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R Street Institute
@rstreet.bsky.social
We're a free market think tank advancing real solutions to complex policy problems. We work on tech, cybersecurity, clean energy, justice, occupational licensing, flood insurance, and more.

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"[The bill] would prevent professional licensing boards from denying licensing applications based on applicants’ unrelated criminal records or vague character standards."
Georgia criminal-justice reforms languish near finish line
Not long ago, Georgia was widely considered the criminal justice reform capital of the country. The Peach State enacted a series of landmark bills that began reorienting the state's antiquated
www.times-herald.com
January 25, 2024 at 1:24 PM
Just 6 commodities—corn, soy, wheat, cotton, peanuts, rice—account for 94% of FCIP support. Many of these are not used to provide affordable nutrition but are heavily processed into the fillers and sugars that are likely a large part of people’s health problems
Government must stop subsidizing unhealthy foods
We are fortunate to have affordable food options in our grocery stores. This is partly thanks to a government program protecting farmers.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
January 24, 2024 at 9:31 PM
"Had the internet, personal computing, or e-commerce been burdened with such a contradictory and costly patchwork of technocratic state and local policies, it is unlikely the U.S. would have become the global leader in digital technology" @adamthierer.bsky.social
State and local meddling threatens to undermine the AI revolution
If the U.S. hopes to continue to be a global leader in AI and advanced algorithmic technologies, state lawmakers will need to adopt better policies to promote innovation and investment in a sector …
thehill.com
January 23, 2024 at 7:17 PM
Rather than codifying unfounded fears about on-the-job fentanyl exposure, legislators and departmental decision-makers should promote science-based education and provide practical training.
Florida’s Bad Samaritan Bill Won’t Protect First Responders, But It Will Endanger Overdose Victi...
Sen. Jay Collins (R-Fla.) just introduced a bill with a laudable goal: protecting first responders from the harms of fentanyl. In reality, though, Senate Bill 718 isn’t needed; fentanyl and other s...
www.rstreet.org
January 23, 2024 at 5:26 PM
"The inaccurate narratives that underpin FL SB 718 have unfortunately driven very real fears and misunderstandings about safety among first responders."
Florida’s Bad Samaritan Bill Won’t Protect First Responders, But It Will Endanger Overdose Victi...
Sen. Jay Collins (R-Fla.) just introduced a bill with a laudable goal: protecting first responders from the harms of fentanyl. In reality, though, Senate Bill 718 isn’t needed; fentanyl and other s...
www.rstreet.org
January 23, 2024 at 2:34 PM
"Georgia law prevents a host of people from working in their preferred profession, but lawmakers should remember that 'Having a job [...] has been shown to reduce recidivism.'"
Georgia criminal-justice reforms languish near finish line
Not long ago, Georgia was widely considered the criminal justice reform capital of the country. The Peach State enacted a series of landmark bills that began reorienting the state's antiquated
www.times-herald.com
January 22, 2024 at 10:03 PM
"The inaccurate narratives that underpin FL SB 718 have unfortunately driven very real fears and misunderstandings about safety among first responders."
Florida’s Bad Samaritan Bill Won’t Protect First Responders, But It Will Endanger Overdose Victi...
Sen. Jay Collins (R-Fla.) just introduced a bill with a laudable goal: protecting first responders from the harms of fentanyl. In reality, though, Senate Bill 718 isn’t needed; fentanyl and other s...
www.rstreet.org
January 22, 2024 at 6:07 PM
Americans get 60% to 90% of their calories from highly processed foods and drinks
Government must stop subsidizing unhealthy foods
We are fortunate to have affordable food options in our grocery stores. This is partly thanks to a government program protecting farmers.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
January 22, 2024 at 12:51 PM
January 11, 2024 at 3:16 PM
By eliminating solitary confinement for juveniles in all but the most extreme cases, Pennsylvania has the chance to end what many psychologists have come to regard as a form of torture
Pennsylvania’s Juvenile Justice Reform Moment Is Here - R Street Institute
In 2019, abuses at Pennsylvania juvenile detention facilities shook the collective conscience of leaders in the state’s capital and led them to form the Juvenile Justice Task Force. Members identif...
www.rstreet.org
December 15, 2023 at 2:40 PM
"When it was discovered that many of these solar panels were made with slave labor and ought not to be imported, officials have slow-walked or skirted such restrictions since it would be harder to meet their "'clean energy objectives.'"
Policies Meant to Address Climate Change Can Worsen Human Suffering
Few people today would deny the negative impacts that pollution and climate change can have on human health and well-being. The challenge lies in tackling this given that there are almost always trade
realclearwire.com
December 14, 2023 at 1:26 PM
"Restorative justice alternatives reduce negative emotions and feelings of hopelessness among victims, improve participant self-esteem, reduce recidivism and save taxpayers’ money."
Spotlight on Criminal Justice: Observing National Restorative Justice Month – November - R Street ...
November is National Restorative Justice Month and the third week of November is International Restorative Justice Week. Restorative justice is an alternative to incarceration and the typical legal p...
www.rstreet.org
December 13, 2023 at 1:35 PM
"Florida tops lists with more than 20 percent of drivers uninsured, compared to the national average of about 12 percent."
