Spence Purnell
Director of Technology Policy, Reason Foundation
Spence Purnell is Director of Technology Policy at the Reason Foundation.
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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County Leaders and the Elusive Quest For Job Growth
Using tax incentives to lure new business to Sarasota County is under scrutiny.
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California’s Proposition 66: Death Penalty Procedures
California’s death penalty system does not work.
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Proposition 65: Dedication of Revenue from Disposable Bag Sales to Wildlife Conservation Fund AND Proposition 67: Plastic Bag Ban Veto Referendum
Prop 67 bans plastic bags and allows stores to charge for other single use bags and pocket the money. Prop 65 says if we do ban plastic bags and allow stores to charge for other bags, that money has to go to an environmental fund.
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California’s Proposition 64: Marijuana Legalization
Prop 64 legalizes possession and use of marijuana by adults 21 or older in California.
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California’s Proposition 62: Repeal of Death Penalty
This measure repeals the death penalty and makes the maximum punishment “life without the possibility of parole.”
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California’s Proposition 61: Drug Price Standards
Prop 61 fails to understands how markets and pricing work and so will most likely lead to fewer drug options and higher prices for Californians—the very opposite of what proponents want to achieve.
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California’s Proposition 60: Condoms in Pornographic Films
Prop 60 looks like a solution in search of a problem.
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California’s Proposition 59: Overturn of Citizens United Act Advisory Question
This ballot measure does nothing to inform the California congressional coalition about the feelings of Californians about Citizens United that could not be accomplished with much less cost and bother by a good poll.
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California’s Proposition 58: Non-English Languages Allowed in Public Education
A flexible but accountable approach, as Prop 58 provides, is what is needed.
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California’s Proposition 57: Parole for Non-Violent Criminals and Juvenile Court Trial Requirements
Prop 57 takes a sensible approach to dealing with overcrowding in California prisons and avoiding court-ordered releases of prisoners, but makes a crucial error in not defining the specific offenses it would address.
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California’s Proposition 56: Cigarette Tax to Fund Health Care, Tobacco Use Prevention, Research, and Law Enforcement
Prop 56 will discourage one of the most effective means of reducing the harm of smoking.
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California’s Proposition 54: Legislature. Legislation and Proceedings. AKA Public Display of Legislative Bills Prior to Vote.
The fact that hundreds of local governments and many other states post bills online before votes and make video of all their proceedings available show how easy and sensible it is.
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California’s Proposition 53: Revenue Bonds. Infrastructure Projects. State Legislature and Voter Approval.
If the state’s credit is being used to fund a local project it is not absurd that all state voters should approve that use of their collective debt.
