Week in Review: Exposing School Stonewalling on Fox

Rhode Island taxpayers already pay a lot to educate public school students—so, “it’s outrageous” and “completely unreasonable” to expect a local mom to pony up another six figures just to see what those students are being taught, Goldwater Institute client Nicole Solas said during a Fox Business appearance.

Nicole was a recent guest on The Bottom Line, where she discussed the $117,000 bill she received from Barrington Public Schools for the curriculum materials and select emails of a teacher who’s in hot water for praising Charlie Kirk’s assassination. The Goldwater Institute and an attorney from its pro-bono American Freedom Network are demanding the district drastically reduce the fee or make the records free.

Nicole has plenty of experience requesting and receiving school curriculums at no charge. “I see no reason why this school district has to put a price tag on curriculum materials that are already paid for by the taxpayer,” she said.

In addition to Fox, Nicole shared her story with many other news outlets, telling one radio host that when she received the exorbitant bill “I sent it to my lawyers at the Goldwater Institute. They got me a pro-bono attorney in Rhode Island. … These people are heroes.”

Watch Nicole’s Fox Business appearance here.

In Defense of American Property Rights 

Property rights are “one of the essential freedoms” and a critical shield against government abuse, the Goldwater Institute’s Christina Sandefur and Timothy Sandefur said in a joint appearance this week on a podcast by Atlas Network, an organization dedicated to promoting freedom and limited government globally.

While many Americans might not understand it, private property—and property rights—is “how we facilitate the pursuit of happiness,” said Timothy Sandefur, Goldwater’s Vice President for Legal Affairs. Property rights enable people to “transform inert, lifeless things” into “something that is of value to you, me, and other people,” he added.

Timothy and Christina also shared Goldwater’s “secret sauce” for having impact nationwide—a team that cares about doing the work. “It doesn’t really matter to us who gets the credit,” said Christina Sandefur, Goldwater’s Executive Vice President. She urged lovers of liberty to “be resilient and keep fighting the good fight, because it is possible to win victories for freedom. We’ve done it. We’re going to continue to do it.”

Watch the video here.

Examining the Life and Ideas of Ben Franklin, The Greatest American 

Benjamin Franklin is without doubt one of the greatest heroes in American history. No one knows that better than Dr. Mark Skousen, an eighth-generation descendent of the statesman, inventor, journalist and signer of the Declaration of Independence.

On Nov. 21, the Goldwater Institute’s Timothy Sandefur will sit down with Dr. Skousen for a live webinar to discuss The Greatest American, his new book on Franklin. In the book, Skousen, an economist and historian, examines the life and ideas of Franklin, who was viewed by his fellow Founding Fathers as the greatest thinker of them all.

Sandefur and Skousen will discuss Franklin’s views on trade, slavery, and the Constitution, as well as his timeless legacy. Don’t miss your chance to join in on the discussion!

Register here to reserve your spot.