For media requests, contact Camille Walsh, State Policy Network’s Media Relations Manager, at walsh@spn.org or (504) 338-8785.
Experts
Tony Woodlief
Tony Woodlief is a political science expert and executive vice president at State Policy Network. Tony is an alumnus of the University of North Carolina. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Michigan and an MFA from Wichita State University. Tony has been published in national outlets including The Wall Street Journal and RealClearPolitics. He is the author of I, Citizen: A Blueprint for Reclaiming American Self-Governance.
Erin Norman
Erin Norman is the Lee Family Fellow and Senior Messaging Strategist at State Policy Network, leading collaborative, strategic messaging development to persuade more people to choose free-market based reforms. She has over 15 years in communications research including experience in campaign polling at the local, state and federal level and in voter and consumer micro-targeting using predictive analytics. Erin holds a Master’s in Public Policy from The College of William and Mary, with a focus on econometrics, and a BS in Business Administration from Boston University.
Steven Johnson
Steve just finished his third and final term in the Michigan House of Representatives where he represented the 72nd District in West Michigan. He most recently served as the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee as well as a member of the Judiciary, Tax Policy, and Elections and Ethics Committees. Prior to being elected in 2016, Steve was a Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force where he led a team of Airmen in performing maintenance on our nation’s nuclear missiles. He currently is enjoying living in West Michigan with his wife Alissa.
Ray Nothstine
Ray Nothstine is a Future of Freedom Fellow and senior editor and writer for State Policy Network, where he primarily helps to shepherd the American Habits publication.
Michael Lucci
Michael Lucci is a visiting economic policy fellow for State Policy Network. Michael’s policy expertise helps educate state-based think tanks, issue advocacy organizations, and policymakers on economic and tax reforms that will benefit American families, small businesses, and communities and improve state governments long-term financial health. He previously served as the deputy chief for policy to Illinois governor Bruce Rauner and vice president of State Projects for the Tax Foundation.
SPN in the News
Op-eds
Avoiding the Tyranny of Federal ‘Guidance’
Tony Woodlief in Governing | April 26, 2024
The Michigan–Ohio Economic Rivalry Shifts in the Buckeye State’s Favor
Michael Lucci at National Review | April 16, 2024
Saving ‘Our Democracy’ Requires Restoring Federalism
Ray Nothstine in National Review | April 6, 2024
We Need a Lot More Housing. It Won’t Come from Washington.
Erin Norman in Governing | April 3, 2024
Coastal Residents Are Right to Be Worried About Offshore Wind
Amy O. Cooke in Governing | February 29, 2024
The ‘70s Called Looking for its Energy Policy. We Should Give it Back
Amy O. Cooke in the Washington Examiner | February 16, 2024
The Case for Meaningful Public University Oversight
Ray Nothstine at Governing | January 31, 2024
Universal Basic Income Is Not a Solution for What Ails Society
Erin Norman at Governing | January 23, 2024
North Carolina Gets Energy Policy Right
Amy O. Cooke at RealClearEnergy | January 19, 2024
Suburban Women May Decide Next President. What We Learned Talking to Them
Erin Norman and CJ Szafir in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | December 21, 2023
Georgia Leaders Sweeten Tax Deal with More Tax Cuts
Michael Lucci at National Review | December 19, 2023
Republican GOP Debate Should Focus More on the States, Less on Washington
Steve Johnson in The Hill | December 6, 2023
The DeSantis-Newsom Debate Missed the Point
Erin Norman in The Hill | December 4, 2023
Manchin Is Not a Messiah — Because No Politician Can Be
Ray Nothstine in The Messenger | November 29, 2023
Don’t Avoid Political Conversations This Thanksgiving
Erin Norman in The Hill | November 23, 2023
What Americans Really Want From Government
Erin Norman in The Well News | November 14, 2023
This Veterans Day, Don’t Forget Vietnam
Ray Nothstine at National Review | November 11, 2023
Iowa’s Government Restructuring: A Model for Other States
Steve Johnson at RealClearPolicy | November 7, 2023
For America’s Political Adults, Look Outside Washington
Ray Nothstine at Governing | October 30, 2023
Washington Politicians Playing Political Games Alienate Voters
Erin Norman in Newsweek | October 27, 2023
Budget Lessons We Can Learn from the States
Steve Johnson in The Hill | October 5, 2023
Government Shutdowns Should Be a Wake-Up Call for States
Ray Nothstine in National Review | September 26, 2023
It’s Time to Reclaim Trust in Government. It’s Time for Chicago to Have a Charter.
