The Free State Foundation is a non-profit, nonpartisan think tank. Its purpose is to promote, through research and educational activities, understanding of free market, limited government, and rule of law principles at the federal level and in Maryland.
FSF focuses on eliminating unnecessary and counterproductive regulatory mandates, especially those applicable to the communications and other high-tech industries, and on reducing overly burdensome taxes, protecting individual and economic liberty, including property rights, and making government more effective, efficient, and accountable.
Who We Are
Led by Randolph J. May, FSF's President, the scholars of The Free State Foundation have decades of experience in the public policy arena and academic settings promoting free markets, secure property rights, and individual liberty. Mr. May is a nationally known legal and policy expert in the field of regulation, as well as a widely recognized expert in communications, administrative, and constitutional law. FSF's scholars combine solid academic expertise with professional and practical experience in a way that makes their research especially impactful in influencing policy.
New at FSF
A Video of "Privacy Regulation: Why, What, and When?" ishere.
FTC Commissioner Noah Phillips' Keynote Address is here.
The Free State Foundation held a policy seminar Wednesday, June 26, 2019, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, from 12 noon - 2 p.m. The seminar – "Privacy Regulation: Why, What, and When?" included keynote addresses by Senator Marsha Blackburn and FTC Commissioner Noah Phillips and a panel discussion by experts addressing potential new privacy regulation, whether by Congress, the FTC or other federal agencies, or the states. The panelists included Kelly Cole, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at CTIA; Lynn Follansbee, Vice President, Policy & Advocacy at USTelecom; Loretta Polk, Vice President & Associate General Counsel at NCTA - The Internet & Television Association; and Michelle Richardson, Director of the Privacy & Data Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT). The speakers' bios arehere.
Conference Videos
Welcome and Introduction–Randolph May, President, The Free State Foundation and Opening Keynote Address– Remarks delivered by Andrew Finch, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General - Antitrust Division, Department of Justice on behalf of Makan Delrahim, Assistant Attorney General – Antitrust Division, Department of Justice. Video ishere.
Keynote Address– David Redl, Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Video ishere.
All-Star Panel I: "Internet Providers and Platforms: Getting the Law and Policy Right" - Video is here.
Moderator: Seth Cooper, Senior Fellow, The Free State Foundation
Jonathan Adelstein, President and CEO, Wireless Infrastructure Association
James Assey, Executive Vice President, NCTA
Maurita Coley, President and CEO, Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council
Kathleen Ham, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, T-Mobile USA
All-Star Panel II: "Internet Providers and Platforms: Getting the Law and Policy Right" - Video is here.
Moderator: Randolph May, President, The Free State Foundation
Alden Abbott, General Counsel, FTC
Kathleen Grillo, Senior Vice President, Verizon
Robert McDowell, Partner, Cooley, and former Commissioner, FCC
Gigi Sohn, Distinguished Fellow, Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law and Policy, and Benton Senior Fellow and Public Advocate
"Conversation with FSF's Academic All-Stars and FSF President Randolph May" - Video is here.
Tim Brennan, Professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a Member of FSF’s Board of Academic Advisors
Michelle Connolly, Professor, Duke University, and a Member of FSF’s Board of Academic Advisors
Daniel Lyons, Associate Professor, Boston College Law School, and a Member of FSF’s Board of Academic Advisors
Christopher Yoo,Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School, and a Member of FSF’s Board of Academic Advisors
Keynote Address – Michael O’Rielly, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission, in a Conversation with former Member of Congress Tom Tauke. Video ishere.
Closing Keynote Address – Joseph Simons, Chairman, Federal Trade Commission. Video is here.
The Free State Foundation will hold its Eleventh Annual Telecom Policy Conference on Tuesday, March 26, 2019, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The conference theme is "Internet Providers and Platforms: Getting Law and Policy Right." Keynotes speakers include DOJ Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim, FTC Chairman Joseph Simons, NTIA Administrator David Redl, and FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly.
