Welcome to the home of the Virginia Institute for Public Policy on virginiainstitute.org!

Welcome to the home of the Virginia Institute for Public Policy on virginiainstitute.org!

Category People

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Press Release – Opening Doors for Virginians

Please feel free to view the summary for a short concise recap, or view the full document below in the .pdf viewer below! Download links are included for your convenience if you wish to view it in your own preferred document viewer.

Summary

Summary

On March 31, 2025, the Virginia Institute for Public Policy applauded Governor Glenn Youngkin’s signing of SB1014, a pivotal reform aimed at enhancing job opportunities for Virginians. This law represents a significant shift in how public sector jobs are approached, favoring practical experience over formal educational qualifications. Crafted by Caleb Taylor, the Institute’s Director of Policy, SB1014 was a collaborative effort backed by organizations such as Americans For Prosperity (AFP-VA) and the Reform Alliance, achieving unanimous support in the Virginia General Assembly.

The legislation’s goal is to democratize job access by eliminating unnecessary degree requirements for state positions. As a result, individuals with hands-on experience, such as mechanics or self-taught IT professionals, can now qualify for state jobs without the burden of obtaining expensive degrees. This reform is presented as a model of bipartisan cooperation, showing how both Democrats and Republicans can work together to enhance economic mobility.

Caleb Taylor from the Virginia Institute highlighted that SB1014 is more than a law; it serves as a lifeline for individuals whose skills far exceed what is traditionally recognized on their resumes. The initiative resonates with previous efforts from Governor Youngkin, which have already streamlined degree requirements for nearly 90% of state jobs. Overall, SB1014 is a forward-thinking policy that promotes a diverse workforce and mirrors the strengths of Virginia’s population.

Highlights

  •  Ongoing Workforce Initiatives: This law builds on previous workforce reforms that have already removed degree requirements for most state jobs.
  •  Bipartisan Support: SB1014 passed unanimously in the Virginia General Assembly, showcasing rare cooperation between political parties.
  •  Skill Over Degrees: The law emphasizes practical skills for state jobs, making roles accessible to individuals without formal degrees.
  •  Empowering Virginians: The legislation allows skilled workers, like mechanics and IT professionals, to secure government roles based on their practical experience.
  •  Economic Accessibility: By removing costly degree requirements, SB1014 lowers barriers for capable workers, enhancing workforce participation.
  •  Reflecting Diversity: The reform aims to build a workforce that mirrors Virginia’s diverse capabilities, contributing positively to the state’s economy.
  •  Lifeline for Job Seekers: SB1014 provides opportunities for individuals whose skills are often ignored due to outdated hiring practices.
VIPP Press Release SB1014 (1)Download

The Virginia Model of Regulatory Reform

The Virginia Model of Regulatory Reform

A Springboard for Success

Is the Office of Regulatory Management Virginia’s DOGEThat’s a debate that has been raging in the public eye recently.

Enter the highly-respected economist Dr. James Broughel, one of our senior fellows at the Virginia Institute for Public Policy.

On March 6th, we released a major new study by Dr. Broughel, who is also a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and a former adjunct professor at the Scalia Law School at George Mason University.

$1.2 billion of annual savings for Virginians. Permit processing times slashed from an average of 33 days to 5 days. Even the average cost of building a house will drop by $24,000.

The Office of Regulatory Reform (ORM) in Virginia has been highly successful in taking an axe to Virginia’s bloated regulatory code, already cutting it by 21%.

The paper has generated publicity in the media – see HERE and HERE:

We’re making sure to provide the facts and figures to those in power in Richmond so that legislators can learn not just about the Virginia Model of Regulatory Reform, but also about how it can be improved upon.

Here is the full paper, and the one-page executive summary.

The Virginia Model – for webDownload
The Virginia Model (Executive Summary)Download
Lynn Taylor

Lynn Taylor

President & Co-Founder

Lynn Taylor is the president and co-founder of the Virginia Institute for Public Policy, an independent, nonpartisan, education and research organization that develops and promotes public policy consistent with the Virginia tradition of individual liberty, dynamic entrepreneurial capitalism, private property, the rule of law, and constitutionally-limited government. She also serves as president of Tertium Quids, an issue advocacy organization that, along with the Virginia Institute, co-hosts Virginia’s Tuesday Morning Group, a statewide coalition comprising more than 1,000 activists who represent more than 260 organizations. Lynn is also the executive producer of Freedom & Prosperity Radio, a syndicated talk radio program with a focus on politics and public policy.

Additionally, she is a co-founder and chair of the Virginia Fair Elections (VFE) Coalition and, as of February 2023, she also serves as chairman of the Election Integrity Network (EIN), now a project of the Virginia Institute.

Prior to her current positions, Lynn was managing director of the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation and the Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation in Washington, D.C. Well experienced in the management and the funding of nonprofit organizations, she served on the boards of The Heartland Institute for Public Policy, Chicago; the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, New York; the Young Entrepreneurs of Washington, D.C.; and presently serves on the board of One Generation Away, Washington, D.C.

Lynn received a B.A. in mathematics from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA, and subsequently earned an M.B.A. in finance from Georgia State University and a J.D. (cum laude) from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law.

Lynn is a member of The Federalist Society, an organization “founded on the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.” Since 1996, Lynn has been a member of The Philadelphia Society, an organization “dedicated to the goal of deepening the intellectual foundations of a free and ordered society and to broadening the general understanding of its basic principles among the public at large.”

Fun Facts:

Lynn received a B.A. in mathematics from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA and used to tutor her future husband through his math classes in graduate school because it “just wasn’t his thing.”

Rush Limbaugh once gave her a box of very expensive cigars, which her husband promptly smoked with great enjoyment.

When she was dating her future husband, she was a DJ at a club called the Library. Whenever anyone asked where she was, her friends would simply say, “Oh, Lynn’s at the Library.”

Lynn had to wait outside for security at a conservative conference once because she was the only think tank executive who was carrying a firearm.