Audio recordings from the panel sessions of the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Tenth Annual Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature. Videos of these sessions are also available.
Texas is pursuing some innovative, treatment-oriented alternatives to incarceration for suitable mentally ill offenders that show promising results, but these programs are on a relatively small scale at this point. There are many opportunities for policymakers to build on these successes and achieve better results for victims, taxpayers, and offenders.
Presenters include:
The Honorable Jan Krocker
Judge, 184th Criminal Court
Susan Stone, JD, MD
Executive Coordinator, Austin Travis County Mental Health Task Force
John R. Barnhill
General Counsel, Harris County District Attorney’s Office
Tommy Adkisson
County Commissioner, Bexar County, Texas
Listen to TPPF President Brooke Rollins' interview on "The Innovators," which will air throughout November and December as part of the in-flight entertainment on American Airlines.
Talmadge Heflin, Director of TPPF's Center for Fiscal Policy, discussed the Texas margins tax on the November 11 edition of "The Price of Business," which airs weeknights at 8 p.m. Central time on KNTH 1070 AM, Houston's home of Bloomberg Radio.
On Monday, November 7, Dr. William Bennett hosted his nationally syndicated radio show, "Bill Bennett's Morning in America," from the Alamo Ritz Theater in Austin. Listen to his interview with TPPF President and CEO Brooke Rollins regarding the Foundation's new partnership with Salem Radio Network, "Free American Energy Now!"
Dr. William Bennett knows that the principles promoted by the Foundation are the principles that work for America. Dr. Bennett has served in Washington as Secretary of Education under President Ronald Reagan and as Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George H. W. Bush. Dr. Bennett is a New York Times best-selling author and host of radio’s nationally-syndicated “Bill Bennett’s Morning In America.”
Dr. Bennett is coming to Austin on November 4, 2011 to highlight the urgent issues threatening our country’s future, share the real-life consequences of the Obama Administration’s “solutions,” and explain why market-based ideas are central to saving the nation’s economy.
Texas has a big promise to keep; creative ideas are needed more than ever to protect public employees from the government’s potential compensation insolvency.
featuring
Christopher Hanson
Executive Director, Texas Pension Review Board
Bill King
Founder, Texans for Public Pension Reform
Merrill Matthews, Ph.D.
Resident Scholar, Institute for Policy Innovation & Syndicated Columnist
Proper boundaries between the States and the Federal Government have been eroding for decades, and the trend has only accelerated in recent years. Agreements between the states, ratified by Congress, have served as effective ways to shield regulatory autonomy from federal interference. “Interstate Compacts” allows the states to work together to pursue alternatives to blanket federal regulations.
featuring
The Honorable Lois Kolkhorst
Chairman, Texas House Public Health Committee
Anne Dunkelberg
Associate Director, Center for Public Policy Priorities
Jamie Story
President, Citizen Leader Alliance
Kathleen Hartnett White
Distinguished Fellow and Director, Center for Energy & the Environment
moderated by
Mario Loyola
Director, Center for Tenth Amendment Studies
State budgets across the country are facing reduced revenues and budget shortfalls. At the same time, our educators are looking for ways to improve academic performance and participation in our public schools. School districts find
themselves challenged to educate our students more efficiently and effectively. Join TPPF as we explore virtual schools
and digital learning as a means to achieve these ends.
featuring
The Honorable Rob Eissler
Chairman, Texas House Public Education Committee
The Honorable Jerry Madden
Chairman, Texas House Corrections Committee
Doug Rogers
Executive Director, Association of Texas Professional Educator
With Texas facing a projected $11 billion to $21 billion shortfall in the coming 2011 legislative session, the Center for Fiscal Policy gathered conservative leaders to discuss the next state budget and what principles should guide its creation. Panelists included:
The Honorable Talmadge Heflin Director, Center for Fiscal Policy - Texas Public Policy Foundation
State Representative Myra Crownover Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding, Vice Chair
Bill Hammond Texas Association of Business, President
Michael Sullivan Empower Texans, President
Peggy Venable Americans for Prosperity, Texas State Director
This Policy Primer reviewed flexible permitting policies in Texas and answered the question: Who is the best to administer and measure clean air while preserving a robust economy?
Featuring:
The Honorable Jim Keffer Chairman, Energy Resources Committee
Richard Hyde Deputy Director, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Rich Walsh Vice President and General Counsel for Environmental Safety and Regulatory Affairs, Valero Energy Corporation
Carl Edlund, Director of Permitting, Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6
Note: due to technical difficulties, there was a 30-second loss of audio during Rep. Keffer's remarks.
