with both for Alabamians and the state’s economy. The report has gained coverage in the Yellowhammer News, local NewsTalk 93.1, the Yaffee Program, and more.
Mackinac Center posted a brief that digs into two bills Michigan lawmakers are considering that would cause the state’s influence on the presidential election to disappear.
Mountain States Policy Center released briefs that examine the incredible savings private and homeschooling families are offering taxpayers, unpack how to grow transparency in Idaho municipalities, and question polices that, if enacted, would cause Washington and Oregon’s electoral votes to go for President Trump despite the majority of residents voting for Vice-President Harris.
Platte Institute issued a brief that examined data in the Tax Foundation’s 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index that shows Nebraska moved up from #30 to #24 in state tax competitiveness rankings. Platte also dove into the policies that drove the state’s improved ranking.
Sutherland Institute published a brief which addressed benefits cliffs in Utah so as to empower safety net participants to pursue work and opportunity.
Washington Policy Center posted briefs that expose how Climate Commitment Act will cause the tax on gas to skyrocket again, breakdown the high cost of electrifying transit, and reveal the curious case of disappearing data showing the state’s small business community in peril.
Idaho: The 2024 election results seem to have given frustrated Idaho officials and communities a much-needed respite in its conflict with the federal Bureau of Land Management as related to the Lava Ridge Energy project, which until recently was pushed forward despite protests of locally affected communities and citizens (Mountain States Policy Center). In addition, a group of incoming legislators announced they plan to kill a pay hike for lawmakers approved by the Citizens’ Committee on Legislative Compensation. Instead of approving a pay hike for legislators, the group suggests prioritizing grocery tax repeal — welcome news to families who may be struggling in an economy fraught with inflation, instability, and uncertainty (Idaho Freedom Foundation).
Kansas: A local Kansas mom scored an important first-round victory in an occupational licensing lawsuit, as a judge denied an attempt to dismiss her case, bringing her and others who have the dream of owning a similar business one step closer to opening (Kansas Policy Institute).
Topics:
Oregon Ranks 35th Nationally in Return on Investment for Education Spending
Cascade Policy Institute
EITC and Economically Disadvantaged Schools
Commonwealth Foundation
NYS School Expenditure Outcomes
Empire Center
When Will DPI Account for $13M in Federal School Aid?
Institute for Reforming Government
Just 2% of Wisconsin School Safety Tip Line Calls About Possible Attacks
MacIver Institute
National Experts: Alleged Violations in Bixby ‘Shocking’
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
School-Choice Options Popular with Homeschool Families
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
NH Gov. Chris Sununu on School Choice
Pioneer Institute
Utah’s Open Enrollment Policy Is Strong – Implementation Less So
Sutherland Institute
Michele Nuckolls, Texas Homeschool Mom and Activist
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Policy Report: Are Spring School Board Elections Pro-Democracy?
Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty
Quantifying the Impact of “Low Carbon” Fuel
California Policy Center
Is California Ready to Kill Its Oil Industry?
California Policy Center
Power Gab: Is Net Zero Impossible?
Center of the American Experiment
Minnesota PUC to Rule on a Section of Controversial Carbon Pipeline Dec. 12
Center of the American Experiment
Fracking Is Key in the Keystone State — in 2024 and Beyond
Commonwealth Foundation
Cooper’s Costly ZEV Vision: Big Costs for No “Climate Benefits”
John Locke Foundation
‘Protect the Reliability of the Grid’
Mackinac Center
Trump’s Energy Promises Face Hurdles in Anti-Hydrocarbon Virginia
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy
Powering Wyoming’s Future: A Conversation with Dr. Holly Krutka
Wyoming Liberty Group
Understanding Nuclear Power in Wyoming – Trying to Get Inside Bill Gates’ Mind
Wyoming Liberty Group
CON Reform, Not Medicaid Expansion, Is the Key to Improving Alabama’s Rural Healthcare System
Alabama Policy Institute
New York’s Hospital Association Bet Big on Schumer and Lost
Empire Center
Medicare’s Latest Pay Cut Will Harm Seniors
Foundation for Government Accountability
Housing for Farmworkers in North Carolina: Challenges and Complexities
John Locke Foundation
Have We Found a Cure for Hawaii’s Permitting Headaches?
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
California’s Rejection of Rent Control – A Cautionary Tale for Utah
Libertas Institute
Banning Short-term Rentals Won’t Fix Utah’s Housing Crisis
Libertas Institute
Beyond Rate Cuts: Revived Housing Requires Zoning Reform
Pacific Research Institute
John Bonura Testimony on Housing Affordability
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Mining on the Table Again in Northern Minnesota Post Election
Center of the American Experiment
MN’s Plummeting Birth Rate: Is It a Problem?
