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

1. ^[1] “About.” MoPIRGFoundation.org. Accessed December 14, 2021. https://mopirgfoundation.org/page/mof/about-mopirg-foundation
2. ^[1] “Big Money Out.” MoPIRG.org. Accessed December 14, 2021. https://mopirg.org/feature/mop/big-money-out
3. “End Fossil Fuel Subsidies.” MoPIRG.org. Accessed December 14, 2021. https://mopirg.org/feature/mop/end-fossil-fuel-subsidies
4. “End Fossil Fuel Subsidies.” MoPIRG.org. Accessed December 14, 2021. https://mopirg.org/feature/mop/end-fossil-fuel-subsidies
5.  “About: Our Priorities.” MoPIRGFoundation.org. Accessed December 5, 2021. https://mopirgfoundation.org/page/mof/about-mopirg-foundation
6. DeVuyst, Cheryl and Eric DeVuyst. “What Consumers Need to Know about the Use of Antibiotics in Food Animal Production.” Oklahoma State University. Accessed January 4, 2022. https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/what-consumers-need-to-know-about-the-use-of-antibiotics-in-food-animal-production.html
7. “Stop the Overuse of Antibiotics.” MoPIRG.org. Accessed January 4, 2022. https://mopirg.org/feature/mop/stop-overuse-antibiotics
8. “High Value Health Care.” MoPIRGFoundation.org. Accessed December 5, 2021. https://mopirgfoundation.org/feature/usf/high-value-health-care-0
9. ^[1] “Missouri Public Interest Research Group Foundation.” Guidestar.org. Accessed December 5, 2021. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/43-0966840
10. “MoPIRG Staff: Faye Park.” MoPIRG.org. Accessed December 5, 2021. https://mopirg.org/staff/wap/faye-park
11. “MoPIRG Staff: Ed Mierzwinski.: MoPIRG.org. Accessed December 5, 2021. https://mopirg.org/staff/xxp/ed-mierzwinski