The Missouri Public Interest Research Group Foundation (MoPIRG Foundation) is the policy and research arm of the Missouri Public Interest Research Group lobbying group. MoPIRG Foundation promotes left-of-center policies, notably opposing carbon-free nuclear energy and to private funding of political free speech. It is a state affiliate of the US-PIRG network. [1]
Activities
The Missouri Public Interest Research Group Foundation supports overturning Citizens United v. FEC, a landmark Supreme Court ruling that protected the right to political free speech through contributions to non-campaign-affiliated advocacy groups. [2]
MoPIRG Foundation opposes the use of zero-carbon nuclear power plants as a form of energy production. [3] It encourages the use of weather-dependent energy sources such as wind turbines and solar farms. [4] MoPIRG supports the use of public transportation and restricting the use of private cars. [5]
MoPIRG opposes many forms of modern agricultural technology, such as the application of antibiotics that farms use to ward off infectious diseases that are harmful to humans, produce, and livestock. [6] [7]
The MoPIRG Foundation promotes expansion of the number of Americans using government-controlled health coverage such as Medicare and Medicaid. [8]
Leadership
MoPIRG Foundation’s principal officer is Elana Friedman. [9]
Faye Park is the president of US-PIRG. She is executive vice president of the Public Interest Network and has been involved with PIRGs since the early 1990s. [10]
Ed Mierzwinski is the senior director of US-PIRG’s Federal Consumer Program. He has worked for PIRG since 1977. [11]