The State Policy Network (SPN) is a Heritage Foundation spinoff created by Heritage Board member Thomas Roe in the early 90’s. While the focus of Heritage is control of federal policy, the goal of SPN is to control policy at the state level across all 50 states by using a network of think tanks that promote the same propaganda in every state to influence local government. The Right-Wing Network Behind the War on Unions

Inspired by Ronald Reagan and funded by the right’s richest donors, a web of free-market think tanks has fueled the nationwide attack on workers’ rights.

Link to New Orleans subreddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/NewOrleans/comments/1n2cngx/complete_lists_of_speakers_at_the_33rd_annual/

Lemmy links with the actual speakers list if you prefer not to deal with Reddit at all: Complete lists of speakers at the 33rd annual State Policy Network meeting in New Orleans Pt 1/4

Part 2/4

Part 3/4

Part 4/4

https://toad.social/@PimentoMori/115107038669703197

I spotted a couple so far, but there are way too many for me to get through alone and today is the last day of the event:

Featured keynote speaker for SPN’s conference in the Big Easy is Arthur Brooks, formerly Paul Ryan’s favorite policy creator turned happiness guru

If you’re anti affirmative action and a fan of warrantless wiretap, you won’t want to miss former circuit court nominee Robert Alt’s advice on how to achieve the state policies you desire. Today at SPN’s conference from 3:30-4:15.

Mike Benz, who spread conspiracy theories that helped Elon Musk defund USAID, will be giving a talk about free speech tomorrow at SPN. I too am a fan of free speech.

Hans von Spakovsky, the author of Project 2025, who spoke in New Orleans this morning, asked this past May “How much due process do undocumented immigrants really need?”

    • Basic Glitch@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
      21·
      14 days ago

      This is a fascist organization and there are definitely many fascists in the group, but I know for a fact there are people in this list that aren’t.

      I think they extended invites to local people who may not have known what SPN is, (or at least not have known the whole truth about who started SPN) with the hopes that by attending they would help sell the rebranded and normalized facade they are definitely trying to create.

      I mean Christ on a cracker the keynote speaker is a “happiness guru” that coauthored a book with Oprah and gives lectures at Harvard. You would have no idea he was a right wing policy nut job just a few years ago based on the description they provide.

      He suddenly decided one day to just completely rebrand himself and claimed to be done with the conservative political movement. Except now he’s the fucking face of their annual fascist meetup.

      They are hoping that if they can successfully rebrand fascism and authoritarianism while also controlling most media and the internet (two of the sponsors of this event are consumers’ research and NCTA, the internet and television association formerly known as National Cable & Telecommunications) it will be even easier to sell it to America as they finish completing the goals laid out in project 2025.