SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 29, 2016) – The R Street Institute is pleased to welcome Steven Greenhut as its new western region director, based in Sacramento. In his new role, Greenhut will be responsible for running R Street’s West Coast office, continuing R Street’s work on legislation and issues affecting the western states and furthering relations with business groups.

Greenhut was formerly the California columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune. He previously was the vice president of journalism at the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, where he managed a team of 35 investigative reporters and editors who covered state capitols across the country. He played a critical role in launching “Fixing California,” a joint project between the Union-Tribune and the Franklin Center. Before the Franklin Center, Greenhut founded Cal Watchdog in 2009, which provided Sacramento-based investigative news coverage.

“Many free-marketers view California and some other western states as a lost cause, but that’s not so,” said Greenhut. “Our ideas work and R Street is well-positioned to offer alternatives to the usual fare of more regulations and government control prevalent in California. “

Greenhut has been a contributor to many publications, including Reason, Human Events, Bloomberg and City Journal. He was senior editorial writer and columnist at the Orange County Register from 1998-2009.

“We are excited to welcome Steven to the R Street team. He brings a talent for breaking down complicated public policy issues in ways that undoubtedly advance the discussion in California and along the West Coast,” said R Street State Programs Director Cameron Smith. “Steven complements his experience with a set of professional relationships that includes journalists, legislators and other key influencers.”

“There’s plenty of room to work across both sides of the aisle on reforms involving the sharing economy, occupational licensing, insurance markets, criminal justice, energy and any number of issues,” said Greenhut. “I look forward to helping R Street continue to stir the pot here in Sacramento and across the West.”

Greenhut has also written the books “Plunder! How Public Employee Unions Are Raiding Treasuries, Controlling Our Lives and Bankrupting the Nation” and “Abuse of Power: How the Government Misuses Eminent Domain.”

“We’re thrilled to have Steven building on R Street’s great work in the region, using free-market principles to produce real solutions for today’s public-policy challenges,” said Smith.

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