The State Policy Network (SPN) is an umbrella group of right-wing think tanks across the country.

The Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity (RICFP) is SPNs cookie-cutter think tank in Rhode Island. While RICFP claims to be focused on issues important to the people of Rhode Island, it actually pushes an agenda dictated by its national right-wing funders and partners.

In addition to supporting ALECs controversial agenda, at least four of RICFPs adjunct scholars have close ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council: Matthew Ladner co-authored ALECs 2012 Report Card on American Education.

Attack workers rights by pushing so-called Right to Work legislation and repeal collective bargaining rights for public employees Defund and privatize Rhode Island public schools with voucher programs Block access to affordable healthcare for Rhode Island families Lower Rhode Islands minimum wage Oppose renewable, clean energy

Rich Danker is the author of ALEC model legislation on pension reform. Bob Williams is the private sector chair of the ALEC Tax & Fiscal Policy Task Force. Jonathan Williams is the director of ALECs Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force. He was also a co-author of ALECs book Rich States, Poor States.

RICFP: Prosperity Agenda for Rhode Island, accessed 10/3/2013

There are only two known funders of RICFP: the State Policy Network, which provided RICFP $122,000 in startup funds in 2011, and the New York-based JM Foundation, which gave $25,000 to RICFP in 2012.

What I found though was nothing but a rehash of the standard right -wing talking points framed as so sensible and obvious that they needed no explanation.
Progressive blogger Russ Conway on a 2012 RICFP education report

Founded in 2011, the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity is the successor organization to the Ocean State Policy Research Institute, which was SPNs former right-wing think tank in Rhode Island. The Ocean State Policy Research Institute (OSPRI) was run by RICFP founder and CEO Michael Stenhouse, a conservative activist and former business executive. After an internal disagreement within OSPRI on whether to expand or stay local, the organization split up. Since the founding of RICFP, though, Stenhouse has expanded the Rhode Island think tank by bringing in adjunct scholars from several national right-wing organizations, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the Goldwater Institute, the Alliance for School Choice, the Heartland Institute, the Center for Competitive Politics, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Freedom Foundation.