The Real Texas Budget allows Texans the opportunity to get a clear picture of the current state budget. The findings indicate the need for greater budget transparency and a stronger spending limit that restricts the growth of each budget to no more than population plus inflation. To provide Texans with tax relief, the Texas Legislature should pass a historic third consecutive Conservative Texas Budget.
Press Release September 25, 2018Texas still leads the nation in job creation during the last 12 months with jobs added in every industry except information. Texas’ annualized job creation pace of 3.2 percent is one of the most robust nationwide. This is yet another example of how lower-tax states tend to have faster job creation.
Press Release September 21, 2018There’s overwhelming evidence that the Texas Model of inclusive institutions provides a framework supporting more job growth, higher wages, lower income inequality, and less poverty. Other states and D.C. would be wise to consider adopting the Texas Model that champions individual liberty, free enterprise, and personal responsibility.
Press Release September 20, 2018State law requires political subdivisions to provide only two items of information on the ballot for any given proposition: the amount their local government entity proposes to borrow and a general description of the purpose. Both are inadequate as the former does not properly convey the total cost of the bond while the latter often lacks specificity and is written in legalese. Missing from the ballot is any mention of the bond’s total repayment cost or how the passage of the bond might affect the average area resident’s pocketbook. This is basic information that every voter should know before voting Yea or Nay.
Press Release September 19, 2018Our clients welcome the support of this diverse, non-partisan San Antonio business coalition joining us to oppose the Austin mandatory paid sick leave ordinance. The perspective of these San Antonio business leaders explains how disruptive the Austin ordinance is to the business community even outside Austin’s city limits. As this amicus explains, the Austin ordinance is clearly preempted by Texas state law, and must be struck down.
Press Release September 14, 2018This latest edition of the Legislator’s Guide is another example of the proactive and forward-looking policy engagement that the Texas Public Policy Foundation is known for. The mission of the Foundation is not only to advocate, but to persuade—and that begins by providing Texas policy-makers and grassroots leaders with thorough analysis and insight into the most pressing issues facing Texans every day.
Press Release September 14, 2018Exemptions in open meetings and public information laws for local tax abatements cut the public out of the decision-making process. With citizens kept in the dark, most public input on the abatements occurs only after cities, counties and school districts have negotiated deals with businesses seeking special treatment and decided to move forward.
Press Release September 13, 2018Mike brings not only a rich experience to his work at the Foundation but also a personal commitment to liberty that makes him a natural fit. We are fortunate to find someone who represents the Foundation and the interests of Texans so well in the Capitol and beyond.
Press Release September 7, 2018Vance’s important work continues to advance the goals of the Texas Public Policy Foundation – promoting liberty at every level, from local governance to state and federal issues. This honor from Grassroots America-We The People is an unexpected but richly deserved award. We thank Grassroots America for its own work of holding government officials accountable and ensuring that government itself remain efficient, open and limited.
Press Release September 6, 2018Denying educators a real opportunity to reform Texas’ most under-performing schools would be a travesty. Instead of taking options off the table, teachers associations should encourage innovations like partnering with charter school organizations to provide options, resources and reform for campuses that continue to fail. More than 162,000 Texas children are currently trapped in D and F-graded districts where they are behind grade level and not learning. High-performing charter schools could turn their lives around.
Press Release August 31, 2018AUSTIN – On Thursday, Aug. 30, beginning at 12:00 p.m., Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Michael Haugen, a policy analyst with the Foundation’s Right on Crime initiative, will provide invited testimony before the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee regarding pre-trial risk assessment tools. "In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of attention being brought to bear...
Press Release August 29, 2018Student loan debt in America is at a historic high. At nearly 1.6 trillion dollars, student loan debt exceeds even national credit card debt, and this in a country fairly addicted to credit cards. The three-year college degree, practiced in the United Kingdom for centuries, can reduce the cost of college by as much as 25 percent. Purdue University, in Indiana, has just begun offering a three-year degree in its liberal arts majors. Texas public college and university students need and deserve the same.
Press Release August 28, 2018