Missouri Public Interest Research Group (MoPIRG) Foundation
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
Contents
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. 3 MoPIRG supports the use of public transportation and restricting the use of private cars. 4
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. 5 6
The MoPIRG Foundation promotes expansion of the number of Americans using government-controlled health coverage such as Medicare and Medicaid. 7
Leadership
MoPIRG Foundation’s principal officer is Elana Friedman. 8
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. 9
Ed Mierzwinski is the senior director of US-PIRG’s Federal Consumer Program. He has worked for PIRG since 1977. 10