This Policy Primer explored what the Texas Legislature needs to do to encourage the expansion of local government transparency measures and discussed what road blocks are preventing local governments from extending open government principles to their financial activities.
Featuring:
The Honorable Ken Paxton State Representative, District 70 - McKinney, Texas
Rex Hall Assistant Executive Director, Texas Association of Counties
Bennett Sandlin General Counsel, Texas Municipal League
Patrick Steck Researcher and Contributor Texas Financial Transparency: Open and Online
The Honorable Talmadge Heflin (Moderator) Director, Center for Fiscal Policy
This primer examined whether last year’s legislative reforms are working, if they have led to more private insurers writing windstorm policies along the coast, whether the bond market can pay for losses, and what can be handled without a special session of the Texas Legislature. Panelists include:
The Honorable Kelly Hancock, State Representative, District 91
The Honorable Solomon Ortiz Jr., State Representative, District 33
Eli Lehrer, Senior Fellow, The Heartland Institute
On May 20, 2010, the Texas Public Policy Foundation hosted a special policy event on the ramifications of federal health care reform on Texas. The morning panel discussion included:
David Clark Speaker, Utah House of Representatives
Michael Cannon Director of Health Policy Studies, CATO Institute
Edmund Haislmaier Senior Research Fellow, Center for Health Policy Studies, Heritage Foundation
On May 20, 2010, the Texas Public Policy Foundation hosted a special policy event on the ramifications of federal health care reform on Texas. The luncheon speakers:
The Honorable Greg Abbott Texas Attorney General
Ted Cruz Senior Fellow, Texas Public Policy Foundation
Former Texas Solicitor General
On April 14, the Texas Public Policy Foundation hosted a special policy event on Internet regulation, network neutrality, and the role of markets in the future of the Internet. Panel participants included:
Peter S. Vogel Trial Partner, Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP and Adjunct Professor of the Law of eCommerce, SMU Dedman School of Law
George S. Ford, Ph.D. Chief Economist, Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal & Economic Public Policy Studies
Christopher Bronk
Fellow in Technology, Society and Public Policy at the James A. Baker, Institute for Public Policy at Rice University and Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science
On April 14, the Texas Public Policy Foundation hosted a special luncheon on Internet regulation, network neutrality, and the role of markets in the future of the Internet. Luncheon speakers included:
Robert M. McDowell Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission
Deborah Tate former Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission
Barry Smitherman Chairman, Public Utility Commission of Texas
No state has fared better than Texas during the current recession. One reason for this is our robust high-tech sector. Texas’ $39.8 billion in high-tech exports supports more high tech jobs—253,600—than any other state. Texas is attracting high-tech employers and jobs because our low tax and regulatory policies provide a climate for innovation that allows these companies and their employees to thrive. This primer will examine the reasons for Texas success and what else Texas can do to foster innovation and increase jobs in our high technology industries. Panelists included:
The Honorable Mark Strama Chairman, Texas House Committee on Technology, Economic Development, & Workforce
The Honorable Julie Parsley Parsley Coffin Renner LLP, former PUC Commissioner
John Roiko Vice President of Finance, National Instruments
Braden Cox Policy Counsel, Association for Competitive Technology
This primer explored how the state can focus limited resources to most effectively reduce substance abuse and thereby improve public safety, enhance workforce participation, and reduce long-term dependence on government benefits. Panelists included:
The Honorable Kel Seliger Senator, District 31 - Amarillo, Texas
The Honorable John Creuzot Judge, Dallas County DIVERT Drug Court
The Honorable Patricia Lykos District Attorney, Harris County, Texas
Kevin Knight, Ph.D. Associate Director for Criminal Justice Studies, Institute of Behavioral Research, Texas Christian University
This primer addressed why, in rapid succession, the EPA keeps tightening the federal ozone standard. EPA’s recent proposal to dramatically lower the standard would likely mean nine Texas regions under the federal yoke of ozone non-attainment status. Is EPA’s new standard necessary for human health? How could Texas meet these new standards and what would be the economic impacts? Panelists included:
Bryan Shaw, Ph.D. Chairman, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
The Honorable Warren Chisum Vice Chairman, House Committee on Environmental Regulation
Michael Taylor District Director, U.S. Representative Joe Barton - 6th District of Texas
Derek Seal Attorney with Winstead PC; former General Counsel, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Panel discussions include: Taxes, Higher Education, Transportation, Corrections, Overcriminalization, Utilities, Regulatory Takings, Charter Schools, Economic Freedom, Health Care, Water Rights, and the Texas State Budget.
Videos of the keynote sessions can be found in the "Video Gallery."
