This weekly round-up shares the latest news about what the Network is doing to promote state-based solutions that will improve the lives of families, workers, and local communities. If you are an SPN member and have an update you’d like us to include in next week’s round-up, please email us at updates@spn.org (all submissions are subject to SPN approval).

Announcements

  • State Policy Network mourns the loss of Mike Thompson, the founder, chairman, and long-time president of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy, who passed away on September 7, 2019. Mike founded the Thomas Jefferson Institute in 1997, a Virginia-based state think tank dedicated to developing free-market policy solutions to address Virginia’s challenges while promoting limited government and individual responsibility. Read SPN’s tribute to Mike here.
  • Empower Mississippi welcomed Katie Elliott to the team as Executive Assistant and Development Connector. Elliott was previously a Developmental English teacher at a local community college—it was there where she developed a passion for school choice. On joining Empower, Elliott said: “I am thrilled to join the Empower team. This is a team I have watched for several years, and their mission of removing barriers to success is a mission I fully support.”

Success Stories

  • It’s no longer illegal to put up “Go USA!” signs in Tennessee—a big win for free speech. The state of Tennessee took down one of these signs last April and then charged owner Bill Thomas. A court of appeals ruled this unconstitutional. The Beacon Center of Tennessee noted: “No one gets to say what you can and can’t say in America. This goes to the cardinal purpose of the First Amendment, and this opinion expresses one of the key principles underneath—there is no one qualified to police what ideas should and should not be expressed.”
  • Mississippi approved its 9th charter school in the state, giving more education options to Mississippi’s children. Grant Callen, President of Empower Mississippi, noted: “This is an exciting day for folks in and near Greenwood who need a different education option.” Although this is good news for the community of Greenwood, Mississippi, three charter school applications were denied, demonstrating there’s still work to be done. Callen added: “It is critical that we find ways to get more schools approved. Every child deserves education options in their community.” Empower Mississippi also commended last week’s Mississippi Supreme Court decision to leave charter school funding in place.
  • The Washington State Supreme Court ruled that faculty members from the University of Washington must disclose their emails related to union organizing. The Freedom Foundation filed the public records request in 2015, arguing that emails stored on a public agency server meet the definition of a public record. The decision reinforces the notion that citizens have a right to know what government is doing.
  • Platte Institute Executive Vice President Kimberly Chalek celebrated her 10-year work anniversary with the organization this week. Kimberly is the longest-serving member of Platte, starting in 2009 as their first Director of Development.

Research and Initiatives

  • The Cardinal Institute released a new study on occupational licensing in West Virginia. The study compares West Virginia’s licensing laws to that of its neighbors—Pennsylvania and Ohio. The authors find West Virginia to have higher initial licensing fees, higher renewal fees, and more licensing boards than its neighboring states. The Show-Me Institute also discussed occupational licensing, urging Missouri to take a cue on the issue from Nebraska, which is beginning a legislative review of all the state’s occupational licensing laws. “Reviewing each license and the options for reducing or eliminating licenses seems like a great place to start in reforming occupational licensing,” said Show-Me.
  • After a North Carolina state representative allegedly said, “We’re…trying to redraw partisan-heavy maps,” at a legislative redistricting meeting, the Civitas Institute filed a public records request for all correspondence and documentation related to that meeting. According to a recent court order, no map-drawing can be made outside of public view. The maps and their associated methodology are public records, noted Civitas.
  • A new video from the Center of the American Experiment highlighted the story of Linda Hoekman, a Minnesota high school teacher who opted out of the teacher’s union. Hoekman explained why she opted out of the union, and why it was a good decision. The Center also looked at an analysis of union spending to underscore how their spending might not represent all union members’ views.  
  • Illinois spends the most on education per student, but student outcomes are still lagging behind many of Illinois’ neighboring states. A new study by the Illinois Policy Institute explains why this is—the state wastes millions on unnecessary layers of administration.
  • The Mackinac Center Legal Foundation has submitted an amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court in the case Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue. The amicus brief highlights the need for better educational options in Michigan by focusing on a data-driven case study on Detroit. The “Motor City” has the worst public school district in the country and Espinoza has the potential to open up private school options to tens of thousands of students.
  • The Pioneer Institute launched a national education podcast this week, “The Learning Curve.” The podcast will discuss K-12 education news and opinion.
  • The Utah Supreme Court upheld a law that created partisan elections for members of the Utah State Board of Education. The Sutherland Institute applauded the decision, noting: “The court offered a common sense ruling that board members are not employees of the state — acknowledging voters’ understanding that they are electing state leaders, not state employees. Helping Utahns have clear choices at the ballot box creates the opportunity for their voices to be more clearly heard on public education policy decisions.”
  • The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Success Academy charter schools in New York City, which mainly serve low-income and minority students, are scoring higher on tests than white children at suburban public schools. The Washington Policy Center noted that despite successes like these, powerful unions try to deny low-income students a quality education. Charter schools are the answer to closing the “opportunity gap,” says WPC.
  • The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty released a study critical of the Wisconsin Governor’s administration, finding the governor has fallen short of maintaining a commitment to transparency. One in three open records requests are unfulfilled or not recorded properly, said WILL.
  • How much will tolls cost in Connecticut? The Yankee Institute explains in a new video. See here for the backstory on this issue. 

