The James Madison Institute (JMI), a Florida-based think tank, has announced its 2026 Policy Priorities. The new set of initiatives aims to support the organization’s longstanding principles of limited government and economic liberty.
Logan Padgett, Senior Vice President at JMI, stated, “The policy team at JMI is committed to providing our elected leaders in Tallahassee and D.C., along with the over 22 million residents from Pensacola to Key West, with all of the tools necessary to ensure that the Sunshine State continues to build on our success into 2026 and beyond. We look forward to working with Senate President Albritton, Speaker Danny Perez, committee chairs, members, and Governor DeSantis to further the cause for liberty and cement Florida as the blueprint for conservative governance that propels prosperity.”
One of the key areas highlighted in the policy document is education. William Mattox, Senior Director of the Marshall Center for Education Freedom at JMI, addressed ongoing challenges in school choice: “Florida continues to lead the nation in K-12 education freedom, but we’ve still got some work to do. Last year, 41,000 scholarship-receiving families had to opt for ‘Plan B’ because there weren’t enough school choice options available nearby. To address this supply problem, public policymakers need to lift regulatory barriers that are hindering the growth of new education enterprises. They also need to lease unused public school classroom space to private edu-preneurs — and to facilitate greater access to individual public school courses for interested homeschoolers and scholarship students. These policy ideas are a win-win — good for students and good for public schools’ bottom line.”
Doug Wheeler, Director of the George Gibbs Center for Economic Prosperity at JMI, emphasized the importance of maintaining a business-friendly environment: “History shows that when people are free to innovate, compete, and live with limited interference from government, prosperity follows. That’s why JMI continues to champion policies rooted in fiscal responsibility, fair taxation, and smart regulation—principles that are helping Florida thrive and remain a national leader in championing freedom and opportunity.”
Dr. Edward Longe, Director of the Center for Technology & Innovation at JMI, commented on regulatory trends affecting technology sectors: “Sacramento, Albany, and Denver have strangled their tech sectors with heavy-handed regulations over the past year, and now red states are making the same mistake. However, Florida has a different choice. Tallahassee can double down on the free-market principles that transformed Florida from a rural economy into a global powerhouse. From Miami’s tech corridors to innovation hubs statewide, Florida’s light-touch approach has delivered real results for real communities. The path forward is clear: Keep government out of the way, and the Sunshine State will remain America’s undisputed tech capital.”
JMI’s policy priorities reflect its mission as a nonprofit organization focused on limited government and individual liberty through research on issues such as education reform and regulatory environments.
