September - 2024

Spokane’s Prop 1: The Community Safety Sales Tax

Sep 304 min read

Spokane’s Prop 1: The Community Safety Sales Tax

Like many cities across Washington state, the city of Spokane is facing a public safety crisis. Graffiti and garbage line many downtown...

Montana and Idaho's “Internet for All” initial proposals approved

Sebastian Griffin

Sep 272 min read

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

Montana and Idaho's “Internet for All” initial proposals approved

Montana and Idaho continue to demonstrate their leadership in the Mountain States with the recent approvals of their Broadband Equity,...

Jason Mercier

Sep 251 min read

NEWSROOM

Review of 2024 ballot measures

Voters across the Mountain States will consider several important ballot measures this November. To help provide them with the...

Bozeman plastics initiative: To ban plastic bags, straws

Chris Cargill

Sep 243 min read

ENVIRONMENT

Bozeman plastics initiative: To ban plastic bags, straws

This November, voters in the city of Bozeman will decide whether to adopt a ban on plastic bags and straws, as well as foam containers. ...

Washington’s Initiative 2066: Promoting energy choice by protecting access to natural gas for homes and businesses

Madilynne Clark

Sep 233 min read

ENVIRONMENT

Washington’s Initiative 2066: Promoting energy choice by protecting access to natural gas for homes and businesses

This November, Washington voters will decide if consumer energy choices deserve protection. Over the course of the last year, Washington...

Montana’s CI-126 and CI-127: Enacting a Top 4 primary and 50% election threshold

Jason Mercier

Sep 223 min read

GOVERNANCE

Montana’s CI-126 and CI-127: Enacting a Top 4 primary and 50% election threshold

This November, Montana voters will decide whether to adopt two separate constitutional amendments: CI-126 to require a non-partisan Top...

Permitting reform is the key to unlocking broadband expansion

Sebastian Griffin

Sep 203 min read

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

Permitting reform is the key to unlocking broadband expansion

As billions of dollars in federal funding flows into states through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, the...

Mostly high marks for our region in Schweitzer's 2024 Index of Freedom report

Sam Cardwell

Sep 182 min read

BUSINESS CLIMATE

Mostly high marks for our region in Schweitzer's 2024 Index of Freedom report

Regionally based Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) recently released its 2024 Index of Freedom report . The top five states in...

Idaho’s Prop 1: Enacting Ranked Choice Voting and a Top 4 Primary for State Elections

Jason Mercier

Sep 174 min read

GOVERNANCE

Idaho’s Prop 1: Enacting Ranked Choice Voting and a Top 4 Primary for State Elections

This November, Idaho voters will decide whether to enact Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for statewide elections while using a non-partisan...

Judge Jeanine Pirro to speak at MSPC’s 2025 Spring Dinner in Coeur d’Alene

MSPC Newsroom

Sep 162 min read

NEWSROOM

Judge Jeanine Pirro to speak at MSPC’s 2025 Spring Dinner in Coeur d’Alene

Mountain States Policy Center (MSPC) – the region’s premier free market think tank – has announced best-selling author and former Judge Jean

New taxes, spending, recess time, and school board spouses

Chris Cargill

Sep 122 min read

EDUCATION

New taxes, spending, recess time, and school board spouses

When the Idaho School Boards Association (ISBA) meets in Boise in November to pass a legislative platform, they may want to reconsider their

Dr. Roger Stark

Sep 112 min read

HEALTH CARE

The doctor can’t see you now

The Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, became law in 2010 and provisions from the legislation began in 2014. The overall goal of the law...

State worker contract secrecy benefits no one

Jason Mercier

Sep 93 min read

GOVERNANCE

State worker contract secrecy benefits no one

Note: This is a joint op-ed with Elizabeth New ( Washington Policy Center ) and Jackson Maynard ( Citizen Action Defense Fund )....

What Idaho's education choice plan should - and should not - include

Chris Cargill

Sep 62 min read

EDUCATION

What Idaho's education choice plan should - and should not - include

Ahead of the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers in Idaho are reportedly considering various plans to expand education choice options in the

Broadband expansion: let the private sector lead, not government-owned networks

Sebastian Griffin

Sep 43 min read

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

Broadband expansion: let the private sector lead, not government-owned networks

Across the country, local municipalities and county governments are taking on the task of establishing their own broadband utilities,...

How are education choice programs working across the country? Three states provide their comments

Sam Cardwell

Sep 35 min read

EDUCATION

How are education choice programs working across the country? Three states provide their comments

Across the country, states are increasing education choice offerings such as Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) or tax credits to provide...

WHAT WE COVER

WHAT WE COVER

Free
Markets
First.