Leonard Gilroy
Vice President of Government Reform, Reason Foundation
Leonard Gilroy is vice president of government reform at Reason Foundation and senior managing director of Reason's Pension Integrity Project.
Under Gilroy's leadership, the Pension Integrity Project at Reason Foundation assists policymakers and other stakeholders in designing, analyzing and implementing public sector pension reforms. The project aims to promote solvent, sustainable retirement systems that provide retirement security for government workers while reducing taxpayer and pension system exposure to financial risk and reducing long-term costs for employers/taxpayers and employees. The project team provides education, reform policy options, and actuarial analysis for policymakers and stakeholders to help them design reform proposals that are practical and viable.
Gilroy and the Pension Integrity Project have provided technical assistance to several successful pension reform efforts in recent years in Michigan, Colorado, Arizona, South Carolina and other states aimed at tackling persistent pension solvency challenges.
In his role as vice president, Gilroy also leads Reason's government reform efforts, with over 18 years of experience researching fiscal management, government operations, infrastructure public-private partnerships, government contracting, and urban policy topics. He also regularly consults with federal, state and local officials on ways to improve government performance and efficiency.
Gilroy has a diversified background in policy research and implementation, with particular emphasis on competition, government efficiency, transparency, accountability, and government performance. Gilroy has testified before Congress on several occasions and has testified on pension reform before the Arizona, Florida, Michigan, and Texas legislatures. Gilroy works closely with state and local elected officials across the country in efforts to design and implement market-based policy approaches, improve government performance, enhance accountability in government programs, and reduce government spending.
Gilroy's articles have been featured in such leading publications as The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, New York Post, The Weekly Standard, Washington Times, Houston Chronicle, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Arizona Republic, San Francisco Examiner, San Diego Union-Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, Sacramento Bee, and The Salt Lake Tribune. He has also appeared on CNN, Fox News Channel, Fox Business, CNBC, National Public Radio and other media outlets.
Prior to joining Reason, Gilroy was a senior planner at a Louisiana-based urban planning consulting firm. He also worked as a research assistant at the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research at Virginia Tech. Gilroy earned a B.A. and M.A. in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech.
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San Diego’s government needs more competition, not more taxes
San Diego’s rising pension costs and mounting long-term debt are creating significant budget pressures that have city officials turning to tax and fee increases.
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Proposed Model Policy: “Veterans Mental Health Innovations Act”
This model legislation is intended to authorize state ibogaine research and participation in a larger multistate effort to complete a supervised clinical drug trial.
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Model legislation would authorize groundbreaking research into ibogaine for mental health
Growing research has demonstrated the promise of ibogaine in treating a wide range of intractable conditions, which could benefit veterans.
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Assembly Bill 1383 brings back major pension costs for California
The bill rolls back crucial elements of the landmark PEPRA reform, which would result in billions in extra costs imposed upon California taxpayers.
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Arizona joins Texas in ibogaine clinical trial research push for veteran, first responder mental health
Arizona is now the second state seeking to accelerate U.S. Food and Drug Administration clinical trials for ibogaine.
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We should sell some federal land, but housing crisis requires local solutions
A smart approach to federal land sales could strengthen rural economies, increase local property tax revenue, and bring environmental protection and land management under local oversight.
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Iowa House File 978 would regulate psilocybin access and benefit veterans’ mental health
House File 978 would create a regulated program to access psilocybin, which has shown promise in the treatment of neurological and mental health conditions.
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Ibogaine offers major promise in treating addiction, mental health
Ibogaine has the potential to transform the lives of millions of Americans struggling with addiction and mental health challenges.
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Oregon House Bill 2387 would improve psilocybin services
The bill includes important regulatory improvements to Ballot Measure 109, which created the state’s psilocybin services market.
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Mississippi adopts hybrid retirement design in major pension reform
A sustainable new “hybrid” retirement design has been adopted, but major funding and design issues remain for 2026.
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New Mexico Senate Bill 219 would regulate medical psilocybin access
The Medical Psilocybin Act would create a regulated system to allow patients with qualifying conditions to access and use psilocybin.
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Legislative approaches that could improve access to psychedelic-based medicine
Psychedelics-assisted therapy represents a promising treatment for many mental health issues.
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Arizona Senate Bill 1365 threatens higher taxpayer costs and pension risks
Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System Tier 3 reform is working. Senate Bill 1365 would fundamentally alter the current system.
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Legalizing psilocybin access in Arizona would benefit mental health
Arizona Senate Bill 1555 would create a regulatory framework for limited, legal access to therapeutic psilocybin services.
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Debt trends for state and local governments 2020-2022
This tool provides debt and spending insights for the 100 largest municipalities, counties and school districts in America and all 50 states for fiscal years 2020, 2021 and 2022.
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Legal analysis suggests Michigan House Bill 6060 violates state law
Actuarial analysis of proposed pension benefit changes of this magnitude is required by law in Michigan under MCL Section 38.1140h
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Michigan Senate Bills 165, 166, and 167 would increase public pension costs
Under a best-case scenario, the additional cost of this pension proposal would be just north of $800 million over the next 30 years.
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Michigan House Bill 6060 would negatively impact the teacher pension system
Michigan House Bill 6060 would add between $17 billion to $20 billion in new employer costs over the next few decades.
