Cascade Policy Institute

Do you know a college student who would like to learn more about free markets and the effect on the Pacific Northwest? Our 2026 summer internship program is open for applications. Participants will enjoy a summer in Portland, Oregon, learning the ins-and-outs of policy work, free market philosophies and the strategies behind challenging decision makers. All while building their resume. More info here: bit.ly/4ssHKzM

38 states have NO estate tax. Of the 12 who have an estate tax, Oregon already has one of the lowest estate tax exemption levels in the country at $1 million and is now pushing for a 16% rate. Who wants to stay in a state that keeps carving away at people's hard-earned money?

School choice is growing fast in the U.S. — with 1.3 million+ students now using private school choice programs, a 25% increase in just one year. But “school choice” isn’t one policy. States use different models — including Education Savings Accounts, tax-credit scholarships, vouchers, and tax credits — each offering families different levels of flexibility. One idea connects them all: families, not systems, should decide how children are educated. bit.ly/3MRYku8 @StatePolicy

@KathySelvag We're proposing students be able to find the environment that best supports their learning habits. How is it selfish?

@CascadePolicy Let me guess. Does this have something to do with vouchers? Moving public money to private schools? No thank you. Sick of such selfish solutions

Oregon’s public schools, largely controlled by teachers unions, are a one-size-fits-all system that leaves many behind. We have market-based policy solutions that can help all students thrive.

Get the insider's scoop on Oregon’s 2026 legislative session. Join Cascade Policy Institute’s Tom Holt and Rep. Ed Diehl, chief petitioner for the No Tax Oregon Gas Tax Referendum, for a look at the political battle unfolding in Salem. Last fall, 250,000 Oregonians signed the referendum to challenge Governor Kotek’s transportation tax and fee hikes. Get the full story at Cascade's Policy Picnic. Seats are limited. RSVP here: bit.ly/4aU7csh

Oregon lawmakers had a chance to fix one of the worst estate taxes in the country. Instead, Senate Democrats tried to make it even harsher with a proposed 20% “death tax.” The good news? The bill failed in the House. Read the full analysis from Cascade Policy Institute. bit.ly/3OVlKzd

Did PPS violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964? A federal investigation is underway to determine if the Center for Black Student Excellence crosses race discrimination lines. Better suited as a private venture, the center should encompass all students if it remains administered by PPS.

@BillyScrimshaw Yes, indeed.

Isn't the entire school district supposed to be a Center for Student Excellence?

PPS received approximately $60 million in bond money earmarked to use on the Center for Black Student Excellence. The U.S. Department of Education is investigating a possible race-based volitation, which could jeopardize taxpayer funding. The stakes are significant.

Federal law is clear: race-based discrimination is illegal in publicly funded education. PPS is under investigation for creating a center specifically for black students. Compliance isn’t optional—$60M in federal funding is at stake.

The U.S. Department of Education is investigating PPS over a race-based program violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Taxpayer funding and civil rights compliance are on the line.

@RossiMaria41238 100%

Oregon is at the bottom of the pack in education. It is time to empower parents.

@iamlisakirk We can definitely say those needing affordable housing are not benefiting. After that, your guess is as good as ours.

@CascadePolicy Who is benefitting from this?

Metro’s idea of “affordable housing” is costing taxpayers an average of $800 per square foot. For comparison, the median home price per square foot in Portland's private sector is about $300. The M. Carter Commons project cost $34.5 million for 63 small apartments — averaging 591 square feet. At nearly three times the market rate per square foot, this isn’t affordability. It’s a warning sign. Portland families need policies that reduce housing costs — not drive them higher.

The U.S. Department of Education has opened an investigation into Portland Public Schools over allegations that race-based programs and funding may violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. At issue: the Center for Black Student Excellence and PPS’s equity funding model. With $70 million in federal funding potentially at stake, the question is simple: Will PPS comply with federal civil rights law? Read the full article by John A. Charles, Jr. bit.ly/4l7TG7Z

Where do you think government works best — and where should it step back? Share one example of each in the comments. 👇

Public utility companies are struggling to keep up with heightened electricity demands and energy regulation. A new trend in the energy field is Consumer-Regulated electricity. Helping to keep costs down and power reliable, CREs can supply businesses and residents without having to overhaul the grid's infrastructure. bit.ly/4saB5ub @StatePolicy

In 1990: • 3,100 people per square mile • Median home = 2.0× median income In 2020: • 4,200 people per square mile • Median home = 4.7× median income As density increased, affordability collapsed. Yet Metro’s strategy doubles down on higher-density housing and subsidies instead of expanding supply and allowing more single-family homes. If the goal is affordability, the data should matter.

@OregonEdProject Thank you. We'll look into it.

Motivated Reasoning is a concept in cognitive psychology that elucidates the natural tendency we have to look for confirmation of existing beliefs. School choice is your default option. All “roads of thinking” come back to that for you. I’m trying to get you to think in a more *informed* way — by setting aside that preconceived option and exploring what is effective and doable. [school choice is not an option in Oregon, for now] There is a robust body of literature that provides evidence-based direction for how we improve student outcomes (“The Science of Learning”). Implementing that in Oregon is how we move forward and improve Oregon. We have to remove *both* progressive politics and progressive education if the state is going to succeed. That’s the root of the problem: the intellectual framework of progressivism. It drives the failure of our schools, as it does not align with how students learn.

Texas Parents Break Records for School Choice Applications ✍️ By Kathryn Hickok 📚 School choice is growing—fast. More than 1.5 million students nationwide now benefit from school choice programs, with options available in 34 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Read here: bit.ly/4rRUqA7

School choice isn’t a fringe idea anymore. • 75 programs • 34 states + D.C. + Puerto Rico • 1.5 million students served Texas just launched the largest program in the country — funding 90,000 Education Savings Accounts at $10,000+ per student. Families can use the funds for private tuition, tutoring, transportation, or special needs services. Parents across the country are demanding flexibility. Shouldn’t Oregon families have the same opportunity?

42,000 Texas students applied for school choice in a single day. That’s not politics. That’s demand. When parents break records to access better education options, policymakers should take note. Oregon families deserve the same freedom.