Spence Purnell
Policy Analyst, Reason Foundation
Spence Purnell is a policy analyst at the Reason Foundation, where he works on pension reform, Florida policy issues and economic development.
Prior to joining Reason, Spence worked as director of business development at Florida startup Dealers United and as an analyst for the state of Florida's Executive Office of the Governor (Florida Gubernatorial Fellowship).
Spence graduated from Stetson University with a bachelors degree in political science and is working on an MPA at Florida State, where his research has focused on database infrastructure and analytics, economic development, and policy evaluation methods.
Purnell is based in Florida.
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We Need More, and Better, Data on Policing and the Criminal Justice System
The lack of quality data on policing reflects the poor state of transparency in the criminal justice system and is holding back law enforcement reform efforts.
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Ending the War On Drugs Is Key To Long-Term Police Reform
It is well past time to end the drug war, to legalize most simple drug possession — especially marijuana — and end practices like qualified immunity.
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State Legislature Undermines Mississippi’s Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiative
The legislature’s proposal would severely restrict the number of legal medical marijuana suppliers and manufacturers.
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After the $2.3 Trillion Stimulus, President Trump Wants Another $2 Trillion Stimulus for “Phase Four”
The first $2.3 trillion stimulus package lacked transparency and was riddled with corporate bailouts. Before it even hit bank accounts, politicians were calling for more.
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State Unemployment Websites Crash as COVID-19 Shines Light on Government Technology Failures
States need to prioritize creating more functional, advanced, and robust government websites and services that meet the needs of the taxpayers who pay for them.
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President Trump and Federal Agencies Botched Initial Coronavirus Response — Bailouts Will Make It Worse
Private businesses should not be operating under the premise that in a financial downturn, or even a crisis, they’ll quickly be bailed out by the federal government.
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What States Can Learn From Black Market THC Products Causing Vaping-Related Illnesses
Entrepreneurs have shown that not every potentially harmful situation necessitates government regulations and that market solutions can be quickly and effectively devised.
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States Handing Out Economic Development Incentives Aren’t Getting Results
Taxpayers deserve to know exactly how much is being spent by governments on incentive and tax break programs and what the return on that public investment exactly is.
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What States Can Learn From California’s Expensive Financial Information System Failures
States possess vast amounts of financial and non-financial data, and the best way forward to manage all types of data would be to implement an Open, Public, Electronic, and Necessary (OPEN) data policy.