By: Ladan Nowrasteh

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).

Success Stories

Goldwater Institute recognized for being on “the cutting edge of what good government should look like”
In a new video, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey applauds the Goldwater Institute for its leadership in fighting for freedom in his state—and in leading the way for the nation. “The Goldwater Institute is focused on individual liberty and limited government, and that’s two of the principles that have made Arizona a better state, a more productive state, where people from all across the country are flocking to,” Governor Ducey said. “There’s no one in this country that is more on the cutting edge of what good government should look like and holding elected leaders accountable for their actions.” Governor Ducey recently signed first-in-the-nation legislation that recognizes occupational licenses from other states.

Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs sees ideas become reality in 2019 Legislative Session
Several reforms long supported by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs were enacted during the 2019 legislative session, making state government more accountable and efficient. This includes giving the governor the ability to select the leaders of five major agencies, creation of a Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency to conduct performance evaluations of agencies, boosting state savings by $200 million, and requiring state agencies to report the use of all federal funds in a transparent manner. Other important reform measures included Oklahoma Supreme Court redistricting, increasing job opportunities for former convicts, protecting free speech on state college campuses, avoiding Medicaid expansion.

Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty lands a state Supreme Court win to keep the administrative state in check
The Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a 4-2 decision in Koschkee v. Taylor, a WILL case brought on original action, that holds the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) does not have the constitutional power to make laws. This is a critical victory that prevents a runaway administrative state, preserves the separation of powers, and boosts the prospects for education reform in Wisconsin. The win marks WILL’s fourth victory at the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the past three years.

The Network marks the first anniversary of Janus v. AFSCME decision

June 27, 2019, was the first anniversary of the monumental Janus v. AFSCME decision in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that government workers may no longer be forced to pay money to a union just so they can earn a living. This week, several state think tanks celebrated the anniversary by considering how the decision has unfolded over the past year and what think tanks can do next to ensure workers are informed of their rights.

SPN member organizations are welcome to share their Janus anniversary content with SPN by sending it to updates@spn.org. SPN will gladly incorporate additional content into our round-up.

In the News:

Think tanks spread the message of worker freedom:

Research & Initiatives

  • For teachers, options for workplace representation and professional development opportunities are growing. Center of the American Experiment shares the top five reasons why non-union organizations are attracting more educators.
  • The Empire Center discovered that in the final days of session, New York’s legislature passed a bill requiring the certification of doulas, non-medical practitioners who provide guidance and support to women having children. 
  • The Mackinac Center’s legal arm launched its latest lawsuit related to union workers attempting to exercise their right to leave a union following the Janus decision. Three employees in New Jersey—a nurse, a college employee and a transportation worker—have filed the suit after their unions refused to allow them to stop paying money to the union by enforcing an illegal “opt out window.”
  • Maine’s 129th Legislature has adjourned, and Maine Heritage Policy Center takes stock of the measures that passed and how they will restrict citizens’ freedoms.
  • With free legal aid from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, a United Airlines fleet service employee has filed a class action lawsuit in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas against the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union. The employee is challenging the union’s requirement that nonmember workers “opt out” of paying for union officials’ political and ideological activities.
  • Typically, think tanks are in the business of providing answers for policymakers. But when it comes to job licensing, many elected officials hardly know which questions they should be asking to help improve their state and local laws. The Platte Institute for Economic Research’s latest publication, “Job Licensing: Questions You Should Ask,” helps officials in Nebraska and other states start the conversation. 

Think Tanks in the News