Mountain States Policy Center (MSPC) - the region's top free market think tank - is proud to announce it has been nominated for a major national award for its work to ban home equity theft in Idaho.
MSPC is one of just three finalists for the State Policy Network's Bob Williams Award for Outstanding Policy Achievement - the Biggest Win for Freedom.
Along with four other state based think tanks that tackled the issue in their states (the Platte Institute, the Cascade Policy Institute, Maine Policy Institute and the Pioneer Institute), MSPC helped educate Idaho lawmakers on home equity theft - aiming to protect property rights for some of our most vulnerable residents.
Our work was built on Pacific Legal Foundation’s 2023 Supreme Court victory Tyler v. Hennepin County. That case set a national precedent clarifying that government cannot take more than it’s owed when collecting delinquent property taxes. The equity in property is just as protected as property itself. But even unanimous Supreme Court victories don’t become state law by themselves.
MSPC's Madilynne Clark led our research and outreach on the issue, producing a major study, educating lawmakers, and even testifying before legislative committees at the request of members.
"Madi earned the respect of lawmakers who were eager to learn about the issue, and prevent injustice," said MSPC President Chris Cargill.
A ban on home equity theft was unanimously approved by the Idaho legislature and signed into law earlier this year.
The award winner will be announced in August, but the real winners are those citizens who won't face the possibility that this could ever happen to them.
You can learn more about the other finalists for this award, as well as the good work of other state-based think tanks here.
If you are attending the State Policy Network Annual Meeting in Phoenix, we would appreciate your vote!