 |
 | |
| Formation | June 17, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit think tank |
Chairwoman | Becky Ingoglia |
President | Patrick M. Brenner |
| Budget | Revenue: $174,330 Expenses: $168,458 (FYE December 2023) [1] |
| Website | www |
Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI) is a libertarian research organization [2] that examines data-driven policies in education, crime, and economics in the American Southwest. [3]
Southwest Public Policy Institute was founded by Patrick M. Brenner as a regional think tank. [4] [5] Among the founding board members was James Hallinan, who died in 2023. [6] [7] [8]
In July 2022, the Southwest Public Policy Institute requested details about the Vax 2 the Max program, which offered cash prizes to promote vaccinations, using the Inspection of Public Records Act. [9] Due to a lack of response, SPPI later sued the state for potential act violations. [9]
In September 2022, the Southwest Public Policy Institute sued the New Mexico Department of Taxation and Revenue (NMTRD) over an unfulfilled Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) request. [10]
In 2023, the Southwest Public Policy Institute launched the "Bureau to Protect Financial Consumers" campaign in response to a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau data breach that exposed personal information of over 250,000 consumers. The campaign aims to aggregate affected consumers' stories to advocate for accountability and enhanced data protection measures at the CFPB. [11]
SPPI advocates for school choice and education reform, emphasizing parental empowerment and accountability in public education. SPPI’s research highlights widespread dissatisfaction among parents, particularly in Albuquerque Public Schools, where surveys indicate that over 75% of parents would prefer charter school alternatives if accessible. [12] The institute supports legislation to expand school choice, arguing that competition improves educational outcomes and holds underperforming schools accountable.
In 2022 and 2023, the Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI) surveyed more than 600 parents from Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) and over 300 from Las Cruces Public Schools (LCPS) about the past five years of education. [3] Most parents from these two major New Mexico districts expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of public education and preferred higher-quality charter school options, if accessible. [3]
In 2023, SPPI analyzed intragovernmental advocacy in eight American Southwest states. [13] The study revealed consistent taxpayer-funded lobbying practices across states, including Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and California. [13] Public-sector entities notably influenced topics such as school choice, corporate incentives, criminal justice, and environmental regulations. [13]
In June 2023, SPPI released “No Loan For You!” and “No Loan for You, Too!”, analyzing the impact of price controls on short-term loan accessibility. [5] [14] The report indicated challenges for the underbanked and unbanked in securing such loans, despite the claims of interest rate cap proponents. [5] [14] After SPPI’s reports challenged the effectiveness of payday loan alternatives, The Pew Charitable Trusts archived its Consumer Finance project. Two weeks after SPPI’s second report, Pew shut down its initiative, which was called a “victory for consumers” against misleading narratives on small-dollar lending. [15]
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