7/27/2019 RI - Who Is Behind The Rhode Island Center for Freedom

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The State Policy Network (SPN) is an umbrella group of right-wing think tanks across the country. The RhodeIsland Center for Freedom and Prosperity (RICFP) is SPNs cookie-cutter think tank in Rhode Island. While

RICFP claims to be focused on issues important to the people of Rhode Island, it actually pushes an agendadictated by its national right-wing funders and partners.

What I found though was nothing but a rehash of the standard right-wing talkingpoints framed as so sensible and obvious that they needed no explanation.

- Progressive bloggerRuss Conwayon a 2012 RICFP education report

There are only twoknown funders of RICFP:the State

Policy Network, which provided RICFP $122,000 in startupfunds in 2011, and the New York-based JM Foundation,

which gave $25,000 to RICFP in 2012.

In addition to supporting ALECscontroversial agenda, at least four of

RICFPs adjunct scholarshave closeties to the American Legislative

Exchange Council:

Matthew Ladnerco-authored

ALECs 2012 Report Card onAmerican Education.

Rich Dankeris the author of ALECmodel legislation on pension reform.

Bob Williamsis the private sectorchair of the ALEC Tax & Fiscal Policy

Task Force.

Jonathan Williamsis the director ofALECs Tax and Fiscal Policy Task

Force. He was also a co-author ofALECs book Rich States, Poor

States.

Attack workers rights by pushing so-called Right toWork legislation and repeal collective bargaining rights

for public employees

Defund and privatize Rhode Island public schools withvoucher programs

Block access to affordable healthcare for Rhode Islandfamilies

Lower Rhode Islands minimum wage

Oppose renewable, clean energy

RICFP: Prosperity Agenda for Rhode Island,accessed 10/3/2013

Founded in 2011, the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity is the successor organization to theOcean State Policy Research Institute, which was SPNs former right-wing think tank in Rhode Island. TheOcean State Policy Research Institute (OSPRI) was run by RICFP founder and CEOMichael Stenhouse,a

conservative activist and former business executive. After aninternal disagreement within OSPRIonwhether to expand or stay local, the organization split up. Since the founding of RICFP, though, Stenhousehas expanded the Rhode Island think tank by bringing in adjunct scholarsfrom several national right-wing

organizations, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the Goldwater Institute, theAlliance for School Choice, the Heartland Institute, the Center for Competitive Politics, the American

Enterprise Institute, and the Freedom Foundation.

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