Author: Southwest Public Policy Institute

The Southwest Public Policy Institute is a think tank dedicated to improving the quality of life in the American Southwest by formulating, promoting, and defending sound public policy solutions. Our mission is simple: to deliver better living through better policy.

SPPI Appoints Tim Eichenberg and Archana Pandey to Board of Directors

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date April 6, 2026
No Comments on SPPI Appoints Tim Eichenberg and Archana Pandey to Board of Directors

Public finance veteran and fintech operations leader join Institute’s leadership team to advance economic opportunity.

Tags Archana Pandey, Bernalillo County Treasurer, Economic Policy Think Tank, financial inclusion, Fintech Leadership, New Mexico Public Policy, Public Finance New Mexico, Southwest Economic Development, Southwest Public Policy Institute, Tim Eichenberg

Budget and Spending Conservatism Courts Culture Cybersecurity Domestic Policy Economy Government Regulation Government Spending Government Transparency and Accountability Infrastructure & Technology Legal and Judicial Life Markets and Finance New Mexico Political Thought Progressivism Public Opinion Reports Security Technology Top Issues Transparency Updates

Report: Rolling the Dice

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date March 23, 2026
No Comments on Report: Rolling the Dice

Procurement failures and vendor transition risks threaten the New Mexico Lottery.

Tags Bid Scoring Methodology, Central Gaming System, Contract Duration Limits, Contract Extension Risk, Cost Versus Technical Evaluation, Critical Infrastructure Procurement, Emergency Contract Extensions, Evaluation Committee Process, Government Accountability, Government Contracting, Government Efficiency, Government Oversight, Government Procurement, Higher Education Funding, Implementation Risk, Infrastructure Governance, Infrastructure Transition Failures, Internal Audit Review, International Game Technology (IGT), Intralot, Legislative Lottery Scholarship Program, Lottery Gaming Systems, Lottery Infrastructure, Lottery Procurement, Lottery Retailers, Lottery Revenue Risk, Lottery Technology Providers, Lottery Vendor Contracts, New Mexico Lottery Act, New Mexico Lottery Authority (NMLA), New Mexico Procurement Code, NMSA 1978 Section 6-24-9, Operational Continuity, Policy Analysis, Pollard Banknote, Procurement Accountability, Procurement Compliance, Procurement Governance, Procurement Transparency, Public Finance Risk, Public Policy Research, Public Procurement Failures, Public Sector Risk Management, Public-Private Partnerships, Regulatory Compliance, Retail Network Operations, Risk Of Service Disruption, Scholarship Funding Risk, Scientific Games, Sole-Source Contracts, Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), State Lottery Operations, State Revenue Systems, State Statutes Compliance, System Conversion Risk, System Deployment Delays, Technology Procurement Failures, Think Tank Research, Transition Planning, Vendor Transition Risk

Budget and Spending Conservatism Courts Crime and Justice Domestic Policy Education Government Regulation Government Spending Government Transparency and Accountability Infrastructure & Technology Legal and Judicial New Mexico Political Thought Progressivism Public Opinion Top Issues Transparency Updates

SPPI Files Public Records Request Regarding New Mexico Lottery Contract Procurement

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date February 27, 2026
No Comments on SPPI Files Public Records Request Regarding New Mexico Lottery Contract Procurement

SPPI seeks transparency and legal clarity regarding the New Mexico Lottery Authority’s procurement process and transition planning for the state gaming system contract.

Agriculture Alaska Arizona California Coal, Oil, Natural Gas Colorado Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Energy & Environment Energy Economics Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Firearms Government Regulation Government Spending Homeland Security Infrastructure & Technology Life Nevada New Mexico North Dakota Oklahoma Political Thought Progressivism Public Opinion Security Texas Top Issues Updates Utah

Zachary Fort Featured in National Public Lands Debate

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date February 26, 2026
No Comments on Zachary Fort Featured in National Public Lands Debate

Media coverage highlights SPPI Vice Chairman Zachary Fort’s leadership and policy engagement during debate over Bureau of Land Management nomination.

