Common Sense Institute (CSI) Iowa on Tuesday announced Ben Murrey as its director of policy and research. The nonpartisan research organization launched in Iowa in January with the goal of evaluating the potential impact of proposed public policies on jobs and the economy in the state of Iowa. Murrey most recently served as fiscal policy center director at Independence Institute, a Colorado-based think tank, which says its mission is to “empower individuals and to educate citizens, legislators and opinion makers about public policies that enhance personal and economic freedom,” according to the its website. Before that, he worked on the campaign trail for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and then as one of the senator’s legislative staffers. CSI Iowa today released a study authored by Murrey titled, “Prices in the 21st Century – Iowa.” “I believe in our mission and am confident that CSI will soon be at the center of the Iowa public policy arena, as the emphasis on data over politics is critical to successful policy development,” Murrey said in a prepared statement.