Jane McEnaney at Crain’s Chicago Business | September 12, 2023
Don’t Call It a Comeback. Federalism Has Been Here for Years
Ray Nothstine in National Review | August 13, 2023
How Courts, Lawmakers, And The Next POTUS Could Rein In The Administrative State
Steve Johnson in The Federalist | July 31, 2023
Politics at the Dinner Table? No Longer Taboo for Young Women
Erin Norman in InsideSources | July 25, 2023
Restore Democracy through State Governance
Erin Norman in The Hill | July 20, 2023
Nebraska Leads the Great Plains Tax Sweep
Michael Lucci at National Review | July 20, 2023
Limiting Short-term Health Care Plans Will Hurt Americans
Josh Archambault at RealClearPolicy | July 13, 2023
Can American Progress Meet America’s Noble Ideals?
Erin Norman in The Hill | July 4, 2023
Losing the Debate on Transparency in Schools, the Left Resorts to Labeling Concerned Parents as Hate Groups
Erin Norman at Fox News Online | June 23, 2023
Are Liberal Social Activists Driving Voters to the GOP?
Erin Norman in The Hill | June 18, 2023
Trust in Government Is Up, but It’s Too Early to Pop the Champagne Corks
Erin Norman in Governing | June 14, 2023
Will Millennials Stay Quiet in 2024?
Erin Norman in The Hill | May 24, 2023
Debt Ceiling Clash Should Push States to Rely Less on Federal Money
Steven Johnson in The Hill | May 19, 2023
Mississippi’s New Tax Model Can Work for America
Michael Lucci in National Review | May 19, 2023
Voters Largely Satisfied With Both DeSantis and Whitmer, Despite Stark Policy Differences
Erin Norman in The Well News | May 15, 2023
Biden’s Secretary of Education Prioritizes Politics Over Students
Erin Norman in The American Spectator | May 1, 2023
Are Americans Really Pulling Back from Traditional Values?
Erin Norman in The Hill | March 29, 2023
The REINS Act Would Pare Back the Administrative State
Ray Nothstine in the Washington Examiner | April 14, 2023
The Answer to America’s Healthcare Problem Lies in the States
Steve Johnson in the Washington Examiner | March 15, 2023
Medicaid Redeterminations Protect Resources for Those Who Need Them Most
Josh Archambault in the Washington Examiner | March 14, 2023
The States are the Appropriate Laboratory for Meaningful Healthcare Reform
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | March 13, 2023
Elitist Student Loan Bailout Turns Blind Eye to Struggling Americans
Erin Norman in The Hill | March 8, 2023
Legislatures’ Too-Often-Abdicated Role: Oversight
Steven Johnson in Governing | February 24, 2023
We Need a New School of Thought about Charter Schools
Kerry McDonald in the New York Post | February 24, 2023
We Must Embrace our National Identity, Allow Communities to Govern Themselves
Erin Norman in The Washington Times | February 16, 2023
State of the Union? Look to the States of the Union.
Ray Nothstine in Governing | February 6, 2023
Let Children Transfer to a Different Public School
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | January 25, 2023
Lauren Boebert’s Near Loss Proves the Cult of Trump is Dead
Erin Norman in the New York Post | November 26, 2022
The Midterm Results are Good for Republicans, if Not Great
Erin Norman in the Spectator | November 15, 2022
Politicians’ Backstabbing Family Members are the Worst
Tony Woodlief in Spectator World | October 30, 2022
Why Americans are Concealing their True Political Beliefs
Erin Norman in The Hill | October 25, 2022
The 50 Governments That Hold the Answer to American Division
Erin Norman at Governing | October 10, 2022
Make it Easier for Education Entrepreneurs to Thrive
Kerry McDonald in the Washington Examiner | October 6, 2022
The Right’s New Divide: Frodo versus Boromir
Tony Woodlief in Spectator World | October 4, 2022
States Are Showing Washington How to Relieve Inflation
SPN’s Michael Lucci in The American Spectator | September 22, 2022
Georgia Senate Race Distracts from More Relevant State Elections
Erin Norman in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution| September 21, 2022
Biden’s Democracy Speech a Pathetic Attempt to Pander to his Base
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | September 7, 2022
Giving States More Autonomy is a Return to Our Country’s Foundation
Erin Norman in The Washington Post | September 1, 2022
Solving the Student Debt Crisis Instead of Prolonging It
Erin Norman in The Hill | August 25, 2022
All of the Ways the School Choice Movement is Winning at the State Level
Chantal Lovell in the Washington Examiner
Rebuilding Trust in Government: A Model Emerges at Local Level
Erin Norman at RealClearPolitics | August 16, 2022
Education Freedom is the Silent Midterm Issue
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | August 16, 2022
