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CPAC Central is the hub of activity at CPAC conferences. It’s also the place to be if shopping is on your to-do list. CPAC Central houses the hundreds of vendors, organizations, and event sponsors that come to CPAC. Businesses of all sizes and categories set up shop here making it the perfect place to discover patriotic businesses that you can continue to support long after the conference. The CPAC store is also conveniently located here so you can add a CPAC souvenir to your shopping haul. Beyond shopping, CPAC Central is also a great area for socializing. Many grassroots organizations set up booths here with members always looking to connect with new grassroots activists. CPAC Central is a fantastic opportunity to find new ways to get involved in the movement and grow your conservative community. Will we see you in CPAC Central? Visit CPAC.org to buy your tickets and get in on the action.

The Women’s Breakfast is a wonderful way to kickoff the last day of CPAC in DC! The breakfast gathers conservative women for a morning of community and empowering speeches from some of the strongest conservative women in the movement over a morning meal. Last year was a huge success with remarks from Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert and Riley Gaines. We know this year will be an equally exciting way to cap off the weekend! The breakfast takes place on Saturday from 7:30 am to 9 am, and tickets can be added on to any General, Student, or Silver Ticket. Visit CPAC.org/DC to make your plans for CPAC in DC 2024 today!

This is the final week to get the limited time discount on CPAC General Admission Tickets! Our $95 special price for General Admission ends this Friday, February 9. For just $95 this week, you can see speeches from all-star conservatives like President Donald Trump firsthand, experience CPAC Central and Media Row, meet thousands of fellow conservatives, and so much more. If you’ve not already made plans to attend CPAC, now is the time to reserve your spot before prices increase to $195. Visit CPAC.org/DC to book today and join us to PROTECT AMERICA NOW!

The Ronald Reagan Dinner is a staple at CPAC national conferences. The dinner is a break from the hustle and bustle of the day for an evening of fun and fellowship. The highlight of the event are the special keynote speeches from well-known conservative leaders. Past Ronald Reagan Dinner speakers have included Seth Dillon, Kari Lake, and Tulsi Gabbard. This year is set to feature remarks from Vivek Ramaswamy and Bishop Joseph Strickland. In addition to the speeches, the festivities also include a live auction, and the night is capped off with music and dancing. Tickets to the Ronald Reagan Dinner are available now to be added on to any General, Student, or Silver Ticket! Visit CPAC.org/dc to make your plans CPAC in DC 2024 today!

The following is a recent op-ed by CPAC Foundation Nolan Center for Justice Policy Analyst, Helen Weston, published in The Richmond Times-Dispatch: Last month, we received welcomed news from Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC) Director Chad Dotson that four state correctional facilities will permanently close in 2024. This decision demonstrates Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s leadership in improving both public and facility safety while ensuring more efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Evidence shows that chronic prison understaffing is a recipe for disaster. The current vacancy rate for correctional officers sits around 26%, while violence and lockdowns are not uncommon. Exposure to violence and threats contribute to the high prevalence of mental health and safety concerns among corrections officers that exacerbate retention and recruitment issues. Further, lockdowns and understaffing can thwart the administration of positive programming — violence begets fear and trauma. Prisons are meant to correct behavior and hold incarcerated people accountable, not teach them how to survive in a culture of violence. For these reasons, the Youngkin administration’s move to consolidate the population into fewer facilitates, thus improving operational efficiency and safety, is a wise decision. This decision builds on Virginia’s concerted effort to improve public safety by modernizing its criminal justice system over the last several years. Under former Gov. Ralph Northam's administration, earned sentence credits were expanded. These programs reward participation in rehabilitative and skill training programs with an earlier release date. Well over 40 states have some form of sentence credits to encourage good behavior and engagement in recidivism-reducing activities. The Youngkin administration has supplemented this work by investing in violence prevention and intervention efforts while outlining a plan to increase mental and behavioral health support and crisis response efforts. The governor has also signed a series of initiatives to improve transparency in the parole process and create new independent oversight of state prisons. The governor’s new budget underlines his commitment to public safety with the provision of continued funding for these efforts. Virginia continues to maintain one of the lowest recidivism rates in the United States. By embracing evidence-based policies, Virginia has begun to experience a decline in its prison population. Overall, the average daily population held in the state’s 27 largest prisons has declined by approximately 15% from estimates before the pandemic. The state has seen the total population of state-responsible inmates held in both state facilities and local jails decline by more than 2,000 people since the implementation of the expanded earned sentence credits in July 2022. There is still more to be done, but with a governor like Youngkin prioritizing public safety and the taxpayer’s dollar while using evidence-based results, Virginians are sure to experience a hopeful and safe new year. This DOC announcement is just one of many of those success stories with continued, positive improvements following the 2024 legislative session to come. Altogether, these changes will lead to a more innovative and effective criminal justice system making our communities safer while creating more opportunities for second chances.

NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, is the agency within the US Government that is, among other things, responsible for the development of the "atomic clock" (that standarizes time around the country, and underpins things like the GPS in our phones). Yet for some reason, the Biden administration is seeing fit to use NIST to go over their goal of price controls for drugs in the United States! In December, NIST proposed to amend a 43yo piece of legislation called the Bayh-Dole Act by considering drug prices in the exercise of March-In Rights, there is a burgeoning debate on the future trajectory of innovation, economic prosperity, and the pharmaceutical industry in the United States. At the heart of the discussion is the potential shift from the Act's original mandate to foster innovation and commercialize federally funded research towards a framework that could regulate drug prices. This proposal has sparked considerable concern among stakeholders across the innovation landscape. Distorting the Bayh-Dole Act's Original Intent The Bayh-Dole Act, a keystone of American innovation since 1980, has propelled the U.S. to a leadership position in global technology and pharmaceuticals. It encouraged the commercialization of federally funded research, which led to the development of life-saving drugs and technologies. However, the NIST's proposal to factor in the price of drugs as a criterion for exercising March-In Rights diverges from the Act's original purpose. Instead of promoting the utilization of inventions and fostering public-private partnerships, this move could serve as a mechanism for price regulation—a stark departure from the Act's foundational goals. A Threat to Innovation and Economic Growth The proposed changes pose significant risks to innovation and investment, particularly in the biopharmaceutical sector, where the certainty of patent protection underpins the development of new treatments. The introduction of pricing considerations in the exercise of March-In Rights threatens to deter investment, stifling innovation and slowing the development of new drugs. This could also undermine the U.S. economy at large, given the pharmaceutical industry's role as a vital economic engine contributing billions in economic output and supporting millions of jobs. Undermining Patient Access to Innovative Treatments The NIST proposal could adversely affect patient access to innovative treatments. By introducing uncertainty into the intellectual property landscape, the proposal risks deterring the investment required for the development of new therapies. This move could slow the pace of medical breakthroughs, potentially depriving patients of access to life-saving treatments. Raising Legal and Constitutional Concerns The proposal also raises significant legal and constitutional issues. The exercise of March-In Rights based on drug pricing could be perceived as a taking of property without just compensation, challenging established property rights protected under the U.S. Constitution. Furthermore, this reinterpretation of the Bayh-Dole Act could exceed the authority granted by the legislation itself, leading to prolonged legal battles and further uncertainty. In light of these concerns, it is imperative to tread carefully in any modifications to the Bayh-Dole Act. Preserving the Act's original intent and the incentives for innovation that have secured the United States' position as a global leader in technology and medicine is crucial. Policymakers are urged to explore alternative solutions that address drug affordability without undermining the principles of innovation and private investment. A balanced strategy that respects property rights, fosters economic growth, and maintains America's competitive edge in the global technology and pharmaceutical markets is essential for sustaining the vitality of the U.S. innovation ecosystem. The CPAC Foundation's Center for Regulatory Freedom is filing detailed comments in opposition to this (with comments due by midnight Monday night, February 6). You can file comments as well, by visiting the Federal Register page HERE!

