The Center to Protect Ranchers (CPR) is a project of the Institute for Legislative Analysis (ILA), a national public policy research and data organization. The mission of CPR is to boost transparency and accountability across the agricultural industry to protect family farms from government overreach and corporate cronyism. The CPR has four primary focus areas and leverages the expansive data sets of the ILA to educate the general public through activism and the publication of in-depth studies.
Bram Browder
Director of the Center to Protect Ranchers
The Center to Protect Ranchers (CPR) is led by Bram Browder, a longtime conservative activist who is also the founder and chairman of Founders PAC – a political action entity dedicated to supporting Constitutionally-aligned candidates for office. Browder has a distinguished business background within the insurance industry and is a life-long resident of Texas. Browder helped launch the CPR after learning about the many challenges his friends within the ranching industry were facing, particularly the failure of a major utility company to compensate ranchers and family farms for the devastation they’ve suffered due to a fire the utility company caused. Browder is now a leading advocate for ranchers and farmers harmed by big government policies and corporate cronyism.
Alex Hinson
Deputy Director of the Center to Protect Ranchers
The Center to Protect Ranchers (CPR) is supported by Deputy Director Alex Hinson, a seasoned public policy and government affairs professional who has held senior roles at the White House and in the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Treasury. Hinson also brings extensive experience in government affairs, having served in leadership roles with two national public policy organizations where he worked to advance limited-government principles and strengthen relationships with policymakers and stakeholders across the country. Drawing on his experience in both government and the conservative policy movement, Hinson is passionate about advocating for the ranchers, farmers, and agricultural producers who work every day to feed our nation and preserve America’s rural communities. Outside of his public policy work, Hinson is an avid wine enthusiast and the owner of the Wine Cellar Company.
Steve Smith
Senior Advisor to the Center to Protect Ranchers
The Center to Protect Ranchers (CPR) is advised by Steve Smith, a lifelong Texan, longtime rancher, and respected advocate for the ranching and agricultural community of the Texas Panhandle. Smith owns and operates a 50,000-acre ranching and agricultural operation and brings decades of firsthand experience managing farms, raising cattle, and confronting the challenges facing America’s producers. Throughout his career, he has been a strong voice for the interests of ranchers across the Panhandle and understands the impact that government policies, economic pressures, and changing conditions can have on family-owned agricultural operations. Smith cares deeply about responsible land stewardship, the environmental health of the land, and the well-being of the cattle entrusted to his care. His practical experience and lifelong commitment to agriculture help ensure CPR’s advocacy remains grounded in the realities facing the men and women who ranch, farm, and feed our nation.