This Policy Primer examined the policies that influence the Texas business climate and the role that small business has played in providing these jobs. Panelists included:
* The Honorable Tom Pauken, Chairman, Texas Workforce Commission
* The Honorable Ken Legler, Texas House of Representatives
* Andy Ellard, Small Business Owner, Manda Machines
* Kurt Summers, Small Business Owner, Austin Generator Service
On October 13, 2009, 33 state-based think tanks in 31 states (including the Texas Public Policy Foundation) issued a joint statement of principles on health care reform. The statement and related research can be viewed at www.patientcenteredreform.com. This file contains the audio of a national media conference call on the statement. Among the experts featured on the call were TPPF Senior Fellows Donna Arduin and Arlene Wohlgemuth.
In the 81st session, lawmakers cut funding for state youth lockups by more than $100 million and redirected $48 million of the savings to juvenile probation departments. This program examined how departments can use these new funds to successfully divert youths from incarceration and simultaneously reduce both recidivism and cost to taxpayers, as well as issues that should be considered in the upcoming sunset review of the state’s juvenile justice agencies.
Panelists included:
* The Honorable Jerry Madden — Vice Chairman, Texas House Corrections Committee
* Vicki Spriggs — Executive Director, Texas Juvenile Probation Commission
* Harvey Hetzel — Chief Juvenile Probation Officer, Harris County
* Michele Deitch — Adjunct Professor, LBJ School of Public Affairs
On Thursday, September 24, 2009, the Texas Public Policy Foundation hosted a special luncheon event featuring ABC News correspondent, 20/20 co-anchor, 19 time Emmy award-winner, and New York Times best-selling author of Give Me A Break and Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity. His “Give Me a Break” commentaries take a skeptical look at a wide array of issues, such as education, the economy, parenting, and more.
In his most recent TV special “Sick In America,” Stossel examined what is really ailing our current health care system and how healthy competition is the best medicine for true health care reform.
On August 27, 2009, the Texas Public Policy Foundation hosted a special policy primer to answer the question, "How is the Legislature spending your money?" Priorities, accountability, and transparency in state government were discussed by our distinguished panel of presenters:
The Honorable Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Blaine Brunson, Director of Budget for Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst
John O’Brien, Director of the Legislative Budget Board
Mary Katherine Stout, Director of Budget and Policy for Governor Rick Perry
Of all the areas impacted by the stimulus package, few evoke as much energy and intellectual debate as the area of Unemployment Insurance (UI). This matter directly impacts the way we do business and the state of Texas’ economy. It is important for us all to familiarize ourselves with the UI benefits system, so that we fully understand the choice before the Legislature.
Panelists included:
* Rep. Dan Gattis – Member, House Committee on Technology, Economic Development & Workforce
* Rep. Kelly Hancock – Member, House Committee on Insurance
* Rep. Mark Strama – Chairman, House Committee on Technology, Economic Development & Workforce
On February 13, 2009, Kathleen Hartnett White conducted "Texas Water 101," a briefing for legislative staff that provided an independent overview of Regional and State water plans and major water rights issues affecting timely implementation of water supply projects. Click here to view her PowerPoint presentation.
Powering America's future is at the center of today's public debate. And rightly so. Our economy can't keep growing without energy to power that growth. When it comes to meeting the growing need for electricity, Texas has shown that competitive markets are a viable alternative to the government-created monopolies of the past. This panel, featuring Rep. Phil Montgomery (Chairman, Wisconsin State Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities) and Dr. Robert Michaels (California State University, Fullerton), provides a national perspective on Texas' move to electric competition.
Powering America's future is at the center of today's public debate. And rightly so. Our economy can't keep growing without energy to power that growth. When it comes to meeting the growing need for electricity, Texas has shown that competitive markets are a viable alternative to the government-created monopolies of the past. Keynote speaker Rep. Phil King (Chairman, Texas House Committee on Regulated Industries) discusses what can be done to keep Texas down the path toward energy independence.
Public schools in Texas are struggling to attract and keep the best and brightest teachers in the classroom. In an effort to reverse this trend, school districts across the state are experimenting with the free market idea of strategic and performance-based compensation. Please join us as we discuss the philosophy, implementation, and results of Texas incentive pay models.
With special guest panelists:
Sen. Florence Shapiro - Chair, Senate Education Committee Jerel Booker - Texas Education Agency Keith Bryant - Former Superintendent of Lamesa ISD Richard Kouri - Texas State Teachers Association
Texas groundwater law has become increasingly complex: common law landowner property rights, local groundwater district regulation and state administered groundwater management areas. Recent Texas Supreme Court Case and a Fourth Court of Appeal rulings raise important issues about the scope of the landowner's private property rights in groundwater. Join us as we discuss the critical legal question of who owns the water underground before landowners “capture” it.