Think Tanks in the News

  • Are signs pointing towards another recession? Not according to the Arkansas Policy Foundation, which argued calls for another recession are premature. The Foundation pointed out how positive GDP is synonymous with expansion, not recession.
  • The Commonwealth Foundation’s new report on the Janus impact was featured in an article for The Daily Signal. The piece highlighted Commonwealth’s finding that labor unions are undermining Janus by exploiting policy weakness in state laws.
  • The Ethan Allen Institute considered why 40 percent of young professionals plan on leaving Vermont. The Green Mountain State’s high minimum wage, universal pre-K program, and green energy policies are not keeping young people around, said EAI. Residents of Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles are also fleeing. Reason explained why poor management, uncertain financial situations, and a disregard for citizens’ welfare is causing this mass exodus.
  • Garden State Initiative president Regina Egea went on Power & Politics TV to discuss New Jersey’s lagging economy, high property taxes, and low labor force participation rate. Egea reiterated how New Jersey’s economy is worrisome for employers. 
  • In an op-ed for the Carolina Journal, the John Locke Foundation urged North Carolina to stay clear of Indiana’s model for Medicaid expansion. Indiana’s attempt at the nation’s first consumer-directed health plan for low-income residents ended up costing taxpayers more than if the state had done a traditional Medicaid expansion. The Pelican Institute also commented on Medicaid expansion this week. After the Louisiana Department of Health released a study that claimed an economic boom after Louisiana expanded Medicaid, Pelican criticized the study, pointing out how the authors failed to quantify cases where federal dollars were substituted for dollars previously spent by individuals or employers. Pelican also brought up how the study failed to mention the rampant fraud in the program.
  • After Kansas’ Governor created a reform council to generate ideas on keeping the tax burden as low as possible, the Kansas Policy Institute expressed their skepticism. KPI said the council would unfortunately only reflect the interests of people fond of higher taxes.
  • The Mackinac Center discussed Michigan’s poor student reading scores, and considered a new Michigan law that requires schools to hold back third graders who read behind grade level. The John Locke Foundation also questioned student literacy scores, commenting on recently released school performance grades that show North Carolina reading scores have stagnated despite millions spent on a reading intervention program.
  • Maine is now one of six states where low-income residents pay a smaller share of their income in taxes than the wealthiest residents. The Maine Heritage Policy Center said more could be done to achieve tax fairness in the state—including across the board tax cuts.
  • The Pelican Institute explained how Facebook’s new ad requirements will hurt local elections, raising the time and monetary cost of spreading a message. These requirements were created in response to foreign election meddling, but unfortunately the result will be decreased transparency and diminished voter awareness, said Pelican.
  • In a major setback to worker freedom, a bill in California passed that forces employers to reclassify their independent contractors as full-time employees. The Pacific Research Institute posed the question in an op-ed for the Los Angeles Daily News: “Would leaving workers and employers free to reach their own agreements be such a bad idea?”
  • As health insurance companies exert more and more power over the healthcare process, physicians are growing more frustrated. The Texas Public Policy Foundation considered how this trend may be pushing doctors away from the profession.
  • The Reason Foundation outlined the risks of public pension systems reaching for higher investment returns. Restructuring these plans in a more fiscally responsible way will reduce the risk of having to cut benefits for current retirees, increase contributions from current workers, or rely on taxpayer dollars in order to otherwise meet their financial obligations.

Events & Opportunities

  • On September 18, the Georgia Public Policy Foundation is hosting a policy luncheon “License to Work.” The event features Georgia’s Governor and the Georgians First Commission, who will present their findings on occupational licensing challenges and recommendations for reform.