State Policy Network

🚨 SPN welcomes Chris Dauer as our new President & CEO! With leadership roots at Hoover & Silicon Valley, Chris brings a builder’s mindset and a passion for federalism. 📰 Learn more: spn.org/meet-our-new-c…

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

Annual Meeting in Orlando is just 157 days away!🎉 Don't worry we'll have plenty of bagels!

If we want education freedom to deliver real results for families, then we need bold, practical solutions built by entrepreneurial leaders. The SPN Ed-Prize supports leaders advancing education freedom across policy implementation, public school innovation, parent navigation, accountability tools, technology platforms, and ecosystem-building. If you are working to expand access to high-quality learning opportunities and strengthen education at the state level, we encourage you to apply. First-round applications close April 12th. Learn more and apply: spnlaunchpad.org/ed-prize

Applications are now open for the 2026 SPN Civics Prize. A thriving republic depends on citizens who understand self-government, constitutional principles, and the rights and responsibilities that come with freedom. But civic literacy is in crisis, and too many students are graduating without that foundation. The Civics Prize awards $20,000–$60,000 to entrepreneurial leaders developing innovative, market-based solutions that strengthen civic literacy and renew America’s civic culture. Applications close April 12th. Learn more and apply: spnlaunchpad.org/ed-prize

Applications are now open for the 2026 SPN Ed-Prize. Education freedom is expanding across America, but strong implementation and innovative solutions are what make lasting impact possible. The Ed-Prize awards $20,000–$75,000 to entrepreneurial leaders building practical, market-based solutions that advance education freedom and improve outcomes for students and families. First-round applications close April 12th. Learn more and apply: spnlaunchpad.org/ed-prize

Annual Meeting in Orlando is just 164 days away! Don't worry there will be plenty of parking!

Applications are due! First-round applications for the 2026 Pathways to Prosperity Prize close on March 15. Grants of $20,000–$75,000 are available for those pursuing innovative, market-based solutions addressing poverty in America. If you have been considering applying, now is the time. Submit your application: spnlaunchpad.org/pathways-prize

Read the full article here: washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/447220…

Our very own @Brooke_Medina_ joined @ScottJenningsKY to break down NYC Mayor Mamdani's budget proposal. A 10% property tax hike, a city budget $10 billion larger than all of Florida's, and 55% of NYC's revenue subsidized by American taxpayers nationwide. Rural America is footing this bill.

During Gov. Rick Snyder's tenure in Michigan, 90% of bills signed into law had supermajority support from both parties in both chambers. Cross-party governing is still possible. spn.org/michigan-gover…

SPN's Pathways Prize is open. It is a competitive grant program supporting innovative, market-based solutions to poverty, with awards ranging from $20,000 to $75,000. We are especially looking for projects focused on workforce development, social safety net reform, and child welfare. SPN affiliates, partners, and community organizations are all encouraged to apply. Partnerships between think tanks and local community organizations are strongly welcome. If you are doing promising work on poverty in your community, we want to know about it. Learn more and apply at spnlaunchpad.org/pathways-prize

SPN affiliates have local credibility and can convene leaders who would not otherwise share a room. Michigan's civility forum is a model for this kind of collaboration. Mackinac Center President Joe Lehman put it simply: there is no reason Michigan cannot be the top-ranked state for civility in the public square. spn.org/michigan-gover…

Washington may supply the dollars, but states run the programs. That is why the most durable fixes to fraud and waste have to come from state policy and state oversight. SPN and its affiliates are building the tools to make those fixes happen. spn.org/spn-war-on-fra…

“This award will help the Center for Poverty Solutions invest in communities block by block across Chicago. With SPN’s help, we will take the next steps to empower our neighbors.” -Dr. Eddie Kornegay, Center for Poverty Solutions at Illinois Policy Institute The Pathways to Prosperity Prize supports leaders who are building measurable, community-level change. If your organization is advancing a scalable solution to poverty, we encourage you to apply. Grant range: $20,000–$75,000 Deadline: March 15 spnlaunchpad.org/pathways-prize

From Minnesota's welfare fraud scandal to oversight failures in Maine and Massachusetts, SPN affiliates have been exposing waste and demanding answers long before Washington made it a priority. State-level accountability is where the real work happens. spn.org/spn-war-on-fra…

Governors still matter. In @NRO , Madison Ray of @StatePolicy’s Center for Practical Federalism explains why governors remain central to America’s future. nationalreview.com/2026/03/govern…

Washington can't manufacture real accountability. But your state rep who sees her neighbors at ball games and the grocery store? She can. The new issue of American Habits features Kansas State Rep. Rebecca Schmoe on what federalism actually looks like up close. Worth your time.

Four Michigan governors. Two parties. One stage. For the first time ever, former Govs. Blanchard, Engler, Granholm, and Snyder came together for a civility forum hosted by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, an SPN affiliate. spn.org/michigan-gover…

SPN's @Brooke_Medina_ unpacks the latest Census migration data, and the story is hard to ignore. North Carolina, Texas, and South Carolina gained a combined 217,000 residents in 2025. California, New York, and Illinois lost over 400,000. Lower taxes, right-to-work laws, and school choice are driving the trend. Americans are voting with their feet. dcjournal.com/why-americans-…

President Trump called out waste and fraud in state-administered programs in his State of the Union. In every state he named, SPN affiliates had already been doing the investigative work to expose it. Did you know that much of the fraud happens at the state level, even when the money originates in Washington? spn.org/spn-war-on-fra…