Of all the states CPAC rates, West Virginia certainly takes home a trophy as one of the most conservative in the nation. Twenty Republicans earned CPAC’s highest honor, the Award for Conservative Excellence, in the Mountain State. These legislators earned this recognition for their outstanding voting record that upheld the conservative position at least 90% of the time. Many more representatives earned CPAC’s Award for Conservative Achievement by voting with the conservative position at least 80% of the time. Even the few Democrats in the West Virginia legislature scored higher than those in other states, garnering a 29% average in the House and a 48% average in the Senate. The commitment of West Virginia lawmakers to conservative principles is apparent in the laws they passed. They executed a well-rounded, freedom-forward agenda in 2023 that protected life, limited government, and asserted constitutional freedoms. CPAC recognizes two bills in 2023 that created substantial protections in defense of life. SB 552 expanded informed consent requirements and required state health agencies to establish a 24/7 resource hotline and publish information on abortion on their official website. SB 613 advanced the pro-life cause by lifting requirements for certificates of need for birthing centers. It now allows birthing centers to acquire necessary equipment more easily, helping them thereby improve service in their communities and offer more options for childbirth. West Virginia legislators further executed a series of bills that limited government spending and improved the education system. HB 2526 now allows West Virginians to keep more of their hard-earned dollars by lowering the state income tax rate. SB 1009 and HB 2862 prevent the tax dollars that the state does collect from being used to promote ESG and protect state funds from poor, politically-motivated investments. HB 3084 established safeguards against government regulations on charter schools, advancing school choice and supporting improvements to the quality of public education. Most of all, legislators championed constitutional freedoms by passing at least six laws that protect religious freedom, parental rights, the right to bear arms, and freedom of speech. SB 10 prohibited universities from preventing students from carrying a concealed firearm. HB 204 prevents mischievous financial institutions from sharing personal financial records with the state government for the purposes of surveilling gun owners. HB 3042 prohibits the disproportionate regulation of religious services and is a victory for freedom of religion. Legislators also encouraged school choice, parental rights, and transparency in education with SB 422 requiring schools to publicly post their curricula on their websites. All in all, West Virginia's dedication to preserving the rights of its constituents helped it stand out as an encouraging beacon of freedom. Learn about West Virginia’s victories for liberties and more at CPAC.org.

The Nolan Center for Justice at the CPAC Foundation works to improve our nation’s criminal justice system.  We help develop policies to improve public safety, ensure both individuals and the government are held accountable, and advance human dignity.  We also look for opportunities to encourage people caught up in the criminal justice system to find rehabilitation…and yes, redemption.  Why are rehabilitation and redemption important?  Because every instance of reoffending means another victim, another court case, and another prison cell.  By reducing recidivism, we are cutting one of the main drivers of the crime rate. One of the policies we support is providing incentives to encourage prisoners to pursue prison education, mental health treatment, job training, anger management, life skills and other programming that has been shown to reduce recidivism.  For example, President Trump’s First Step Act offered non-violent, low-risk inmates an opportunity to move to home confinement to serve their last year under the control of the Bureau of Prisons, when they took anti-recidivism programming.  And we now know that this system is working. A recent report by the non-partisan Council on Criminal Justice using Justice Department data found that the recidivism rate for those who earned their way to home confinement before release had a re-arrest rate of 12.4%, compared to an estimated recidivism rate of 19.8% for those released before the First Step Act.  That’s a 37% cut in recidivism!  Similar results were seen in 15 years of data from Texas after Governor Rick Perry (R) increased recidivism reduction programming as part of his justice reinvestment initiative.  Other states have provided incentives for prisoners to do the hard work of self-improvement and seen their re-offense rates drop.  In Michigan, the pending Safer Michigan Act provides “productivity credits,” (modeled after the First Step Act) to allow inmates to shave months off their sentences if they successfully complete proven anti-recidivism programs. We also support a package of policies called Clean Slate. Clean Slate applies to people who made a mistake and were convicted of low-level, non-violent crimes.  If they stay out of trouble for seven years, they can have their records automatically sealed.  While law enforcement will still have access to the sealed records, the former prisoners will have an easier time finding work, obtaining safe housing, and going back to school. And with such redemption comes reduced recidivism risks. Clean Slate has been passed by Republican legislatures in Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Utah. So why should voters and policymakers care about helping prisoners find redemption? Because doing so makes neighborhoods and communities safer, while also reducing the burden of incarceration costs on the taxpayers. It is a win-win.