Tags Albuquerque Journal Opinion, American West Policy, BLM Director Nomination, Bureau Of Land Management, Center For Western Priorities, Conservation And Recreation Balance, Conservation Policy, Department Of The Interior, Energy Development Policy, Federal Land Management, Federal Land Policy, Federal Land Sales, Federal Lands Governance, Federal Resource Management, Government Accountability, Hunting Access, Hunting And Recreation Communities, Land Stewardship, Landscape Podcast, Las Cruces Sun News, Media Coverage Roundup, Multiple Use Land Management, National Conservation Debate, National Policy Debate, New Mexico Politics, New Mexico Public Lands, New Mexico Shooting Sports Association, New York Times Coverage, Oil And Gas Development, Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument, Outdoor Heritage Protection, Outdoor Recreation Policy, Patrick M Brenner, Policy Advocacy Campaign, Public Land Access, Public Land Privatization, Public Lands Advocacy, Public Lands Campaign, Public Lands Conservation, Public Lands Debate, Public Lands Policy, Public Lands Stewardship, Public Policy Leadership, Recreational Land Use, Santa Fe New Mexican, Senate Confirmation Hearing, Senate Energy And Natural Resources Committee, Shooting Sports Advocacy, Southwest Public Policy Institute, SPPI, SPPI In The Media, Stakeholder Governance, Steve Pearce Nomination, Think Tank Advocacy, Trump Administration Interior Policy, Vet Voice Foundation, Washington Post Opinion, Western Economic Policy, Western Governance, Western Land Use Policy, Western Public Lands, Zachary Fort

Amicus Curiae Conservatism Corner Post, Inc. v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Courts Crime and Justice Culture Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Government Transparency and Accountability Infrastructure & Technology Legal Legal and Judicial Life Markets and Finance North Dakota Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Opinion Technology The Constitution Top Issues Updates

SPPI Files Amicus Brief Supporting the Federal Reserve in Major Debit Card Case

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date December 30, 2025
No Comments on SPPI Files Amicus Brief Supporting the Federal Reserve in Major Debit Card Case

A major federal court case could reshape debit card economics nationwide, impacting payment security, reliability, and everyday consumer transactions.

Tags Amicus Brief, Banking Policy, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Card Payment Security, Checkout Transactions, Constitutional Law, Consumer Protection Policy, Corner Post Lawsuit, Court Of Appeals, Credit Union Policy, Debit Card Transactions, Durbin Amendment, Economic Policy, Electronic Payments, Federal Reserve Board, Fifth Amendment Takings, Financial Access, financial inclusion, financial regulation, Fraud Prevention, Household Finance, Interchange Fees, Investment Incentives, James Madison Institute, Legal Interpretation, Market Stability, Merchant Fees, National Economic Impact, Network Processing, Payment Card Policy, Payment Infrastructure, Price Controls, Public Policy Debate, Regulatory Litigation, Retail Payments, Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), Transaction Monitoring, U.S. Economy

Coal, Oil, Natural Gas Conservatism Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Energy & Environment Energy Economics Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Government Regulation Government Spending Government Transparency and Accountability Markets and Finance Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Press Progressivism Public Opinion Top Issues Updates

In the News: National Media and Policy Leaders Highlight SPPI

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date December 25, 2025
No Comments on In the News: National Media and Policy Leaders Highlight SPPI

National media, policy leaders, and regional voices alike are amplifying SPPI’s research, analysis, and solutions.

Colorado Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Illinois Life Markets and Finance New Mexico Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Opinion Top Issues Transparency Updates

Buried in Bias

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date December 12, 2025
1 Comment on Buried in Bias

The Center for Responsible Lending’s “Buried in Debt” report fails as policy analysis.

Tags Alternative Financial Services, Amortization Schedules, Annual Percentage Rate (APR), Banking Fees, Bolen Elliehausen Miller Study, Buried In Debt Report, Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), consumer choice, Consumer Credit Policy, Consumer Lending Research, Consumer Welfare, Cost Of Living Crisis, credit access, Credit Bureau Data, Credit Denial Rates, Credit Market Regulation, Credit Rationing, Credit Stacking, Credit Supply Constraints, Deep-Subprime Borrowers, Difference-In-Differences Analysis, Economic Opportunity, Evidence-Based Policymaking, Financial Hardship, financial inclusion, Financial Literacy, financial regulation, Financial Services Policy, Free Market Finance, Housing Cost Burden, Income Volatility, Interest Rate Caps, Loan Availability, Loan Disclosures, Market Distortion, Mortgage Finance, No Loan For You, No Loan For You!, Overdraft Fees, Payday Lending, Poverty And Inequality, Price Controls, Regulatory Economics, Regulatory Harm, Risk-Based Pricing, Selection Bias, Small-Dollar Credit Research, Small-Dollar Loans, Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), Subprime Borrowers, Substitute Financial Products, Survivorship Bias, Too!, Total Cost Of Credit, Usury Laws

Press Top Issues Updates

SPPI Welcomes Silicon Valley Innovator Dain Ehring to Board of Directors

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date December 8, 2025
No Comments on SPPI Welcomes Silicon Valley Innovator Dain Ehring to Board of Directors

The Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI) is proud to announce that Dain Ehring, a nationally recognized technology entrepreneur and pioneer in financial and digital innovation, has joined its Board of Directors. Mr. Ehring has over 40 years of experience driving innovation in technology, financial services, and digital ecosystems. As CEO of DAIN ALLEN LLC, he manages strategic […]