Stories

Yesterday, football fans watched Demaryius Thomas, wide receiver for the Denver Broncos, defeat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. Adding to the sweetness of the Broncos’ victory was the fact that Thomas’s mother, Katina Smith, was there to experience it in person after having her 24-plus year prison sentence commuted 15 years in. In […]

Criminal justice reform was the center of focus in the Land of Enchantment last week, as Stand Together Trust joined with the Rio Grande Foundation in Albuquerque to discuss the negative implications of overcriminalization in New Mexico. Also participating were experts from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Buckeye Institute, as well […]

“In Washington, the conversation is really between the 48 yard lines when it comes to foreign policy,” declared William Ruger, vice president of research at Stand Together Trust. “What we want to do is broaden that perspective and talk about some different ideas than you’re used to hearing perhaps in Washington or in the mainstream […]

According to attorney Harvey Silverglate, the average American inadvertently commits three arguable felonies in a given day. How is possible that Americans could commit so many felonies without knowing it? Consider this: The U.S. Code—the consolidation of our country’s laws and regulations, broken down into sections such as agriculture (Title 7), banking (Title 11), public […]

Stand Together Trust’s First-Annual Prize for American Free Speech Essay contest received hundreds of excellent submissions from students around the country who added their voices to a pressing and important debate by answering the question: What is the importance of free speech to a flourishing society? Here are the top essays selected by our panel […]

A little-known policing practice called civil asset forfeiture came under considerable public scrutiny in 2015 and was subject to a number of notable reforms from the Department of Justice and in several state governments. Civil asset forfeiture is employed by federal, state, and local authorities to seize property without necessarily beginning criminal proceedings against an […]

Christmastime is traditionally associated with carolers, the act of giving, and the fresh pine scent of decorated Christmas trees. However, that fresh pine scent might cost you a little more this year. Starting in 2015, Christmas tree growers and importers that sell more than 500 trees will have to pay $0.15 per tree to the […]

Today, the Fraser Institute released its Economic Freedom of North America 2015 (2015 EFNA) report, an annual index that uses a 10-point scale to measure North America’s economic freedom according to size of government, taxation, and labor market freedom at the country, state, and provincial levels. Since 2003, Canada, Mexico, and the United States have […]

Does your state have a business climate that fosters opportunity and economic growth for its residents? While many factors contribute to a dynamic business environment, the State Business Tax Climate Index, released each year by the Tax Foundation, ranks each state’s performance on taxation. In order to score high on the index, states must keep […]

Criminal justice reform is a vast issue area with dozens of concerns, both federal and local, that need reform.  To begin, Stand Together Trust is focusing its attention on six specific areas of concern. In our “In 60 Seconds” video series Vikrant Reddy, senior research fellow focusing on criminal justice reform, explains each area and offers initial steps for […]