Why We Must Expand Choice Within the Public School System
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | August 15, 2022
No, America Is Not on the Verge of a New Civil War
Erin Norman in Governing | August 3, 2022
Reject Biden’s Regulatory Push
Erin Norman at National Review | August 1, 2022
Fixing Things at the Local Level Without Government
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | July 14, 2022
Trust in Government Lower Now Than After Watergate Scandal
Erin Norman at RealClearPolitics | June 30, 2022
Americans’ Surprising Agreement on Teaching Race in the Classroom
Erin Norman in Governing | June 7, 2022
As Biden Dithers, States Are Enacting Meaningful Inflation Policy
Erin Norman in The Hill | June 6, 2022
America Doesn’t Need to Argue Less, It Needs to Argue Better
Tony Woodlief at RealClearBooks | June 2, 2022
How an AP Headline Twists a Tale of American Racism
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | May 27, 2022
Beware, Party Bosses, the Rise of the Unaffiliateds is Coming For You
Tony Woodlief in The Washington Post | April 14, 2022
Gen Z’s Surprising Support for Federalism
Erin Norman in InsideSources | April 5, 2022
Strong Revenue and Fiscal Federalism Are Driving a State-Based Tax Revolution
Michael Lucci in National Review | March 14, 2023
Americans’ Declining Trust in the Politicians Who Run Their Schools
Erin Norman in Governing Magazine | March 2, 2022
Let Our Communities Lead
Tony Woodlief at National Review | March 4, 2022
Declining trust in government shows why local politics matters
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | January 31, 2022
The Rise of the Interloping Radicals
Tony Woodlief in Spectator World | January 19, 2022
Independent Voters are Alive and Well—and Angrier Than Ever
Tony Woodlief in The New York Post | December 11, 2021
America Needs a Great Decentralization
Michael Lucci in National Review | November 26, 2021
Is America in ‘a Cold Civil War’? Not at All.
Tony Woodlief at Governing | October 8, 2021
State Bans on Critical Race Theory Won’t Work
Tony Woodlief in The Wall Street Journal | August 20, 2021
All Agree: Better Voting Access and Security Are Needed
Tony Woodlief at Real Clear Politics | September 11, 2021
How the States Can Fight the Federal Incentives Encouraging Joblessness
Michael Lucci in National Review | June 15, 2021
States Offer an Alternative Path to Save American Healthcare
Kathleen O’Hearn at US News & World Report | March 29, 2021
Why the 2020 Election is a Mandate for Solutions and Moderation
Carrie Conko and Erin Norman in USA Today | November 23, 2020
Free Speech Absolutism Killed Free Speech
Tony Woodlief at The Wall Street Journal | September 7, 2020
The Overlooked Potential of State AGs for Police Reform
Tony Woodlief at Governing | June 15, 2020
Broadcast
The Debt Ceiling Debate Should Wake up the States
Steven Johnson on Agriculture of America | May 26, 2023
The Fragility of Citizenship
Tony Woodlief with Victor Davis Hanson on Center for Civil Society’s webinar | December 8, 2022
Why Americans are Concealing Their True Political Beliefs
Erin Norman on the Matt Allen Show | October 27, 2022
The Rise of Independents
Tony Woodlief on the Michael Smerconish Show | April 19, 2022
Can Federalism Save America?
A Conversation with Fox News’ Guy Benson and Tony Woodlief | March 24, 2022
The Rise of the Independent Voter
Tony Woodlief on Wake Up Columbia with Branden Rathert (Missouri) | February 9, 2022
Is America Divided?
Tony Woodlief on the Moon Griffon Show (Louisiana) | February 9, 2022
Reclaiming American Self-Governance
Tony Woodlief on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal | December 23, 2021
Independent Voters ANGRIER Than Ever, Will the Parties SMARTEN UP and Find Better 2024 Candidates?
Tony Woodlief on The Hill TV | December 17, 2021
I, Citizen Takeaways
Tony Woodlief on the Jim Bohannon Radio Show | December 6, 2021
The Rise of Independents
Tony Woodlief on the Lars Larson Show | November 15, 2021
Election 2021 and the Rise of the Independent Voter
Tony Woodlief on Fox News Radio | November 9, 2021
State Bans on Critical Race Theory
Tony Woodlief on the David Webb Show | August 27, 2021
Podcasts
Tony Woodlief: I, Citizen
Tony Woodlief on the Civil Squared Podcast | December 13, 2021
What Does ‘Self-Governance’ Look Like In The Era Of Community Decay?
Tony Woodlief on The Federalist Podcast | December 13, 2021
Podcast: Can American Self-Governance Be Saved?
Tony Woodlief on the Spectator Podcast | December 8, 2021
Episode 381: I, Citizen by Tony Woodlief
Tony Woodlief on National Review’s Bookmonger Podcast | December 6, 2021
The High Costs of Incarceration
Rebecca Painter on the Civil Squared Podcast | September 13, 2021