Freedom Foundation (Washington)

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Freedom Foundation
Formation1991
FounderBob Williams
TypePublic policy think tank
Location
LeaderTom McCabe
Budget
Revenue: $2,170,285
Expenses: $2,211,611
(FYE December 2014)[1]
Websitemyfreedomfoundation.com
Formerly called
Evergreen Freedom Foundation

The Freedom Foundation (formerly known as the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, EFF) is a state-based free market conservative think tank located in the state of Washington.[2][3] The organization, a member of the State Policy Network, has a stated mission "to advance individual liberty, free enterprise, and limited, accountable government."[4]

Background and Funding

Freedom Founation was founded in 1991 by Lynn Harsh and former Republican legislator and gubernatorial candidate Bob Williams.[5] The Freedom Foundation is registered with the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. In a 2015 fundraising letter the foundation’s goal was described as intended to defund and defeat public-sector unions to help weaken Democratic control in the American northwest. Their CEO wrote that, “Labor bosses are the single greatest threat to freedom and opportunity in America today. By taking money from hard-working, dues-paying Americans, they’re funding a broken political culture in states like Oregon and Washington." He added, “The Freedom Foundation has a proven plan for bankrupting and defeating government unions through education, litigation, legislation and community activation.”[6] Many labor unions and progressive advocacy groups in the American northwest argue the foundation is partisan and have asked the IRS to strip the foundation of its tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status for violating IRS rules which prohibit tax-exempt organizations from engaging in partisan political activities. The Freedom Foundation denies they are partisan or that they are flouting IRS regulations.[6]

Policy

The Freedom Foundation's efforts center on public policy research and advocacy in the areas of state budget and tax policy, education, labor policy, property rights, legal policy, and citizenship and governance. Policy analysts for the Freedom Foundation have opposed minimum wage increases,[7][8] mandatory paid sick leave,[9] and collective bargaining rights. Their Oregon-based Coordinator declared in a January 2016 speech to the Koch-backed group Americans for Prosperity that “Our No 1 stated focus is to defund the political left.”[6]

Activities

The foundation has filed numerous lawsuits and complaints against public-sector unions that challenge everything from their ability to speak to newly-hired government employees to the union's failure to file all required political spending reports.[6]

In 2007 the foundation filed a complaint against the Washington Education Association (WEA), accusing the union of unlawfully spending worker fees on politics.[10] In response to that complaint, the state in turn sued the teachers union on the grounds that the WEA was unlawfully spending some workers' fees on politics. The matter was taken on appeal to the United States Supreme Court.[11] The Supreme Court decided that states can require public-employee labor unions to get consent from workers before using their fees for political activities.[10] The Washington State Legislature later modified the law in a way that blunted the court's decision.[10]

In 2007 the foundation sponsored the "Take the Field with Glenn Beck" event at Seattle's Safeco Field. About 7,000 people attended.[12]

In March 2015 the foundation filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of four family child-care providers who objected to paying union fees to SEIU 925.[13]

In November 2015 the foundation pulled one of its podcasts on which the podcast host and a Washington state legislator laughed at the Middle Eastern surname of a state Democratic Party spokesman.[14]

In December 2015 the foundation encouraged government employees to quit their union membership by dressing as Santa Claus and standing in government buildings.[6]

In May 2016 a judge dismissed a lawsuit filed against the Freedom Foundation by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office, and dismissal of that case was appealed to the Washington Supreme Court. The lawsuit accused the Freedom Foundation of breaking state campaign-finance laws. Ferguson's office has also filed campaign-disclosure lawsuits against several unions in response to complaints from the Freedom Foundation. Two affiliates of the Service Employees International Union settled lawsuits by agreeing to pay civil penalties to the state over campaign-disclosure omissions.[15]

In October 2016 the office of Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that it had filed a complaint alleging campaign finance violations by the Freedom Foundation regarding the organization's opposition to Initiative 1501, a statewide ballot measure. The complaint was initiated by the Service Employees International Union, which organized the campaign promoting the initiative.[16]

References

  1. ^ "Charity Rating". Charity Navigator. Also see "Quickview data". GuideStar.
  2. ^ Johnson, Gene (17 March 2014). "Two-term justice to retire early from state Supreme Court". KOMO News. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  3. ^ Tsong, Nicole (April 16, 2009). "Thousands in Puget Sound region protest government spending". Seattle Times. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  4. ^ "About". Freedom Foundation. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  5. ^ Smith, Erik (November 27, 2013). "Tom McCabe to Take Over Reins at Freedom Foundation". Washington State Wire. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d e Greenhouse, Stephen (10 March 2016). "The door-to-door union killers: rightwing foundation takes labor fight to the streets". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  7. ^ Nelson, Maxford (26 January 2014). "Raising Minimum Wage a Burden, not a Benefit". Herald Net. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  8. ^ Nelson, Maxford (15 April 2014). "Why "$15 Now" Has Nothing to Do With Inflation, Productivity, or a Living Wage". Seattle Met. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  9. ^ Nelson, Maxford; Saltsman, Michael (January 24, 2014). "Paid sick leave a drag on business". Connecticut Post. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  10. ^ a b c Garber, Andrew (15 June 2007). "Court rules against unions in fee case". Seattle Times. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  11. ^ Ralph Thomas (2007-01-09). "Union fight reaches high court". The Seattle Times. Seattle Times. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
  12. ^ "Beck Speaks to 7,000 at Seattle: 'The American people have not surrendered!'". Seattle Times. 2009-09-26. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
  13. ^ Brunner, Jim (5 March 2015). "Labor law challenged: Freedom Foundation sues SEIU 925". Seattle Times. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  14. ^ "Conservative podcast pulled after host laughs at Democrat's Middle Eastern name". Seattle Times. 2015-11-30. Retrieved 2016-12-13.
  15. ^ Brunner, Jim (13 May 2016). "Judge tosses state AG's lawsuit accusing Freedom Foundation of breaking campaign laws". Seattle Times. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  16. ^ "Freedom Foundation violating campaign-disclosure rules, state Attorney General's Office says". Seattle Times. 2016-10-28. Retrieved 2016-12-13.

External links

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