AUSTIN – Today’s U.S. Senate committee approval of health-care reform legislation is a major step toward bankrupting states across the country, including Texas, according to health care expert and former state Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth. “The congressional leadership is rushing this legislation through the process because they realize the details of their plan cannot withstand public...
Press Release July 15, 2009AUSTIN – Approval of HR 2454, the “American Clean Energy and Security Act” scheduled for debate today in the U.S. House of Representatives, would be a major step toward dismantling America’s economic engine, according to the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “Texas is the nation’s leading energy producer and the economic engine of the country,” said...
Press Release June 26, 2009AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation supports Gov. Rick Perry’s decision to veto House Bill 130, which would have inappropriately expanded government-funded pre-kindergarten programs in Texas. “Gov. Perry was correct to veto HB 130, which created an additional and unnecessary government full-day pre-k program,” said Foundation education policy analyst Brooke Terry. “This legislation wrongly...
Press Release June 19, 2009AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation applauds the leadership of Gov. Rick Perry, Sen. Dan Patrick, Rep. Rene Oliveira, and all of the legislators whose efforts led to today’s signing of House Bill 4765, which increases the exemption for the state’s gross margins tax. “Small businesses are responsible for most of the jobs in...
Press Release June 16, 2009Taxpayers fared well this legislative session, according to the post-session assessment of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “The Legislature adopted a relatively conservative budget, needed eminent domain reform, and improved public school accountability, while cutting taxes for small businesses,” said Justin Keener, the Foundation’s vice president of policy and communications. “To taxpayers’ relief, they defeated...
Press Release June 2, 2009“Earlier this week, the House spoke loud and clear that it did not support the inclusion of new taxes and fees in the bill. The bipartisan opposition included 51 Republicans, 33 Democrats, the leaders of both party caucuses, and cut across regional lines.” The record vote taken by the House to instruct members of the...
Press Release May 30, 2009“In these tough economic times, local governments need to prioritize their spending the same way that Texas families and businesses are. This is not the time – and House Bill 300 is not the way – to create an even greater tax burden on Texas motorists, especially when the current state budget continues to divert...
Press Release May 29, 2009AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation announced today that its Center for Natural Resources would be renamed the Anne & Tobin Armstrong Center for Energy & the Environment. The announcement was made at a Houston tribute to the Armstrong family keynoted by former White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove and attended by...
Press Release May 29, 2009AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation criticized the Texas Senate's decision today to tie the future of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to the establishment of new local option taxes and fees in several Texas metropolitan areas. The Senate tacked key elements of its failed local-option transportation bill, SB 855, onto the TxDOT...
Press Release May 25, 2009AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation urges the State Board of Education (SBOE) to give considerable scrutiny to the proposed changes to Texas’ social studies curriculum during its meeting tomorrow. “We are concerned that important pieces of history are being removed or changed,” said Foundation education policy analyst Brooke Terry. “In addition, we see...
Press Release May 20, 2009"Today's House vote is a harmful step toward a big government health care system. If Texas extends CHIP to families making more than $66,000 per year, what was originally a health insurance program for the working poor will morph into an expensive entitlement for the middle class. "Exempting a family's primary vehicle from the asset...
Press Release May 14, 2009AUSTIN – The new transportation tax proposals passed by the House Transportation Committee were met with significant opposition from several research and taxpayer groups, including the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Texas Eagle Forum, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Americans for Prosperity, and the Free Market Foundation. Legislation approved by the committee during the past 24 hours-House...
Press Release May 12, 2009