Cascade Policy Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan American libertarian public policy research organization based in Portland, Oregon that focuses on state and local issues. The organization promotes individual liberty, personal responsibility, property rights and economic opportunity in Oregon public policy. ¹

The Cascade Policy Institute is a member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market-aligned state-level policy organizations. ² Tracy Sharp, the president and CEO of the State Policy Network, was a co-founder of the Cascade Policy Institute.

Background

The Cascade Policy Institute is a Portland, Oregon-based libertarian-leaning public policy organization founded in 1991 that promotes individual liberty, personal responsibility, property rights and economic opportunity in Oregon public policy. ³

CPI facilitates the Children’s Scholarship Fund-Oregon program, a privately funded program that allows certain low-income Oregon families to send their children to private schools of their choice. ⁴

CPI generally opposes tax increases at the local and state level and supports free-market initiatives. ⁵ The organization has also advocated for greater transparency in government. ⁶

Leadership

John A. Charles Jr. is the president and CEO of the Cascade Policy Institute. He has held the position since 2005 and has been part of the organization since 1997, when the group hired him as the environmental policy director. He wrote a chapter on the Portland experience in the book, “A Citizens Guide to Smart Growth,” which was co-published by the Heritage Foundation and Property and Environment Research Center. He has written op-eds for The Oregonian, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Hartford Courant, and Seattle Times. Charles was previously the executive director of the Oregon Environmental Council for 17 years. ⁷

Kathryn Hickok is the executive vice president of Cascade Policy Institute and directs Cascade’s Children’s Scholarship Fund-Oregon program. She oversees Cascade’s publications, development operations, events, and outreach. She joined Cascade in 2005 and co-wrote 15 Leadership Principles and Ronald Reagan: Use Them to Change Your World with former Cascade board member Larry W. Dennis, Sr. ⁸

Eric Fruits has been the vice president of research for Cascade Policy Institute since 2019.

He has been published in The Economist, the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. ⁹

William B. Conerly is the chairman of the 10-member board of directors for the Cascade Policy Institute. He is economist and owner of Conerly Consulting, LLC. ¹⁰

Gilion Dumas is the vice chairman of the board of directors for the Cascade Policy Institute. Dumas is a lawyer at Dumas & Vaughn. ¹¹

William Udy is the secretary/treasurer of the board of directors for the Cascade Policy Institute. Udy is a retired financial analyst who formerly worked at NW Natural Gas. ¹²

Policy

Cascade Policy Institute has promoted school choice and tax reform in Oregon. ¹³

Cascade Policy Institute has opposed Portland-style light rail transit. CPI published research arguing mass transit doesn’t reduce driving that light rail opponents have used to advise policymakers in Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Minnesota, San Antonio, and Tampa. ¹⁴ With regard to traffic, Cascade has argued for replacing gas taxes, vehicle registration fees and other levies to pay for roads with user fees such as tolls. ¹⁵

The Cascade Policy Institute contends the energy grid is unreliable and is threatened by mandates. ¹⁶

The organization has also opposed taxpayer-financed political campaigns adopted by the city of Portland’s campaign finance system. ¹⁷

The organization opposed taxes on vaporized nicotine products (“vaping”) in Oregon and argued such a tax would disproportionately harm ethnic minorities. ¹⁸

1. About. Cascade Policy Institute. Accessed January 22, 2021. https://cascadepolicy.org/about-cascade-policy-institute/
2. Cascade Policy Institute. State Policy Network. Accessed January 23, 2021.  https://spn.org/organization/cascade-policy-institute/
3. About. Cascade Policy Institute. Accessed January 22, 2021. https://cascadepolicy.org/about-cascade-policy-institute/
4. About. Cascade Policy Institute. Accessed January 22, 2021. https://cascadepolicy.org/about-cascade-policy-institute/
5. Press Release. “Cascade Policy Institute Urges a No Vote on Measure 26-203.” They Always Want More. October 7, 2019. Accessed January 22, 2021. https://theyalwayswantmore.com/press-release-cascade-policy-institute-urges-a-no-vote-on-measure-26-203/
6. Press Release. “Cascade Policy Institute Raises Concerns Metro is Flouting Oregon Public Meetings Law.” February 12, 2020. Oregon Catalyst. Accessed January 22, 2021. https://oregoncatalyst.com/46311-press-release-cascade-policy-institute-raises-concerns-metro-flouting-oregon-public-meetings-law.html
7. John A. Charles. Cascade Policy Institute. Accessed January 22, 2021. https://cascadepolicy.org/team/john-a-charles-jr/
8. Katheryn Hickock. Cascade Policy Institute. Accessed January 22, 2021. https://cascadepolicy.org/team/kathryn-hickok/
9. Eric Fruits. Cascade Policy Institute. Accessed January 22, 2021. https://cascadepolicy.org/team/eric-fruits/
10. Board of Directors. Cascade Policy Institute. Accessed January 22, 2021. https://cascadepolicy.org/board-of-directors/
11. Board of Directors. Cascade Policy Institute. Accessed January 22, 2021. https://cascadepolicy.org/board-of-directors/
12. Board of Directors. Cascade Policy Institute. Accessed January 22, 2021. https://cascadepolicy.org/board-of-directors/
13. Staff, Cascade Policy Institute. “Partners in Liberty: Cascade Policy Institute.” Heartland Institute. March 10, 2020. Accessed January 23, 2021. https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/partners-in-liberty-cascade-policy-institute
14. Staff, Cascade Policy Institute. “Partners in Liberty: Cascade Policy Institute.” Heartland Institute. March 10, 2020. Accessed January 23, 2021. https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/partners-in-liberty-cascade-policy-institute
15. Staff, Cascade Policy Institute. “Partners in Liberty: Cascade Policy Institute.” Heartland Institute. March 10, 2020. Accessed January 23, 2021. https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/partners-in-liberty-cascade-policy-institute
16. Staff, Cascade Policy Institute. “Partners in Liberty: Cascade Policy Institute.” Heartland Institute. March 10, 2020. Accessed January 23, 2021. https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/partners-in-liberty-cascade-policy-institute
17. Thomas, Keaton. “City of Portland Contributed $1.5 Mil to Political Campaigns Amid Pandemic.” KATU – ABC. October 5, 2020.  Accessed January 23, 2021. https://katu.com/news/following-the-money/city-of-portland-contributed-15-mil-to-political-campaigns-amid-pandemic
18. Willgoos, Megan. “Measure 108: Why Some Say it Unfairly Impacts Minorities.”  KTVI. November 2, 2020. Accessed January 23, 2021. https://ktvl.com/news/local-politics/measure-108-why-some-say-it-unfairly-impacts-minorities