California Policy Center

The California Policy Center (CPC) is a public policy think tank located in California. The organization specializes in union policy, pension reform, spending reform, and school choice. CPC's stated mission is "to secure a more prosperous future for all Californians."^[3] CPC was founded in 2010 by Marc Bucher and Edward Ring.^[4] It is a member of the State Policy Network, an association of state-based conservative and libertarian think tanks.^[5]

Policy Activities[]

Proposition 65[]

CPC sponsors a weekly photo contest to highlight California’s Proposition 65 warning label law. Citizens submit photos of the "most ridiculous" Prop 65 warnings they find to compete for a weekly cash prize. The winners are then entered into a contest for a prize for the most absurd Prop 65 warning of the year. According to CPC president Will Swaim, the contest is meant to highlight how the law  "misrepresents consumer risk, dulls the public’s reaction to legitimate warnings, and hits small businesses with gigantic fines that line the pockets of trial attorneys."^[6]

Union policy[]

CPC is active in post-Janus efforts to inform public sector employees of their rights to leave unions. CPC represented a teacher seeking repayment of dues paid to a union he did not wish to support. After the Supreme Court’s decision in Janus, the employee requested to leave the United Teachers Los Angeles union. He had a difficult time until litigation was involved.  The employee is seeking reimbursement of all dues paid since becoming a union member.^[7][8]

CPC has partnered with groups such as Reform California, the Freedom Foundation, National Right to Work Foundation, and the Mackinac Center in campaigns to inform workers of their rights to leave unions and to assist them in leaving a union if the union refuses or tries to restrict their requests.^{[9][10][11][12][13]} CPC has also joined with the Center for Individual Rights to challenge a California law forbidding public employers from speech deterring or discouraging union membership in any way.^[14][15]

Pension reform[]

CPC has documented the financial strain that California’s employee pension program has on the budgets of the state and of local governments.^[16] CPC has analyzed how the state pension "defined benefit" style system and changes in the amount of the benefit have affected the state’s budget liability.^[17][18] CPC found that each Californian's share of the state debt is $33,000, or $74,000 per taxpayer.^[19]

School choice[]

CPC supports increased school choice for students. CPC runs an organization called Parent Union, which supports parents in their efforts to choose the best school for the child. Parent Union has chapters in four areas of California- Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego.^[20] CPC also conducts research on the performance of charter schools versus traditional public schools.^[21]

References[]