Every year, CPAC has the opportunity to partner with fantastic conservative businesses and organizations who participate in our annual conference as sponsors. Our sponsors support the work we do at our conferences to uplift, unite, and inform grassroots conservatives and advance the movement all over the world. They instantly become part of an international network of organizations and individuals who both attend our conference and enjoy our digital content. Our sponsors also get to enjoy the conference as attendees and take in the exciting speeches, maybe even give one themselves, and add to their community of like-minded patriots with the infinite social opportunities. We love our sponsors who make CPAC possible and can’t wait to PROTECT AMERICA NOW with them at CPAC in DC 2024! Check out CPAC.org/sponsorship to learn more about our sponsorship opportunities.

In a shocking revelation, a preliminary investigation by the House Republican-led Science, Space, and Technology Committee has uncovered disturbing details about the White House's undue influence in a federal climate reporting initiative. This story, initially reported by Fox News Digital, raises serious questions about conflicts of interest and the integrity of the rulemaking process. Uncovering the Scandal The internal GOP memo reveals how the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) inappropriately swayed federal acquisition regulations. This intervention allegedly favored environmental activist groups with significant ties to Democrat donors and CEQ staff. According to the committee's findings, the CEQ successfully influenced the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council to outsource the Biden administration's climate reporting and disclosure initiative to two UK-based groups: the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). Conflict of Interest and Lack of Transparency Committee Chairman Frank Lucas expressed grave concerns about the CEQ's influence and potential conflicts of interest. Evidence suggests that CEQ staff advocated for regulations benefiting their friends and former employers. This casts a shadow over the decision to have U.S. contractors disclose their emissions to private foreign entities, which are not accountable to Congress or the American people. The Root of the Issue The issue dates back to May 2021, when President Biden ordered the FAR Council to develop regulations for federal contractors to disclose greenhouse gas emissions and set science-based reduction targets. Later, these regulations required disclosures through CDP and target validations by SBTi, effectively outsourcing policy to these foreign nonprofits. This move has been criticized for its lack of balance in decision-making. Deepening Concerns Further investigation revealed that Betty Cremmins, director for Sustainable Supply Chains at CEQ and a former CDP director, might have coordinated with CDP to align its messaging with FAR Council priorities. This highlights a deep-rooted conflict of interest. Questionable Funding and Influence Adding to the controversy, SBTi is funded by a massive dark money network involved in various progressive causes. This raises questions about the impartiality of these organizations in crafting climate disclosure regulations. The Committee's Stance The Committee emphasizes the need to maintain the integrity of the scientific and rulemaking process. Their findings suggest that the selection of CDP and SBTi was not based on merit or accepted science, but rather on arbitrary rulemaking aimed at empowering special interest groups. A Disturbing Conclusion The evidence points towards a concerning reality: the regulation was less about greenhouse gas disclosures and more about institutionalizing CDP's influence. The proposed regulation lacks clear goals or methods, suggesting underlying motives beyond environmental concerns. Awaiting Responses As of now, the CEQ, CDP, and SBTi have not responded to requests for comment. This silence adds to the unsettling nature of these findings. In summary, this story sheds light on a deeply troubling instance of potential political interference and conflicts of interest in environmental policymaking. It underscores the necessity for transparency and integrity in government decision-making, especially in areas as critical as climate change and environmental regulation.

