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Year in Review: Goldwater’s Top 5 Wins for Liberty in 2021

January 1, 2022

This past year was one of the most successful in the Goldwater Institute’s history. As radical special interests tried to change the very core of what it means to be an American, Goldwater battled back, and our team of policy and litigation experts achieved close to 50 concrete victories for liberty.

Check out five of the top highlights from Goldwater’s 2021 below:

1. Protecting families, not public education bureaucrats — As radical politics infiltrates classrooms, Goldwater stood up for parents’ right to know what their kids are learning in taxpayer-funded schools. The Institute is defending Rhode Island mom Nicole Solas against a public education establishment that punished her for asking the wrong questions, and Goldwater is advocating for legislation that mandates that public schools publish their curriculum online. Goldwater also won a crucial victory for free speech and parents’ rights when a Virginia court put a stop to the Fairfax County School Board’s unconstitutional attempts to bully and silence concerned Virginia moms Debra Tisler and Callie Oettinger for daring to ask questions about how their tax dollars are being used.

Moreover, Goldwater is proud to have expanded school choice in 19 states in 2021. The Institute won’t stop until parents in every state in the nation are empowered to decide what educational path truly meets their children’s needs. 

2. Defending taxpayers’ rights — While Washington tries to raise taxes by trillions of dollars, Goldwater won the battle for a 2.5 percent flat tax rate to make Arizona one of the lowest tax states in the country. And when progressive groups funneled $25 million of out-of-state special interest money into an Arizona ballot initiative that doubled the income tax for individuals and small businesses who earn $250,000 or more, the Institute challenged this power grab all the way to the state Supreme Court and came away victorious.

3. Fighting to end government theft — Goldwater is leading the nationwide effort to defend property rights and end the unconstitutional practice of civil asset forfeiture, which allows the government to take Americans’ property without due process. Goldwater helped Massachusetts grandmother Malinda Harris get her car back six years after police seized it without even accusing her of a crime. But as Malinda said in congressional testimony earlier this month, there are many more innocent victims of civil forfeiture. That’s why the Institute enacted a law in Arizona that requires law enforcement to obtain a conviction before seizing property, and it’s why Goldwater is taking this reform and others nationwide.

4. Putting patients first — In 2021, Goldwater led the charge to expand patient choice, access, and affordability in healthcare. The Institute’s lifesaving Right to Try law is improving and saving the lives of patients facing terminal illness, and we’re laying the groundwork to extend this groundbreaking reform to personalized medical treatments. Goldwater also developed a blueprint for reforming America’s healthcare system by removing red tape so patients can obtain the treatment they need. And lawmakers are listening, as the Institute passed the nation’s first telemedicine law in Arizona allowing patients to connect with their doctors anywhere in the country using everyday technology.  

5. Safeguarding Americans’ right to earn a living — With America’s economy stuck in second gear due to government policies gone wrong, Goldwater was hard at work tearing down barriers to employment. Eighteen states have adopted the Institute’s Breaking Down Barriers to Work reform, helping thousands of experienced, licensed professionals get to work faster by recognizing licenses obtained in other states.

In 2021, Goldwater took on public school bullies, expanded school choice, defended taxpayers’ rights, fought government theft, enacted lifesaving healthcare innovations, and made it possible for thousands of Americans to exercise their basic right to earn a living.

But the battle against the statist tyrants of today is far from over. From courtrooms to classrooms, Goldwater will never stop fighting day and night—in 2022 and beyond—to preserve the freedom that ensures everyone can achieve the American Dream.

We were able to accomplish great things together in 2021, thanks to your support. From all of us at the Goldwater Institute, have a happy new year, and may 2022 bring even more triumphs for freedom.

 

 

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