PIP, Lawsuit Abuse and the Uninsured: Why Your Florida Auto Insurance Is Out of Control - R Street I...
For years, Florida has topped lists of states with the highest auto insurance rates in the nation, averaging about $2,500 a year for full coverage. Ohio has the lowest rates at about $1,000 annually,...
www.rstreet.org
December 12, 2023 at 10:39 PM
"Policymakers rarely want to reckon with what that might look like or be forced to admit that sometimes their policies got it wrong and made problems worse."
Policies Meant to Address Climate Change Can Worsen Human Suffering
Few people today would deny the negative impacts that pollution and climate change can have on human health and well-being. The challenge lies in tackling this given that there are almost always trade
realclearwire.com
December 12, 2023 at 1:18 PM
"For years, Florida has topped lists of states with the highest auto insurance rates in the nation, averaging about $2,500 a year for full coverage. Ohio has the lowest rates at about $1,000 annually"
PIP, Lawsuit Abuse and the Uninsured: Why Your Florida Auto Insurance Is Out of Control - R Street I...
For years, Florida has topped lists of states with the highest auto insurance rates in the nation, averaging about $2,500 a year for full coverage. Ohio has the lowest rates at about $1,000 annually,...
www.rstreet.org
December 11, 2023 at 9:59 PM
Reclaim AI would be liable if it moves meetings for terrorists on a calendar even if they don't know they're moving meetings for terrorists @senatorshoshana.bsky.social
10 Favorite Tools the Blumenthal-Hawley AI Bill Would Destroy - R Street Institute
This analysis is based on breaking news and will be updated. To connect with the author, please e-mail pr@rstreet.org. R Street recently explained all the functional problems with S.1993, the bill pro...
www.rstreet.org
December 11, 2023 at 12:56 PM
"The backlog is staggering; over 2,000 GW of capacity sits in interconnection queues currently, exceeding the installed capacity of the entire domestic generation fleet."
Finishing Generator Interconnection Reform - R Street Institute
Regulatory barriers to power plant development create mounting cost and grid reliability concerns. They are also the prime determinants of energy emissions. In November, the CEO of the North American...
www.rstreet.org
December 8, 2023 at 1:05 PM
"One study found that the propensity to re-offend was reduced by 32 percent after participating in a restorative justice program."
Spotlight on Criminal Justice: Observing National Restorative Justice Month – November - R Street ...
November is National Restorative Justice Month and the third week of November is International Restorative Justice Week. Restorative justice is an alternative to incarceration and the typical legal p...
www.rstreet.org
December 7, 2023 at 9:55 PM
🎧 "The good news is youth use has been declining since 2019 when it had peaked."
— Mazen Saleh
Red Tape Podcast, Episode 3 – Ban it All! - R Street Institute
Red Tape is the newest R Street podcast about the country’s biggest problems and the surprising ways that governments (and regular people) often get in the way of solving them. It was produced in p...
www.rstreet.org
December 7, 2023 at 1:53 PM
"Project completion rates in the interconnection queue and the reliability value assigned to generator capacity vary by fuel type. Accounting for these, PJM’s firm generation capacity queue backlog is 69 percent renewables and 31 percent natural gas."
Finishing Generator Interconnection Reform - R Street Institute
Regulatory barriers to power plant development create mounting cost and grid reliability concerns. They are also the prime determinants of energy emissions. In November, the CEO of the North American...
www.rstreet.org
December 6, 2023 at 7:11 PM
"The average wait time in interconnection queues doubled from two to four years between the 2000s and 2010s. A typical generation project in 2022 spent five years waiting for interconnection approval, and the trend is worsening."
Finishing Generator Interconnection Reform - R Street Institute
Regulatory barriers to power plant development create mounting cost and grid reliability concerns. They are also the prime determinants of energy emissions. In November, the CEO of the North American...
www.rstreet.org
December 6, 2023 at 2:27 PM
"Project completion rates in the interconnection queue and the reliability value assigned to generator capacity vary by fuel type. Accounting for these, PJM’s firm generation capacity queue backlog is 69 percent renewables and 31 percent natural gas."
Finishing Generator Interconnection Reform - R Street Institute
Regulatory barriers to power plant development create mounting cost and grid reliability concerns. They are also the prime determinants of energy emissions. In November, the CEO of the North American...
www.rstreet.org
December 5, 2023 at 10:00 PM
"The term 'restorative justice' was coined in 1977 by Albert Eglash, who believed perpetrators gain a renewed sense of self-respect by admitting wrongdoing, apologizing, repairing the harm and creating space for forgiveness."
Spotlight on Criminal Justice: Observing National Restorative Justice Month – November - R Street ...
November is National Restorative Justice Month and the third week of November is International Restorative Justice Week. Restorative justice is an alternative to incarceration and the typical legal p...
www.rstreet.org
December 5, 2023 at 6:31 PM
"In 2009, it was estimated that 437,400 Americans died due to smoking-related disease and that number has changed little with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting 480,000 tobacco-related deaths in 2022."
Impact of Missing Science on FDA-CTP Decisions - R Street Institute
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (FDA-CTP) was founded in 2009 in order to regulate the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of tobacco products as designate...
www.rstreet.org
December 4, 2023 at 1:29 PM