Every year as CPAC Foundation’s Center for Legislative Accountability releases their state scorecards, some states stand out as conservative strongholds and others prove themselves to be Leftist dystopias. After the draconian policies of the COVID-19 pandemic and the current fiasco policies on illegal immigrants, it’s no surprise that one of this year’s losers that proved itself to be a Leftist dystopia is the state of New York. CPAC’s analysis found the Democrat representatives in the state legislature to be on the leftmost end of the political spectrum. CPAC’s average rating of Democrat officials in the Assembly was a pathetically low 1%. Senate Democrats managed to fare even worse with a whopping 0% average. The overall averages for both chambers are among some of the lowest out of all of the states so far at 22% and 25%. Given those numbers, the radical Leftist policies that emerged from the 2023 legislative cycle in the Empire State are again, no surprise. The worst of the legislation were laws that expanded abortion, election fraud, and the DEI and ESG agenda to new levels. The state of New York took a decidedly anti-life stance in 2023 when the legislature passed bill S 1066 that asserts New York as an abortion sanctuary state. The bill strictly prohibits all government employees from assisting out-of-state investigations into abortions. Representatives went a step further to pass bill A 1395 that requires all state universities to provide prescription abortion drugs to students. Their lack of respect for human life was matched by their lack of concern for free and fair elections. The New York legislature openly sanctioned election fraud in 2023 by allowing potentially compromised ballots to be counted and adding vague requirements to poll workers’ responsibilities, opening the door for more instances of fraud and amending the implementation date of these requirements to an earlier date of July 1, 2023. The DEI and ESG agenda, however, clearly took highest priority for New York legislators. CPAC highlighted at least eleven bills that promoted radical gender ideology, discriminatory and burdensome ‘diversity’ rules, and regulations on energy and the environment. One of the most blatant of these bills that passed into law was A 1142 that erases all gendered language from future New York laws and regulations. It was joined by bill A 7355 that added a ban on discrimination based on a person’s gender identity to the state civil rights law and by S 2475 that established New York as a sanctuary state for transgender procedures. Senate bill 1346 also codified radical ESG policy in state law by requiring every state agency to prepare plans before December 2025 for completely transitioning to electric vehicles by 2035. New York legislators established in the 2023 legislative cycle their complete dedication to Leftist ideologies. As CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp commented on CPAC’s scoring of the Empire State, “New York has adopted a fully woke approach to government...It’s no surprise that people are moving away from such a toxic environment and into Republican-led states. This is happening at such a rate that New York is on track to lose at least three congressional seats.” The radical nature of New York’s legislature and the legislation it produces are shooting the state in the foot by driving New Yorkers out of their own state to solid red states by the droves. See the full scorecard and how your state scored at CPAC.org.

Still on the fence about what CPAC ticket best fits your desired CPAC experience? Here’s a breakdown of each ticket type to help you make an informed decision and the best out of your CPAC experience: Student Ticket From the very beginning in 1964, CPAC welcomed young conservative students with open arms to our conferences, and we continue to make our conferences accessible to college students today with our Student Tickets. This ticket is the perfect option for young adults ages 24 and under currently pursuing an education. These tickets include access to all General Session speeches, CPAC Central, general conference events, and a special student reception. The Student Ticket is offered at the discounted rate of $50. Bring a group of five or more friends and ask about our group rate for even more savings on your student ticket. Learn more about our Student Tickets at CPAC.org/ticket/student and about our group rate options at CPAC.org/dc/group. General Admission General Admission is our most popular ticket for a reason! With General Admission, you’ll have access to all the main events of the conference from every Main Stage speech to all the excitement in CPAC Central and Media Row. These tickets are a great value and start at just $95 for a limited time! Visit CPAC.org to purchase your General Admission tickets before it's too late. Premium Experiences If you’re looking for a CPAC experience with all the trimmings, our Premium tickets may just be for you. Our four levels of premium tickets include special extras like designated lounges, photo opportunities, prime seating areas for General Session speeches, and a VIP welcome reception. Gold, Platinum, and Platinum Plus Tickets also come with tickets to the Ronald Reagan Dinner Friday night of the conference. Explore our Premium options today at CPAC.org. Compare all of our ticketing options side-by-side below: