New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) Fund

NYPIRG is a student-directed statewide political-advocacy nonprofit, operating largely on college campuses, whereas NYPIRG Fund is the public-outreach and education sister organization. NYPIRG Fund operates on similar issues as the student-led NYPIRG, but outside of college campuses and often more directly on public policy.

Issues

Public Bank and the Green New Deal

Efforts towards establishing a public banking system have been organized by NYPIRG Fund in cooperation with New Economy Project and the Public Bank NYC Coalition. Activists have called a government-run public bank “the one strategy that could finance the whole Green New Deal” agenda, and it could also fund other left-wing issues such as affordable housing and “cooperatively-owned businesses.” ³

Climate Change Super Fund

NYPIRG has worked with lawmakers and progressive groups to advocate for New York’s “Climate Change Super Fund.” ⁴ The bill is an effort to financially punish companies for their use of conventional fuels, and then use those funds to pay for “infrastructure adaptation projects” towards weather-dependent energy sources such as solar and wind power. ⁵ The bill would also require companies to pay for damages from natural disasters, even past events, such as Hurricane Sandy in 2012. NYPIRG director Horner has said, “they have the money… they should pay.” ⁶

Opposition to Nuclear Energy

NYPIRG has opposed using carbon-free nuclear energy, writing that “nuclear plants should be replaced” by more “investing in solar and wind power” in a press release with the “Stop the Cuomo Tax” campaign. ⁷ Environmental Policy Director for NYPIRG celebrated the “tremendous victory” of the closure of the Indian Point nuclear power plant, stating that “nuclear was wrong forty years ago, and it is wrong today.” ⁸

Government Accountability

NYPIRG has sought a New York State constitutional amendment for an independent ethics commission, even after judges struck down milder efforts at a state ethics panel, for concerns that the panel was creating a fourth branch of government unaccountable to voters. ⁹

Abortion

Working with other student organizations such as the American Medical Student Association and the American Red Cross, NYPIRG campaigns abortion issues and organizes marches to promote liberal abortion legislation. One such rally was led by Planned Parenthood Generation Action and held at Binghamton University. ¹⁰

Public Health

The organization advocates for greater spending on public health issues, such as tobacco use prevention education. In February of 2023 they released a report criticizing the city of New York for flatlined spending (based on inflation rates) towards lowering tobacco usage. ¹¹

Higher Education

Working with New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), the New York state-level teachers union federation, NYPIRG has pushed for a “New Deal for Higher Education.” It proposed free or more affordable college tuition, billions in expanded spending for the SUNY and CUNY public university systems, expanding financial aid, and lowering interest rates for student loans. ¹²

Transportation

NYPIRG works on mass transit issues, such as pushing for lower fares and expanded bus routes, as well as repairs to subway lines. ¹³

People

Donald K Ross was the founding and longtime director of NYPIRG. He passed away in 2022 and was largely credited with initially proposing the public interest research group model to Ralph Nader in the 1970s. ¹⁴