Announcements
In the latest episode of Quality Matters, Diogo Costa, President of the Foundation for Economic Education, joins hosts Shaka Mitchell and Caitlin Sienkiewicz to discuss how economic principles like innovation, feedback loops, and creative destruction can reshape education.
Work requirements for welfare recipients, Illinois Policy Institute noted, may impact the 1-in-4 Illinois residents on Medicaid following recent congressional changes to federal health care and food assistance benefits.
The Independence Institute’s Kathleen Chandler held another session of her popular class, Citizen’s Guide to Civic Engagement, which teaches people how to get involved in local politics by serving on a board or commission.
The Institute for Reforming Government announced the promotion of Chris Reader to Chief Operating Officer, where he will oversee daily operations and lead the IRG Action Fund as Executive Director.
The erosion of federalism reliance on federal funding, ITR Foundation emphasized, is evident through leaders’ concerns about DOGE spending cuts impacting programs like Medicaid and SNAP, necessitating constitutional renewal.
Warnings from leaders like President Coolidge on federal subsidies, ITR Foundation argues, remain relevant as states grow dependent on federal funds, affecting fiscal responsibility and constitutional governance.
The John Locke Foundation highlighted how the growth of artificial intelligence is predicted to raise electric bills by over 20 percent for millions of Americans, stressing the power grid with potential blackouts.
Investigative journalists at Kansas Policy Institute reported that the Kansas Department of Education is still not in compliance with the Attorney General’s direction to remove gender identity and sexual orientation from non-discrimination language.
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy has released a new episode of The Overton Window Podcast, featuring coverage of its federal lawsuit, Hernden v. Chippewa Valley Schools Board of Education, the recent oral arguments in the Sixth Circuit, and the client’s personal story of government retaliation during the COVID era.
Warning labels’ complexity, Pelican Policy highlighted, can hinder the free market’s ability to assist families, raising questions about their effectiveness in nuanced areas like social media.
On literacy advancement, Pioneer Institute suggests learning from Louisiana and Mississippi to enhance educational strategies, drawing lessons from their successful improvements in literacy rates.
The Platte Institute examined the One Big Beautiful Bill, noting its sweeping changes to federal fiscal policy and Nebraska’s crucial decisions on adopting or deferring provisions with significant budgetary impacts.
The Show Me Institute highlighted how new executive orders on nuclear initiatives may enhance national security and affect Missouri’s energy landscape through development and deployment strategies.
Success Stories
Maine: The recent legislative session saw the passage of LD 857, a bill increasing government transparency in procurement, which was allowed to become law without the governor’s signature. This achievement was praised by Maine Policy Institute, enhancing transparency for taxpayers.
Mississippi: Over the past five years, bold economic reforms have driven significant growth in Mississippi, with the state achieving the second-fastest per capita GDP growth. Mississippi Center for Public Policy highlighted this economic transformation, shedding the state’s laggard image.
North Carolina: A new law simplifying the process for licensed professionals to work was signed, breaking down barriers to employment. This achievement was celebrated by Goldwater Institute, which emphasized the positive impact on work opportunities in the state.
Wisconsin: The passage of Gov. Scott Walker’s Act 10 in 2011 restructured teacher union influence, resulting in benefits for students. American Experiment noted this reform’s positive impact on education, as highlighted in a recent economic research paper.
Tennessee/North Carolina: U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Rep. Mark Harris introduced a bill to repeal the NEA charter, a move applauded by Freedom Foundation. This legislation aims to reduce federal oversight in education, promoting greater autonomy.
Freedom through the Courts: The Latest Litigation Efforts across the Network
The Buckeye Institute won a key case for Anthony Alfieri, securing over $18,000 in tax refunds from Cleveland, following a similar win for Dr. Manal Morsy that included full tax repayment, interest, and court costs.
Goldwater Institute sued the federal government to uncover why a moving company has been investigated for nearly a decade over alleged age discrimination in a $15 million case.
The Goldwater Institute sued the federal government to demand transparency in a case involving $15 million, questioning why it has targeted a successful moving company for nearly a decade over alleged age discrimination.
Liberty Justice Center and Upper Midwest Law Center won a First Amendment case for Minnesota college students forced to fund political speech. The court ruled the group in question acts as a state entity and can be held accountable.
