Kansas Policy Institute
Encyclopedia
The Kansas Policy Institute is a free-market think tank based in Wichita, Kansas
. As a member of the State Policy Network
, it primarily focuses on Kansas
state and local policy issues, such as education, budget and spending, health care, and property tax. The President of the KPI is Dave Trabert and the Board Chair is George Pearson.
and wanted to apply that model to Kansas state government
. Since then, KPI hosts events across the state, publishes studies that educate policy makers, the general public, and community leaders, and uses traditional and social media to discuss state and local government through the free market perspective. Some sources claim the KPI receives its funding from Wichita-based Koch Industries
, but the institute does not publicly discuss any of its donors as it maintains all non-profits are protected from mandatory donor disclosure by the 1958 NAACP v. Alabama Supreme Court case where the court granted nonprofits voluntary donor disclosure.
finance debate. However, SB 111 passed the Kansas Legislature
in the 2011 session and allows Kansas school districts to more easily access that money to offset declines in base per-pupil aid from the state. Recently, a Washington Examiner
editorial titled "Kansas schools hold back millions in cash while threatening teacher layoffs" discussing the current status of money. The Washington Examiner then ran a follow up on that story.
Jagadeesh Gokhale, PhD. - Cato Institute
Jonathan Williams - American Legislative Exchange Council
Barry W. Poulson, PhD - University of Colorado at Boulder
Michael Bond - National Center for Policy Analysis
Other used local papers include the Hays Daily News
, the Kiowa County, Kansas
Signal, and the Scott County, Kansas
Record.
Initiative in Kansas.
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
. As a member of the State Policy Network
State Policy Network
The State Policy Network is a U.S. national network of free-market oriented think tanks focused on individual U.S. states. SPN is based in Arlington, Virginia.-History:SPN was founded in 1992 by Thomas A...
, it primarily focuses on Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
state and local policy issues, such as education, budget and spending, health care, and property tax. The President of the KPI is Dave Trabert and the Board Chair is George Pearson.
Mission Statement
According to the website, “KPI is an independent think-tank that advocates for free market solutions and the protection of personal freedom for all Kansans. Our work centers on state and local economic policy with primary emphasis on education, fiscal policy and health care. We empower citizens, legislators, and other government officials with objective research and creative ideas to promote a low-tax, pro-growth environment that preserves the ability of governments to provide high quality services.”History
Originally titled in 1996 as the Kansas Public Policy Institute, the think tank changed its name to the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy, then to Kansas Policy Institute in 2009. It was founded by a group of Kansans who supported the Cato InstituteCato Institute
The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
and wanted to apply that model to Kansas state government
State government
A state government is the government of a subnational entity in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or be subject to the direct control of the federal government...
. Since then, KPI hosts events across the state, publishes studies that educate policy makers, the general public, and community leaders, and uses traditional and social media to discuss state and local government through the free market perspective. Some sources claim the KPI receives its funding from Wichita-based Koch Industries
Koch Industries
Koch Industries, Inc. , is an American private energy conglomerate based in Wichita, Kansas, with subsidiaries involved in manufacturing, trading and investments. Koch also owns Invista, Georgia-Pacific, Flint Hills Resources, Koch Pipeline, Koch Fertilizer, Koch Minerals and Matador Cattle Company...
, but the institute does not publicly discuss any of its donors as it maintains all non-profits are protected from mandatory donor disclosure by the 1958 NAACP v. Alabama Supreme Court case where the court granted nonprofits voluntary donor disclosure.
Education Budget
In 2010, the Kansas Policy Institute raised awareness about the State Unencumbered Fund balances, concluding that state school districts had over $699 million in carryover operating funds. The institute concluded that schools were not spending all of the money they were being given and instead putting money in the bank. This claim drew both positive and negative attention from the media and school boards and the issue remains a topic of conversation in the K-12K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
finance debate. However, SB 111 passed the Kansas Legislature
Kansas Legislature
The Kansas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a bicameral assembly, composed of the lower Kansas House of Representatives, composed of 125 Representatives, and the upper Kansas Senate, with 40 Senators...
in the 2011 session and allows Kansas school districts to more easily access that money to offset declines in base per-pupil aid from the state. Recently, a Washington Examiner
Washington Examiner
The Washington Examiner is a free daily newspaper published in Springfield, Virginia, and distributed in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It is owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz....
editorial titled "Kansas schools hold back millions in cash while threatening teacher layoffs" discussing the current status of money. The Washington Examiner then ran a follow up on that story.
Adjunct Scholars
Along with Dave Trabert, the institute also uses adjunct free market scholars to produce many of its policy briefings, such as:Jagadeesh Gokhale, PhD. - Cato Institute
Cato Institute
The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
Jonathan Williams - American Legislative Exchange Council
American Legislative Exchange Council
The American Legislative Exchange Council is a politically conservative 501 non-profit Policy Organization, consisting of both state legislators and members of the private sector. ALEC's mission statement describes the organization's purpose as the advancement of free-market principles, limited...
Barry W. Poulson, PhD - University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
Michael Bond - National Center for Policy Analysis
National Center for Policy Analysis
The National Center for Policy Analysis is a non-profit American conservative think tank whose goals are to develop and promote private alternatives to government regulation and control...
Notoriety
The Kansas Policy Institute regularly publishes editorials in Kansas newspapers such as the Wichita Eagle.Other used local papers include the Hays Daily News
Hays Daily News
The Hays Daily News is a newspaper that serves western Kansas. The Daily News is published every day except Saturday. In 2011, the paper reported a circulation of 9,644 subscribers....
, the Kiowa County, Kansas
Kiowa County, Kansas
Kiowa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,553...
Signal, and the Scott County, Kansas
Scott County, Kansas
Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 4,936...
Record.
Projects
In addition to KPI policy briefings, the Kansas Policy Institute maintains a state-recognized transparency site titled KansasOpenGov. It also has partnered with the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice to promote the “Why Not Kansas?” Campaign to promote the School choiceSchool choice
School choice is a term used to describe a wide array of programs aimed at giving families the opportunity to choose the school their children will attend. As a matter of form, school choice does not give preference to one form of schooling or another, rather manifests itself whenever a student...
Initiative in Kansas.