Category: Alaska

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

Agriculture Alaska Arizona California Coal, Oil, Natural Gas Colorado Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Energy & Environment Energy Economics Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Life New Mexico Oklahoma Political Thought Progressivism Public Opinion Renewable Energy Texas Top Issues Updates Utah

The Washington Post: New Mexico knows Trump’s BLM nominee. Back away.

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date November 22, 2025
No Comments on The Washington Post: New Mexico knows Trump’s BLM nominee. Back away.

Former New Mexico Republican chairman Steve Pearce is the opposite of what the complex agency needs.

Tags Administrative Leadership, American West, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Climate Policy, Conservation Policy, Donald Trump, Economic Development, Energy Policy, Environmental Policy, Environmental Protection, Executive Branch Appointments, Federal Agency Leadership, Federal Appointments, Federal Land Oversight, Federal Land Use, GOP Infighting, Government Competence, Government Reform, Grazing Permits, Land Management Policy, Mineral Rights, Natural Resources Management, New Mexico Legislature, New Mexico Politics, Oil And Gas Industry, Opinion Editorial, Otero Mesa, Partisan Politics, Patrick M. Brenner, Political Accountability, Political Analysis, Political Appointments, Political Polarization, Public Land Stewardship, Public Lands, Public Policy, Public Trust, Republican Leadership, Republican Party, Rural Policy, Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), State Politics, Stevan Pearce, Susana Martinez, Tribal Nations, Trump Administration, Trump Second Term, Washington Post Opinion, Western Communities, Western Conservation, Western States Politics

Agriculture Alaska Arizona California Coal, Oil, Natural Gas Colorado Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Economy Energy & Environment Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Government Regulation Illinois Nevada New Mexico Oklahoma Political Thought Press Progressivism Public Opinion Texas Top Issues Updates Utah

SPPI Opposes Steve Pearce’s BLM Nomination

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date November 18, 2025
3 Comments on SPPI Opposes Steve Pearce’s BLM Nomination

The Institute warns that the Pearce nomination could undermine western land management

Tags Ben Ray Luján, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Energy Policy, Environmental Policy, Federal Appointments, Government Accountability, Land Management Policy, Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Politics, Political Leadership, Public Lands, Senate Confirmation, Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), Steve Pearce, Washington Post Op-Ed, Western Land Stewardship

Alaska Arizona California Colorado Conservatism Courts Culture Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Government Spending Government Transparency and Accountability Illinois Infrastructure & Technology Legal and Judicial Markets and Finance Nevada New Mexico Oklahoma Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Opinion Technology Texas Top Issues Transparency Updates Utah

American Banker: Out of One, Many

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date September 3, 2025
No Comments on American Banker: Out of One, Many

As CFPB retreats, the new danger is a jumble of state-level mandates.

Alaska Conservatism Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Illinois Infrastructure & Technology Legal and Judicial Markets and Finance New Mexico Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Opinion Technology Top Issues Updates

Anchorage Daily News: How payday loan restrictions can hurt the people they’re meant to help

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date August 26, 2025
No Comments on Anchorage Daily News: How payday loan restrictions can hurt the people they’re meant to help

Good intentions don’t pay the bills. But choice, transparency, and access can.

Alaska Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Legal and Judicial Life Markets and Finance New Mexico Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Opinion The Constitution Top Issues Updates

Victory for Alaskans: Governor Mike Dunleavy Vetoes Harmful Price Control Bill

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date June 27, 2025
No Comments on Victory for Alaskans: Governor Mike Dunleavy Vetoes Harmful Price Control Bill

The veto of Alaska’s SB 39 preserves critical credit access for underserved consumers and rejects the failed model of rate caps seen in New Mexico and Illinois.

Alaska Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Infrastructure & Technology Legal and Judicial Life Markets and Finance Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Opinion Technology Top Issues Updates

RealClearMarkets: The CFPB Is Making It Harder For You To Pay Your Bills

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date May 27, 2025
No Comments on RealClearMarkets: The CFPB Is Making It Harder For You To Pay Your Bills

The CFPB’s outdated rule on small-dollar lending punishes working-class Americans by restricting access to the very credit they rely on to make ends meet.

Alaska Arizona California Colorado Culture Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Legal and Judicial Life Markets and Finance Nevada New Mexico Oklahoma Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Public Opinion Texas The Constitution Top Issues Updates Utah

Fox Business: Credit card rewards are about to vanish, and guess who’s to blame?

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date April 5, 2025
1 Comment on Fox Business: Credit card rewards are about to vanish, and guess who’s to blame?

This isn’t just about miles and points; it’s about economic freedom and financial choice.

Tags Banking, Consumerism, Credit, Credit Card Rewards, Credit Card Rewards Programs, Credit Cards, Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Durbin Amendment, Finance, Interchange Fees, Summer Vacation, Swipe Fees, Travel

Alaska Arizona California Colorado Conservatism Courts Culture Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Legal and Judicial Life Markets and Finance Nevada New Mexico Oklahoma Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Opinion Texas The Constitution Top Issues Updates Utah

American Banker: Death by a thousand caps—State laws could kill credit card rewards

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date March 29, 2025
No Comments on American Banker: Death by a thousand caps—State laws could kill credit card rewards

A group of states are pursuing similar efforts to cap credit card interchange fees, endangering rewards programs that customers value, and raising concerns about an illegal interstate compact.

Tags Credit Card Rewards Programs, Credit Cards, Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Durbin Amendment, Interchange Fees, MasterCard, Price Controls, Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), Swipe Fees, Transactions, Visa

Fighting Back Against Rate Caps in Alaska: SPPI’s Testimony on Senate Bill 39

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date March 24, 2025
1 Comment on Fighting Back Against Rate Caps in Alaska: SPPI’s Testimony on Senate Bill 39

Last week, I had the opportunity to testify before the Alaska Senate Finance Committee on the dangers of Senate Bill 39, a proposal to impose a 36% APR cap on consumer credit. Additional testimony was submitted to the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee before the bill was advanced to the Senate Finance Committee. This legislation […]

Tags Bank of America, Banking, Credit, Credit Score, Credit Unions, Lending, No Loan For You!, Short Term Loans, Small Dollar Loans, U.S. Bank, Unbanked, Underbanked, Wells Fargo