We’re a state-based think tank that pioneers innovative reforms in our home state, Utah, which we then help other states implement.
At the Libertas Institute, we are dedicated to advancing personal freedom and creating opportunities for communities to thrive. By advocating for policy reforms and educational initiatives, we aim to inspire meaningful change that empowers individuals to take control of their future.
The team at Libertas Institute is made up of passionate professionals committed to advancing policies that promote liberty and freedom. Each member brings unique expertise and dedication to driving positive change and fostering a more prosperous future for all.
Libertas Institute has changed over 100 laws and pioneered two dozen innovative reforms. Below is a small sample of our successes since we began.
With an initial focus as a state-based think tank in Utah, Libertas Institute is formed with Connor Boyack as president and John Pestana as board chair. Rooted in a vision to advance individual liberty, free markets, and limited government, the organization set out to challenge the status quo and empower citizens through education and policy reform.
Libertas broke its first major story—a deceptive effort spearheaded by law enforcement to sneak major policy changes into the law to enable civil asset forfeiture—the ability to take people’s property without convicting them of a crime. Our report exposed how legislators had been deceived by the Attorney General’s office and prompted them to quickly restore important legal protections for property owners.
Libertas broke its first major story—a deceptive effort spearheaded by law enforcement to sneak major policy changes into the law to enable civil asset forfeiture—the ability to take people’s property without convicting them of a crime. Our report exposed how legislators had been deceived by the Attorney General’s office and prompted them to quickly restore important legal protections for property owners.
We launched a first-of-its-kind index to expose how Utah’s cities impact individual liberty, property rights, and free enterprise. By ranking cities based on 100+ data points, our Freest Cities initiative empowered residents with the transparency needed to hold local officials accountable. Highlighting both overreach and success stories, the project sparked critical conversations about preserving freedom at the most local level of government.
Mobile food entrepreneurs were being hamstrung by heavy regulations and red tape—for example, having to pay fees and get inspections in each city in which they operated. We held a rally to draw attention to their plight and led the charge for a first-of-its-kind legal reform that streamlined legal requirements, allowing trucks to undergo one inspection to obtain one city license, which would then be accepted by every other city.
Our home state was the only western state to require mandatory safety inspections as a condition of vehicle ownership and use. We championed a proposal to repeat this program and join all our neighbor states, supplying research that clearly showed how ineffective the law was in decreasing car accidents. The bill passed—despite opposition from industry groups that financially benefitted from people being forced to patronize their businesses—freeing drivers from unnecessary costs and burdens while prioritizing evidence-based policy.
After years of failed legislative efforts to legalize medical cannabis—despite our advocacy and educational efforts that favorably shifted public opinion by 40 points—we launched a ballot initiative to let voters decide. Collecting enough signatures to secure its place on the ballot, we negotiated a landmark compromise with opponents, eliminating resistance and ensuring the program’s survival. Today, tens of thousands of Utahns rely on medical cannabis without fear of criminal penalties, transforming their lives and limiting government’s reach.
Our groundbreaking, first-in-the-nation law obliterated the infamous “third party doctrine” loophole, which had long enabled law enforcement to access individuals’ private digital data without a warrant simply because it was held by a third party, such as a cloud service or phone company. This transformative reform ensures that sensitive digital information—integral to modern life—is shielded from warrantless government intrusion, affirming that privacy rights extend fully into the
digital age.
For years, the Libertas team successfully championed reforms to dismantle burdensome occupational licensing laws—unnecessary government-imposed barriers requiring permission to work. Building on this momentum, we helped pass landmark legislation curbing bureaucratic power to deny licenses based on unrelated criminal histories, ensuring individuals can pursue their chosen professions without unjust interference.
We revolutionized regulatory reform by pioneering the nation’s first regulatory sandbox program, designed to empower entrepreneurs without the capital or connections to reform restrictive laws on their own. This innovative policy grants businesses up to two years of relief from conflicting laws or regulations, enabling them to prove the safety and viability of their products or services under flexible regulatory guidelines. Today, our national policy team is driving this transformative model across the country, providing thousands of entrepreneurs the freedom to innovate and thrive.
As rising property taxes threatened to displace elderly residents from their homes, Libertas Institute championed a solution to provide relief. Recognizing the burden placed on seniors with fixed incomes, we developed a statewide property tax deferment program that allows homeowners over 75 with limited incomes to defer their property tax payments until their home is sold or ownership is transferred. By easing this financial strain, the program ensures seniors can stay in their homes and focus on essential needs, safeguarding their security and peace of mind.
In response to mounting frustration with the limitations of a one-size-fits-all education model, we spearheaded the creation of a universal Education Spending Account program, giving parents the power to reclaim their tax dollars and direct them toward the best educational fit for their child. Building on the success of our earlier program for special needs students, this transformative initiative puts parents in control, enabling them to allocate resources toward private school tuition, microschool tutoring, homeschool materials, or other customized educational solutions. By prioritizing flexibility and choice, ESAs empower families to craft an education as unique as their child.
Gig workers and independent contractors face a critical problem: limited access to essential benefits like health insurance and unemployment coverage, tied traditionally to full-time employment, leaving them vulnerable despite their flexibility. We championed portable benefits as the solution—worker-owned protections that travel across jobs and platforms, delivering security without sacrificing independence. We led Utah to become the first state to implement this innovative, market-driven approach, ensuring gig workers thrive far into the future.
Local bureaucrats struggled to classify microschools—small, innovative private schools often based in homes or commercial spaces—forcing education entrepreneurs to navigate burdensome regulations originally designed for full-scale private schools or childcare facilities. Recognizing the need for change, we pioneered a first-in-the-nation policy to cut through the red tape, removing these unnecessary barriers and allowing microschools to thrive, fostering more educational choices for families and innovation in learning.
AREAS OF FOCUS
Each year Libertas Institute works on dozens of significant policy issues spanning a wide range of topics. While our short-term efforts result in an unprecedented 85% success rate for being enacted into law, we keep our eyes fixed on long-term goals that will profoundly improve the lives and livelihoods of all citizens.
We start by testing innovative reforms in Utah’s receptive legal environment, creating a model that encourages other states to follow suit. Once the reforms are proven, we collaborate with think tanks, grassroots organizations, and elected officials nationwide to help implement these policies in other states. Through this approach, families in our network become advocates, driving the adoption of reforms across the country.
At the Libertas Institute, we lead the charge in crafting innovative policy reforms that have led to nearly 100 legal changes, including groundbreaking laws. Our efforts are helping to shape a freer society, one state at a time. By starting in Utah, we create scalable solutions that resonate nationally, empowering citizens and legislators to adopt similar reforms across the country.
EMPLOYMENT & INTERNSHIP
At Libertas Institute, we’re on a mission to protect and promote freedom through innovative policy reform, education, and outreach. Whether you’re an experienced professional seeking a rewarding career or a student ready to dive into a transformative internship, Libertas offers unique opportunities to make a real difference.
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