Other speakers include Jonathan Adelstein, President & CEO, Wireless Infrastructure Association, and former Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission; Alden Abbott, General Counsel, Federal Trade Commission; James Assey, Executive Vice President, NCTA - The Internet & Television Association; Tim Brennan, Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Member of FSF's Board of Academic Advisors;Maurita Coley, President and CEO, Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council; Michelle Connolly, Professor, Duke University, and Member of FSF's Board of Academic Advisors; Kathleen Grillo, Senior Vice President, Public Policy & Government Affairs, Verizon Communications Inc.;Kathleen Ham, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, T-Mobile USA; Daniel Lyons, Professor, Boston College Law School, and Member of FSF's Board of Academic Advisors; Robert McDowell, Partner, Cooley, and former Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission; Gigi Sohn, Distinguished Fellow, Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law and Policy and Benton Senior Fellow and Public Advocate; Tom Tauke, Former Member of Congress and former Executive Vice President, Verizon Communications Inc.; and Christopher Yoo, Professor, University of Pennsylvania Law School, and Member of FSF's Board of Academic Advisors.
The complete conference agenda is here. An event flyer is here. Registerhere.
A video of the Free State Foundation's November 9, 2018, event at the National Press Club celebrating FSF's newest book, A Reader on Net Neutrality and Restoring Internet Freedom, edited by Free State Foundation President Randolph May and FSF Senior Fellow Seth Cooper, is below. Tom Johnson, the FCC's General Counsel, and Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, delivered keynote remarks, and Free State Foundation experts, Seth Cooper and Ted Bolema, discussed the most important, most current, hot-topic legal and policy issues in the ongoing net neutrality and privacy protection controversies. You can read Tom Johnson's remarks here.
Free State Foundation President Randolph May was a panelist at the NARUC Annual Meeting on Sunday, November 11, 2018, in Orlando, Florida. The panel, "The VoIP "State" - What's Happening? What's Next?" discussed the pending Minnesota Commission petition for rehearing en banc of a recent 8th Circuit 2-1 decision preempting state oversight as well as the Vermont Commission remand resulting from the 2013 Vermont Supreme Court decision that upheld a Vermont Public Utility Commission determination that “fixed” VoIP service is subject to PUC authority.
Just Published!
The Free State Foundation has just published its latest book, A Reader on Net Neutrality and Restoring Internet Freedom.
In the context of offering a convincing defense of the adoption of the FCC’s December 2017 Restoring Internet Freedom Order,this volume provides a wealth of information and key insights into the long-running debate surrounding “net neutrality” regulation. The selected writings in this Reader, most of which were previously published as Perspectives from FSF Scholars or FSF blogs, explain why, in our view, the FCC’s pro-consumer, pro-investment, and pro-innovation approach to regulation of Internet service providers adopted in the Restoring Internet Freedom Order should be preserved.
A Reader on Net Neutrality and Restoring Internet Freedom is available from Amazon here in paperback for $9.95 or for your Kindle herefor $2.99. And it is available here from Apple and other booksellers in various e-book formats for $2.99 or less.
A Video of FSF's June 28 #CommPolicy Seminar Is Now Available!
Opening Remarks by Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O’Rielly - “An Update on FCC Process Reform Efforts: Possible Next Steps.”
Then a panel discussion addressing the latest municipal broadband developments with special attention to "big city" networks, net neutrality and First Amendment considerations. The panelists were Enrique Armijo, Associate Professor of Law at Elon University School of Law and a Member of the Free State Foundation Board of Academic Advisors; Theodore Bolema, Free State Foundation Senior Fellow; and Chris Lewis, Vice President of Public Knowledge.
Immediately following the panel, Alden Abbott, the Federal Trade Commission's new General Counsel, delivered Closing Remarks - "Protecting Consumers and Competition at the New FTC."
View a slideshow of the Free State Foundation’s Policy Seminar on FCC Process Reform, Municipal Broadband, and Consumer Protection at the FTC, held June 28, 2018, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
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FSF'S TENTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
SPEECHES AND HIGHLIGHTS
Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, delivered his opening keynote address via video at the Free State Foundation’s Tenth Annual Telecom Policy Conference held at the National Press Club. The conference, themed “Connecting All of America: Advancing the Gigabit and 5G Future,” was held March 27, 2018. A link to the video his address ishere.
David Redl, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, delivered a keynote address. His speech is here.
The Free State Foundation held its Tenth Annual Telecom Policy Conference on Tuesday, March 27, 2018, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The conference theme was "Connecting All of America: Advancing the Gigabit and 5G Future."