Center of the American Experiment
COVID Slowed Wisconsin’s Rural Shrinkage
MacIver Institute
Audit: Milwaukee Pension Liability Spikes, Individual Payments Up Slightly
MacIver Institute
One Year After the UAW Strike, Michigan Is Worse Off
Mackinac Center
GM Looks to Revitalize Itself in Europe with Direct Sales, Which Michigan Makes Illegal
Mackinac Center
A Big Help for Small Businesses
Pelican Institute
Let’s Grow Missouri, Literally
Show-Me Institute
Right to Repair with Nathan Proctor
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Rise of the Transfer State: Guaranteed Income Programs in Texas’ Cities and Counties
Texas Public Policy Foundation
“Tearing the Paper Ceiling” in Texas: Equal Opportunity in State Employment
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Golden Turkey Nominee: State-funded Dungeons & Dragons Podcast
Center of the American Experiment
Citizens’ Committee Provides 22% Pay Raise to Legislators by Picking a Number from Thin Air
Idaho Freedom Foundation
Don’t Overthink or Overpay Idaho’s Citizen-Legislature
Idaho Freedom Foundation
Enough? Chicago Aldermen to Vote on Mayor’s Property Tax Hike
Illinois Policy
Palos Park, Another Chicago Suburb Might Tax Residents’ Groceries
Illinois Policy
Milwaukee Alders Proud of New Budget That Hikes Costs, Fees, Parking Tickets
MacIver Institute
Michigan Needs a Better Playbook for Funding Universities
Mackinac Center
Why Is Michigan Trying to Revive Its Failed State-Run Venture Capital Fund?
Mackinac Center
Corporate Subsidies Are Out of Control
Mackinac Center
While National Economic Performance Has Supported State Revenue Growth, Greater Spending Restraint Still Required
Pacific Research Institute
How to Improve Transparency in State and Local Government
South Carolina Policy Council
Nonvoter-Approved Debt on the Rise
Texas Public Policy Foundation
It’s Fine to Steal for a Union, But Not from a Union
Freedom Foundation
Co-Workers and Clicks: New Yorkers See Second-Best October Ever for Opt-Outs
Freedom Foundation
See If Your Lawmaker Has Taken Money from the Chicago Teachers Union
Illinois Policy
Five Reasons Why Project Labor Agreements Are Bad Public Policy
Pioneer Institute
Government Collection of Union Dues
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Freedom Is Not Free
Georgia Public Policy Foundation
Schansberg: Calming Thoughts on the Election
Indiana Policy Review Foundation
Goeglein: Stumbling Toward Utopia
Indiana Policy Review Foundation
Thoughts for Veterans Day
John Locke Foundation
Ranked-Choice Voting Makes a Mess of Maine’s CD2 Race
Maine Policy Institute
Oklahoma’s Judicial-Retention Elections No Longer a Farce
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
A Trailblazer Explains What It Means to Be a Veteran
Pacific Research Institute
Honoring Our Veterans: Thank You for Your Service
Show-Me Institute
Lamont’s Push for Ranked-Choice Voting Excludes Opposing Experts, Sees Little Public Interest
Yankee Institute
In The Wall Street Journal, the California Policy Center‘s Will Swaim considered the implications of Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón’s landslide loss on Tuesday.
In The Federalist Society, The Free State Foundation’s Randy May argues that the campaign to politicize the Supreme Court is not only wrong-headed but dangerous.
In the Chicago Tribune, the Illinois Policy Institute‘s Micky Horstman points out young Chicagoans can’t afford the city government’s spending addiction.
In the New York Post, the Illinois Policy Institute‘s Paul Vallas notes Chicago is what happens when antisemitism mixes with lawlessness.
In his recent column for The Denver Gazette, the Independence Institute‘s Jon Caldara highlights the problems with the multistate National Popular Vote Compact.
In The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Independent Institute’s Lloyd Billingsley calls for California to put the Taxpayer Protection Act on the next ballot.
In The Orange County Register, the Independent Institute’s Lawrence McQuillan points out learning opportunities for California and other fire-prone Western states.
In The Hill, The James Madison Institute‘s Robert McClure highlights the lessons the Democratic Party can learn from Florida.
In the Orlando Sentinel, The James Madison Institute‘s Pedro Boccalato Rodriguez Aparicio notes that, for young voters, economic concerns have taken precedence over the Democratic Party’s focus on social issues.
In the Daily Herald, Libertas Institute‘s John Yelland notes California’s recent rejection of rent control is a cautionary tale for Utah.
In his column for The Detroit News, the Mackinac Center‘s Mike Reitz argues America will shine on after this election because Americans love to work together to solve problems.
In The Detroit News, the Mackinac Center‘s Jarrett Skorup points out Michigan’s foster care system needs reform.
At Townhall, the Mississippi Center for Public Policy‘s Douglas Carswell notes now is the time to put the country on an authentically conservative path.
At IdahoEd News, the Mountain States Policy Center‘s Chris Cargill highlights the incredible savings private and home schooling families are offering taxpayers.
In his recent column, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs‘ Jonathan Small notes Oklahomans sent a message this week when they voted to oust a sitting member of the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
At Forbes, the Pacific Research Institute‘s Wayne Winegarden highlights California’s continuing regulatory assault on drivers.
In her column for Newsmax, the Pacific Research Institute‘s Sally Pipes notes Medicare’s latest pay cut will harm seniors.
In the Deseret News, Sutherland Institute‘s Derek Monson considers how to ensure the peaceful resolution of elections in the future.