Solutions from the States: This Week’s Policy Briefs
A new Independence Institute publication highlights a Colorado educational service agency, which has proactively authorized new brick-and-mortar public schools, online schools, and homeschool enrichment programs. Forty-five states have educational service agencies that can potentially provide similar services.
The James Madison Institute released a new policy brief examining the role of data centers, emphasizing their economic impact and the need for balanced regulation to encourage growth in this sector.
In a study of charter schools, Show-Me Institute analyzed enrollment trends in Los Angeles, finding significant impacts on student outcomes and educational choice, as reported in Education Finance and Policy.
Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty launched the 2025 School Scorecard Dashboard with enhanced data, offering parents and stakeholders valuable insights into district performance across Wisconsin.
A legislative overview from Maine Policy Institute highlighted the passage of significant bills defining the state’s 2025 session, moving beyond headlines to focus on impactful policy changes.
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy outlined a strategic vision advocating for affordable, reliable energy, opposing expensive mandates and unreliable generation in a new report.
Reason Foundation published “Debtor Nation 2025,” a tool designed to provide a clearer picture of why the national debt matters to taxpayers and future generations, how we arrived at this point, who holds this debt, and what would need to be done to rein it in.
Tracking Positive Reforms: Updates from Network Affiliates
New Hampshire: Lawmakers overwhelmingly advanced the Right to Try expansion, bringing rare disease patients closer to accessing cutting-edge bespoke medical treatments. The bill was sent to Governor Kelly Ayotte for approval (Goldwater Institute).
Policy News from the States
Topics:
K-12 Education
What does CNBC’s ranking of Minnesota education tell us?
American Experiment
TriMet’s Plan for 82nd Avenue “Road Diet” Looms in Metro Decision
Cascade Policy
Congress gives school choice back to Illinois’ low-income students
Illinois Policy
Taxpayers (and Students) Deserve Quality Outcomes
ITR Foundation
Digital Foundations: The Essential Guide to Data Centers and Their Growth
James Madison
SCOTUS greenlights Ed Department layoff planning
John Locke
Improve teacher quality to fix education system
Mackinac
NJ ED REPORT: Is Murphy Stalling the Segregation Lawsuit? What Would His Successor Do?
New Jersey Policy Institute
Oklahoma Teacher Pay Ranks Higher than Many Realize
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Conspiracies Aside, Drug Company Profits Are Average
Pacific Research
Anti-Charter School Bill Would Hurt Most Vulnerable CA Students
Pacific Research
The Paradox of Justice in the Commonwealth: A Deeper Look at Massachusetts Incarceration Rates
Pioneer Institute
Study Finds MBTA Operating Costs Surging Since Control Board’s Elimination
Pioneer Institute
Missouri Families Need the “Unsafe School Choice Option”
Show-Me Institute
A Real College Student’s Take on Murray’s ‘Real Education’
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Keep a Close Eye on Our Nation’s Credit Score
Texas Public Policy Foundation
High pay, low test scores: WA teachers earn most when adjusted for cost of living
Washington Policy Center
Energy and Environment
Risk of power outages increase 100x by 2030, warns DOE
American Experiment
RCE: American AI needs affordable, reliable energy, not wishful thinking
American Experiment
Midwest retiring the most coal capacity by 2028: EIA
American Experiment
New Hampshire Lawmakers Send Right to Try Expansion to Governor Kelly Ayotte
Goldwater Institute
The role of renewable energy in environmental ‘disaster’
John Locke
Drivers Will Pay More for State’s “Managed Decline” of Oil and Gas Production
Pacific Research
Massachusetts and the Energy Equation: Balancing Imports with Innovation
Pioneer Institute
Study: 7 In 10 College Energy Courses Focus On So-Called Climate Change
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Healthcare
No, Donald Trump didn’t just slash Medicaid
Pacific Research
Destination SC: “Medical Tourism” Is Real
Palmetto Promise
Housing Affordability
Trump Administration, Congress Offer Vastly Different Visions for the Future of the Housing Choice Voucher Program
Pioneer Institute
Responding to PortKC’s Defenders
Show-Me Institute
Jobs and State Economies
710k Illinoisans avoid work advancement to keep welfare benefits
Illinois Policy
Kansas Taxpayers Still Waiting: Budget Bloat Blocks Relief Despite Strong Revenues
Kansas Policy
Austin ISD’s Hidden Tax Increase
Texas Public Policy Foundation
The Broadband and Internet Service Provider Landscape Is a Free Market Success Story
Washington Policy Center
State Budgets
PA House Democrats Pass Unbalanced, Reckless Spending Bill
Commonwealth Foundation
Why Idaho’s fiscal health remains strong
Mountain States Policy
Other
There is no such thing as “free childcare”
American Experiment
The Grand Bargain of Desalination
California Policy Center
Mike Mansfield and the Japanese
Frontier Institute
Permitting progress prevails
Grassroot Institute
Illinois lawmakers making $128K for 70 days of work
Illinois Policy Institute
Illinois loses 1,782 jobs, with 390 layoffs at Chicago job search firms Monster, CareerBuilder
Illinois Policy Institute
Does Iowa Really Have a Truth-in-Taxation Law?