With special guest panelists:
Lynn Sherman - Winstead Consulting Group Ben Love - Texas Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Gregory M. Ellis - Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts Russel S. Johnson - McGinnis, Lockridge, & Kilgore, L.L.P.
Last session, the Texas Legislature took steps to increase accountability at the Texas Youth Commission, enhance staff training and redirect misdemeanants into community-based corrections. What has been the impact of these reforms, what roles should TYC and community-based correctional programs play going forward, and what priorities should guide policymakers as the 81st Legislature prepares to convene?
Our panel of experts discusses how Texas can leverage the increased public interest in juvenile justice and TYC to implement policies and practices that reduce recidivism, maximize educational and vocational outcomes, and control costs to taxpayers.
With special guest panelists: Chairman Jerry Madden - House Corrections Committee Joella Brooks - Southwest Key Mike Griffiths - Dallas County Juvenile Probation Richard Nedelkoff - Texas Youth Commission
Texas has enjoyed a strong economy and significant job growth in recent years, but will the new business tax hurt the state's business climate? What makes a state competitive and how does Texas stack up to the competition? How can Texas maintain a competitive advantage over other states and even other countries? Our panel of experts discuss how state fiscal and regulatory policies contribute to what makes a state an attractive place to live and work.
With special guest panelists: Donna Arduin - Arduin, Laffer & Moore Econometrics, LLC Scott Hodge - The Tax Foundation Dick Lavine - Center for Public Policy Priorities
Kerry Weems, Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, discusses the latest projections on Medicare's unfunded obligations in this speech given at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Texas leads the nation in the generation of electricity from wind energy, but future transmission costs will run into the billions of dollars. Can wind provide the clean, reliable, and affordable energy needed to support our state’s economic growth?
With special guest panelists:
Paul Sadler: Executive Director, The Wind Coalition Mike Sloan: Virtus Energy Rob Bradley: Institute for Energy Research Jeff Pollock: President, J. Pollock Inc.
Currently, Texas taxpayers spend more than $1 billion each year on early childhood education, with more than 60 percent of the state’s four-year-olds enrolled in government schooling. While some studies demonstrate benefits from early schooling, others have failed to find evidence of lasting academic impact. Join us for this important panel discussion as we discuss the costs and benefits of public pre-kindergarten and this emerging issue gaining significant interest in Texas and around the country.
The keynote addresses include Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, Dr. Arthur Laffer, and Texas Governor Rick Perry (with introduction by former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm).
Approximately 30 percent of Texas adults have a criminal conviction. Ex-offenders who are employed are three-times less likely to re-offend and much more likely to pay restitution and child support. However, one reason some are unemployed or underemployed are state regulations that can be used to exclude them from over 150 different licensed occupations. Also, hiring ex-offenders can expose an employer to civil liability, and there is a lack of vocational opportunities in state and local lockups that correspond to available jobs in the economy.
Does Texas really have a shortage of math and science experts or do government restrictions prevent those experts from entering the classroom? Could reforms to the teacher certification process open the floodgates of qualified and willing math and science teachers?
The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) was originally designed as an insurer of last resort for residents of Texas’ 14 coastal counties. However, low rates and lenient criteria for access to these subsidized policies have so greatly increased TWIA’s exposure to claims that Texas taxpayers are now on the hook for billions of dollars in the event of a major hurricane strike on the Texas Gulf Coast.
This Policy Primer will examine the causes and extent of the problem and discuss who should be responsible for bearing the costs of hurricane strikes. We will also explore long-term solutions for the future of windstorm insurance.
With special guest panelists:
Representative John T. Smithee - Chairman, House Insurance Committee
Jim Oliver - Director, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association
Seth J. Chandler - Professor of Law, University of Houston
Senator Mike Jackson - Co-Chairman, Joint Select Committee on Windstorm Coverage
Today, Texas has approximately 23 million residents. By the year 2040, that number is expected to swell to more than 43 million*.
Kris Heckmann, Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Perry, moderates the discourse between guest experts Geoffrey Segal of Reason Foundation and Matthew Tejada of TexPIRG, as we explore solutions for the infrastructure questions facing Texas over the next several decades.
Parents and students are increasingly seeking more access, choice and flexibility than the traditional one-size-fits-all public education model provides. Innovative educators and lawmakers are exploring ways to incorporate technology with virtual courses, allow parents to choose a school within the public education system, and provide students flexibility with part-time enrollment.
All of these changes provide consumers with alternatives to the traditional public school monopoly, while introducing competition that will raise the overall quality of public education.