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai delivered the opening keynote address. FCC Commissioners Michael O’Rielly and Brendan Carr joined FSF President Randolph May in the traditional lunchtime conversation. And Neomi Rao, Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, and David Redl, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, both delivered a keynote address. Other speakers included: James Assey, Executive Vice President, NCTA; Jeff Campbell, Vice President, The Americas of Global Government Affairs, Cisco Systems, Inc.; Michelle Connolly, Professor, Duke University, and Member of FSF's Board of Academic Advisors; David Cohen, Senior Executive Vice President, Comcast Corporation; Kathleen Grillo, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Public Policy and Government Affairs, Verizon Communications Inc.; John Jones, Senior Vice President of Public Policy & Government Relations, CenturyLink; Chris Lewis, Vice President, Public Knowledge; Daniel Lyons, Professor, Boston College Law School, and Member of FSF's Board of Academic Advisors; Tom Power, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, CTIA; Nicol Turner-Lee, Fellow, Governance Studies, Center for Technology Innovation, Brookings; and Christopher Yoo, Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School, and Member of FSF's Board of Academic Advisors.
View a slideshow of the Free State Foundation's Tenth Annual Telecom Policy Conference – “Connecting All of America: Advancing the Gigabit and 5G Future” – held March 27, 2018, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
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Free State Foundation President Randolph J. May and Research Fellow Michael J. Horney submitted written testimony and Mr. Horney testified at a March 2, 2018, Hearing on SB 287, “State Funds - Procurement of Services From Internet Service Providers – Restriction,” before the Committee on Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs, Maryland General Assembly. The testimony opposes SB 287 on legal and policy grounds.
See Free State Foundation President Randolph May discuss the FCC's net neutrality decision on C-SPAN's Washington Journal on December 15, 2017. The video is here.
On December 14, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal the Obama-era rules that imposed public utlity-like mandates on Internet service providers. The statement of Free State Foundation President Randolph May in support of the FCC’s action is here.
C-SPAN's video of FSF's entire Ninth Annual Telecom Policy Conference, held May 31, 2017, is here.
The program brochure, with the agenda and the speaker bios, for FSF's Ninth Annual Telecom Policy Conference on May 31, 2017, is here.
The Free State Foundation's Ninth Annual Telecom Policy Conference was held on Wednesday, May 31, 2017, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, joined FSF President Randolph May in the traditional lunchtime conversation. Other speakers included Meredith Baker, President and CEO, CTIA; David Cohen, Senior Executive Vice President, Comcast Corporation; Seth Cooper, Senior Fellow, Free State Foundation; Michelle Connolly, Professor of the Practice of Economics, Duke University, and Member of FSF's Board of Academic Advisors;C. Boyden Gray, Founding Partner, Boyden Gray & Associates, and former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union and former White House Counsel; Kim Keenan, President and CEO, MMTC;Blair Levin, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; Tad Lipsky, Acting Director, Bureau of Competition, FTC; Daniel Lyons, Boston College Law School, and Member of FSF's Board of Academic Advisors; Tom Pahl, Acting Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, FTC; Robert Quinn, Senior Executive Vice President, External and Legislative Affairs, AT&T; and Howard Shelanski, Professor of Law, Georgetown University, and former Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the Office of Management and Budget. An event flyer is here. The conference agenda is here and the conference brochure with speaker bios is here.
View a slideshow of the Free State Foundation's Tenth Anniversary Gala Luncheon held December 7, 2016, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
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A PDF of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s Address at the Free State Foundation’s Tenth Anniversary Gala Luncheon on December 7, 2016, at the National Press Club, Washington, DC, is here.A PDF of FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly’s Address at the Gala Luncheon is here.
Videos are available of the Free State Foundation’s Tenth Anniversary Gala Luncheon, held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on December 7, 2016. The “Segment 1” video includes a Welcome by FSF President Randolph May, and an address by Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, Vice Chair, House Energy and Commerce Committee, Republican Deputy Whip, and Trump Transition Team Executive Committee Member.
“Segment 2” of FSF’s Tenth Anniversary Gala Luncheon video includes remarks by FCC Commissioners Ajit Pai and Michael O'Rielly; Karyn Temple Claggett, Acting Register of Copyrights and Director of U.S. Copyright Office; and Professor Daniel Lyons, Boston College Law School, and member of FSF's Board of Academic Advisors.
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Job Openings: The Free State Foundation has two positions open.
Vice-President/Senior Fellow to advance the organization’s mission by helping to promote, through research and educational activities, the understanding of free market, limited government, and rule of law principles at the federal level and in Maryland. Click here to view a full job description.