ITR Foundation
The James Madison Institute Releases 2025 Legislative Wrap-Up
James Madison
Publicly owned grocery stores are a bad idea
John Locke
Election bill is good, but here is how it could be better
John Locke
Most Tips to Wisconsin Waste Hotline Remain Under Review
MacIver Institute for Public Policy
Which is growing faster: Core cities or their suburbs?
Mackinac
Good and bad news on the Washington ferries deal
Mountain States Policy
The importance of human oversight in AI-driven reporting
Mountain States Policy
Newsom wisely uses political capital to secure CEQA reform
Pacific Research
The Culprit Impeding Drug Competition Is Not Who The Feds Expected
Pacific Research
Is “Big” Really Bad? What Critics Miss About Big Oil, Big Tech, and Big Pharma
Pelican Institute
Research note: Conditional Use and Special Exception Permits
Platte Institute
Albuquerque Mayoral Candidate Darren White completes RGF Mayoral candidate survey
Rio Grande Foundation
The MOScholars Program: Why and How to Participate
Show-Me Institute
Soviets or Roman Emperors, Which Do We Get?
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Wisconsin Bar Association Eliminates Race-Based DEI in Settlement with WILL
WILL
The Network in the News
The Caesar Rodney Institute‘s Dr. Casscells’ op‑ed in the Delaware State News argues that the “Big Beautiful Bill” could significantly improve health care access for Delawareans by expanding and sustaining affordable coverage.
Dr. Tanya Hettler, Education Expert at the Caesar Rodney Institute, joined The Rick Jensen Show to explain why Delaware is not being harmed by frozen education funds.
At RealClearEnergy, Center of the American Experiment’s Sarah Montalbano notes American AI needs affordable, reliable energy, not wishful thinking.
At RealClear, the Commonwealth Foundation’s Elizabeth Stelle highlights what Pennsylvania can learn from Louisiana about energy policy.
In The Wall Street Journal, FGA’s Hayden Dublois underscores the importance of the welfare reforms in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
In National Review, Independent Institute’s Phillip W. Magness argues that the 1619 Project has failed to stand up to academic scrutiny.
In The Wall Street Journal, Jason Riley cites Magness’ new book, The 1619 Project Myth, which challenges claims that slavery broadly benefited the U.S. economy.
In The American Spectator, Independent Institute’s Lloyd Billingsley critiques California’s rebuilding delays, calling out environmentalist obstruction.
In The Hill, Kansas Justice Institute’s Samuel MacRoberts celebrates a court win affirming that warrantless inspections on private property violate the Fourth Amendment.
In a National Press Foundation interview, Liberty Justice Center’s Jeff Schwab discusses LJC’s case challenging the Trump Administration’s “Liberation Day” tariffs.
On Fox Business, LJC’s Dean McGee and client Leah McGhee discuss a free speech win after a student was punished for using the term “illegal alien” in a question.
In Law & Liberty, the John Locke Foundation’s Donald Bryson reflects on Locke, limited government, and the need to resist authoritarian impulses.
John Locke Foundation statement to the AP on North Carolina’s energy bill veto made global headlines, picked up by outlets like U.S. News & World Report, ABC News, San Francisco Chronicle, Yahoo Singapore, The Canadian Press, Daily Mail UK, Malaysia Yahoo, and En Pelotas (Spain).
In his recent column for The Detroit News, the Mackinac Center’s Mike Reitz outlines 7 questions to ask about any policy proposal.
In The Center Square, the Mountain States Policy Center’s Sebastian Griffin underscores theimportance of human oversight in AI-driven reporting.
In her column for Newsmax, the Pacific Research Institute’s Sally Pipes notes the One Big Beautiful Bill is a fiscal lifeline for Medicaid and taxpayers.