July 31 would have been Milton Friedman's 95th birthday. Join the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, and Americans for Prosperity, in conjunction with the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation, as we celebrate the life and legacy of one of the great intellectual forces of the free market movement. With special remarks by Dr. Tom Siems, Senior Economist & Policy Advisor at the Federal Reserve Board of Dallas.
Panel discussions include: Tax and Expenditure Limits; Budgeting; Business Overcriminalization; Texas' New Business Tax; Electric Competition; Medicaid Long-Term Care; Appraisal Reform; Pre-Kindergarten; Telecommunications Taxes; Criminal Justice Budgeting; Math/Science Education; Higher Education; Health Insurance; School Choice; and Health Care Reform.
The keynote addresses include Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick, ABC News' John Stossel (with introduction and remarks by TPPF board member Dr. James Leininger), former U.S. Health & Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, and Texas Governor Rick Perry.
Approximately 50,000 juveniles are placed in detention facilities every year, and these placements cost Texas taxpayers over $96 million dollars. Some 4,800 of these youngsters are then incarcerated at the Texas Youth Commission at a per person cost of $55,932 per year, resulting in a total cost of over half a billion dollars per biennium, and the Commission has requested more than $100 million in exceptional items for the 2008-09 biennium.
While violent juveniles need to be secured to protect public safety, many of these youngsters are nonviolent drug and property offenders. Missouri has received national acclaim for shifting its focus from incarceration to community-based programs for juvenile offenders, resulting in less recidivism and lower costs.
This primer examined the lessons learned from Missouri and other jurisdictions and highlight bills filed in the 80th Legislature that would make similar reforms in Texas.
Massachusetts gained significant attention this year for its plans to reform health care in the Commonwealth. The plan has drawn praise and criticism from health care experts around the country, and many lawmakers have begun to consider whether or not Massachusetts should be a model for reform in their states.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation was pleased to welcome to the Lone Star State Mr. John Blundell, a key advisor to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and now director-general of the Institute of Economis Affairs in the U.K. Mr. Blundell focused on the urgency of remaining engaged in the "war of ideas."
Also speaking was State Representative Bill Keffer.
In every criminal prosecution today, it is the state versus the accused, but what about the individual victim of the crime? Do Texas crime victims deserve more rights, restitution, and most of all, a greater ability to influence prosecutions and sentencing? Are offender and victim rights really a zero-sum game, or can enhanced victim involvement lead to more restorative sentences and better offender outcomes?
In 1996, the United States Congress passed sweeping welfare reform legislation that fundamentally changed the welfare system across the country. Texas has often been recognized as a leader in welfare reform efforts and continues to look for new opportunities to fulfill these goals. This policy event explored the lessons of welfare reform around the country and in Texas. The panel discussed opportunities for additional reform, including models for improving other health and human services programs.
Over the last ten years, Texas has substantially reformed and improved its tort system. According to one recent study, this has resulted in Texas having the best tort climate in the nation. Many believe the next step in tort reform is to change the current system in which campaign activities and pressures can improperly influence the outcome of the judicial process. This primer examined the current system of judicial selection and discuss options for improving it.
The Legislative Budget Board has estimated the state will need another 14,000 prison beds by 2010—resulting in $1.24 billion in construction costs alone. With nearly half of the state’s prison population consisting of nonviolent drug and property offenders, this program explored alternatives for reforming offenders and restoring victims.
With the state legislature meeting in special session, efforts are underway to improve the efficiency of public schools. This primer identified ways for districts to cut costs, get better results, and show taxpayers how the education dollar is spent.
As the state prepares for a special legislative session on public school finance, this panel discussion examined Texas' current tax policies and provided insights on how to create a better tax plan to keep the Lone Star State on the road to economic growth and prosperity.
This policy primer explored the role of the state government in confronting illegal immigration. Speakers included Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams, State Rep. Suzanna Hupp, State Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, and Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, DC.
The keynote addresses include Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick, Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, and Texas Tax Reform Commissioner Chairman John Sharp.
Examining the intersection of the education and juvenile justice systems in Texas, this panel discussion will focus on Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs (DAEPs), which take in over 100,000 Texas students every year.
The Kelo decision by the U.S. Supreme Court exposes some fundamental weaknesses in Texas law when it comes to protecting property rights. Now that the federal protections have been stripped away by Kelo, the deficiencies in Texas law offer only limited protection for private property owners. This policy primer discusses the impact of Kelo on Texas and examine key aspects of eminent domain policy that will be deliberated when the 80th Texas Legislature meets in 2007.
This policy primer identifies key reasons why Texas policymakers and the education community should establish a professional compensation system (performance pay) for educators.