Research Fellow/Legal Fellow with at least three years of prior experience regarding regulatory issues involving communications and Internet law policy is required. Examples of subjects with which the candidate should have some meaningful familiarity are net neutrality, broadband policy, spectrum policy, media regulation, and privacy regulation. Click here to view a full job description.
Senior Fellows
The Free State Foundation's Senior Fellows and Staff are acknowledged experts in their academic and professional fields, and their accomplishments have been widely recognized. They have held senior positions in academia, government, and business. Their expertise and experience on state and federal policy matters spans the disciplines of law, economics, business strategy, and organizational management.
Support the Free State Foundation
The Free State Foundation receives contributions to support its work from a wide variety of companies in the communications, information services, entertainment, and high-tech marketplaces, among others, as well as from foundations and many individuals. We welcome your donations too! Donate here!
Support the Free State Foundation's work by shopping at AmazonSmile! Click here to begin shopping at Amazon.
"The more I observed Washington, the more frequently I visited it, and the more people I interviewed there, the more I understood how prophetic L'Enfant was when he laid it out as a city that goes around in circles." John Mason Brown
Just something to think about...when visiting the Nation’s capital.
View the YouTube video of FSF’s October 26, 2015, event celebrating the publication of May and Cooper’s new book, The Constitutional Foundations of Intellectual Property: A Natural Rights Perspective, at the National Press Club.
View the YouTube video of FSF’s July 28, 2015, policy seminar, "Implementing Real Regulatory Reform at the FCC," at the National Press Club.
View the YouTube videos of the Opening Keynote Address and traditional lunchtime Conversation at FSF’s Seventh Annual Telecom Policy Conference, "The Future of the Internet: Free Market Innovation or Government Control?" on March 19, 2015, at the National Press Club.
View the YouTube videos of the three keynote presentations and the panel discussion at FSF’s "Thinking the Unthinkable: Imposing the 'Utility Model' on Internet Providers" seminar at the National Press Club on November 14, 2014.
View the YouTube videos of FSF's "A New FCC or the Same Old, Same Old?" lunch seminar at the National Press Club on October 24, 2013.
View the YouTube video of FSF’s "If I Were the FCC Chairman" lunch seminar held at the National Press Club on June 4, 2013.
View a slideshow here of the Free State Foundation’s Fifth Annual Telecom Policy Conference, "Completing The Transition to a Digital World: How to Finish the Job and Why It Matters," held at the National Association of Home Builders on March 21, 2013.
Order FSF's new book, "Communications Law and Policy in the Digital Age: The Next Five Years," here!
View the YouTube video of FSF's January 23, 2013, event celebrating FSF’s new book, "Communications Law and Policy in the Digital Age: The Next Five Years," at the National Press Club.
View YouTube videos of FSF's October 18, 2012, "Ideas for Communications Law and Policy Reform for 2013" Seminar at the National Press Club.
View C-SPAN’s video of the Free State Foundation’s May 30, 2012 seminar,
"The Multi-Stakeholder Private Internet Governance Model: Can It Survive Threats From The UN?"
View the video of FSF's March 20, 2012, Fourth Annual Telecom Policy Conference
"The Internet World: Will It Remain Free From Public Utility Regulation?"
View the slideshow of The Free State Foundation’s Fifth Anniversary Celebration Lunch held on October 12, 2011, at the Mayflower Hotel here .
View the video of the Free State Foundation's October 12, 2011 Fifth Anniversary Celebration Lunch program, "Communications Law and Policy in the Digital Age: The Next Five Years."
View C-SPAN's video of the Free State Foundation's April 12, 2011 Seminar, "Regulatory Reform at the FCC: Why Not Now?"
View a slideshow of FSF's April 12, 2011, "Regulatory Reform at the FCC: Why Not Now?" Seminar here.
FSF October 12, 2010 Seminar: "Looking Forward: Will Congress Establish Broadband Policy?" The video is available here.
FSF April 16, 2010 Seminar: FCC's "Future of Media" Inquiry The video is here.
A link to the video for FSF's 2010 Annual Winter Telecom Policy Conference may be found here.
Order FSF President Randolph May's book, "A Call for a Radical New Communications Policy"! Click here.
Order FSF's "New Directions in Communications Policy" book now! Click here.
For more information, contact: info@freestatefoundation.org Mailing Address: The Free State Foundation, P. O. Box 60680, Potomac, MD 20859 Office Location: 6259 Executive Blvd., Rockville, MD 20852 Phone: 301-984-8253
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