Ocean State Policy Research Institute

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ocean State Policy Research Institute (OSPRI) is a Rhode Island based think tank. They are dedicated to “crafting sound public policy based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, and traditional American values”. OSPRI is a member of the State Policy Network.

Contents

[edit] Background

Ocean State Policy Research Institute was founded on July 4th, 2007 by William J. Felkner, who is chiefly known as an advocate for libertarian principles in education and social services. They are Rhode Island’s first and only conservative think tank and have emerged as a resource for the state, national, and international political community.

[edit] Projects

The Rhode Island Center Right Coalition meeting, a collection of conservative and libertarian groups is coordinated through OSPRI.

The organization has been a strong advocate for “work first” based reforms to the Rhode Island welfare system. Their research on education issues has supported change to “school choice” and the opportunity for parents to have more say in affecting their children’s education.

OSPRI promotes an immigration policy that doesn’t constrict the economy or increase costs of social services. They support a guest worker program but suggest that guest workers should not be eligible for taxpayer funded welfare programs.

Ocean State Policy is a leader in the call for governmental transparency. They have “tackled the confusion of education union contracts by developing spreadsheets that outline the multitude of compensation methods often hidden from the public” and are currently developing an interactive website listing all state and local contracts and expenditures. They have begun a network of local blogs to promote transparency in each city and town in RI.

[edit] External Links

[edit] References