AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) filed a lawsuit challenging the City of Austin’s enforcement of its Tree Ordinance. Plaintiff Michael Petrick is facing punishment for trimming tree branches in his own yard. The City Arborist assessed a nearly $9,000 fee despite the fact those trees are largely intact and still alive. TPPF...
Press Release July 29, 2026AUSTIN – On Wednesday, the Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce will hear invited and public testimony on two interim charges: the state of the Texas electric grid and the impacts of proposed 765-kV transmission lines on private property rights. Dr. Brent Bennett, policy director for the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Life:Powered initiative, will testify...
Press Release July 28, 2026AUSTIN — Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation released How to Ensure That Only Citizens Vote, a new research paper by Chief National Initiatives Officer Chuck DeVore outlining how Texas can strengthen election integrity by ensuring that only eligible U.S. citizens vote in state and local elections. The report recommends that Texas adopt a voter...
Press Release July 21, 2026TPPF Backs Rep. Chip Roy’s Permanent Trump Secure Border Act AUSTIN, Texas – Ahead of today’s House Judiciary Committee markup, the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) applauds Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) for his leadership on the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act (H.R. 9773). The legislation would codify key border security policies implemented under President Trump, including measures to end catch-and-release...
Press Release July 21, 2026AUSTIN — Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation released new research revealing that America’s schools of education are falling short in preparing future teachers. The report points to low admission standards, weak GRE scores, and widespread grade inflation as signs that many education programs are failing to equip teachers for success in the classroom. It...
Press Release July 20, 2026The Texas Public Policy Foundation commended the Trump administration’s decision not to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in its current form and urged the administration to use this pause to strengthen American leverage and advance U.S. national security interests. For too long, the USMCA has been treated as though trade exists separately from the...
Press Release July 1, 2026AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) today announced its support for the Preserving Our Constitution Act of 2026, introduced by Rep. Keith Self (TX-3) in the 119th Congress. The legislation prohibits federal courts and adjudicative bodies from recognizing or enforcing any foreign law, religious code, or custom that conflicts with the Constitution of...
Press Release July 1, 2026OAKLAND, CA – Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) filed a lawsuit challenging the City of Oakland, California’s Protected Tree Ordinance. Plaintiffs Matthew Bernard and Lynn Warner own an undeveloped residential plot in Oakland. In 2020, the Oakland Fire Prevention Bureau ordered them to clear dead and dying trees from their land or face ongoing fines. Now, because the couple...
Press Release June 29, 2026AUSTIN — The Texas Public Policy Foundation praised the Texas State Board of Education’s vote to adopt improved Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards for social studies and the state’s first required literary works list. Together, these proposed curriculum changes will strengthen students’ literacy and knowledge of history. “Students learn best when they are...
Press Release June 26, 2026AUSTIN – A group of 43 state lawmakers represented by the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) have submitted an amicus brief supporting a motion by American Stewards for Liberty requesting the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) to delay its vote on the first segment of the proposed Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan (STEP). The brief cites research from TPPF’s Life:Powered initiative...
Press Release June 16, 2026TPPF Applauds Governor Abbott’s Data Center Directives to Protect Texas Ratepayers and Grid Reliability Texas Public Policy Foundation Supports Actions to Hold Data Centers Accountable to Texas Families While Ensuring Economic Freedom and Growth AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) today applauded Governor Greg Abbott’s directives to the Public Utility Commission of Texas...
Press Release June 10, 2026The Texas Public Policy Foundation today announced a major new policy initiative aimed at combating Islamist radicalization, hostile foreign influence, and extremist networks operating within the State of Texas. The initiative, titled the Agenda to Defeat Islamist Radicalization and the Influence of Terrorist Organizations in Texas, proposes a series of policy reforms designed to strengthen...
Press Release June 4, 2026