Second term as chairman of Texas’ leading free market think tank
The Texas Public Policy Foundation recently announced that Dr. Wendy Lee Gramm was elected Chairman of its Board of Directors at its October 30th board meeting.
Paper refutes claims that global warming caused by humans, is harmful
A new paper released today by the Texas Public Policy Foundation debunks former Vice President Al Gore’s claim (which he will repeat during his Austin appearance tonight) that “the [global warming] debate is over.”
Paper recommends shift of TDI focus from rate regulation to fairness and solvency
The focus of the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) and other Texas policymakers on rate regulation has been misguided and damaging to Texas consumers, according to a new paper released today by the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Trustees must lead on restructuring, quality control, and financial discipline
A new report from the Texas Public Policy Foundation challenges university trustees to lead the charge in reforming higher education by evaluating their institutions’ mission, organization structure, curriculum and cost-efficiency.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation applauds Gov. Rick Perry’s signing of House Bill 735, which eliminates the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund tax in September 2008.
By ignoring student achievement in favor of an arbitrary measure of teacher ‘quality’ such as National Board certification, House Bill 2646 would have undermined the core principle of the incentive pay program that Gov. Perry and the Legislature worked so hard to implement. Gov. Perry’s veto was the correct action.
At the start of this session, we calculated the amount the state budget could increase without creating an additional burden for Texas taxpayers. Keeping the increase in the state budget to roughly 9 percent and in line with estimated population and inflation growth over the coming biennium, we applauded the Legislature for staying near that limit with confidence that Gov. Perry’s line items would further ensure that taxpayers did not feel the growth of state government in their pocketbooks. We are pleased that Gov. Perry found ways to save additional areas in the budget and establish clear limits on state obligations.
We are disappointed by the veto of House Bill 2006, which we believe to be the most significant legislation recognizing and protecting Texans’ most fundamental property rights in decades.
The Claremont Institute has selected Mary Katherine Stout, Vice President for Policy and Director of the Center for Health Care Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, as one of its 2007 Lincoln Fellows.
On the conference report for HB 1, the 2008-09 state budget
Based on our preliminary analysis, the proposed 2008-09 budget agreement would increase state spending by 9.3 percent over the next two years. This is a dramatic improvement from the previous session's budget growth.
Senate amendments added to HB 2006 and HB 3057 earlier this week significantly strengthen both property owners’ rights and limit the abuse of eminent domain.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation applauds the Texas Senate’s approval yesterday of HB 735, which will finally kill off the unnecessary Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF) tax.
Marc Levin, Director of the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, will be honored on the House floor Monday morning for his efforts to reform the Texas Youth Commission and the adult corrections system.
Dunnam amendment hijacked all future property tax cuts
Texas taxpayers will be outraged once they learn that 81 members of their Texas House have taken hostage all future property tax relief until the Legislature authorizes a massive increase in state spending. Ken Paxton, Rob Eissler, and Bryan Hughes are heroes for standing up for the taxpayers in the face of their 81 colleagues who made a mockery of tax relief.
On the Texas House’s passage of SB 103, the Texas Youth Commission reform bill
We are pleased that both houses of the Texas Legislature have taken decisive action to reform a wayward agency that, in many instances, worsened rather than improved the state of the youth in its custody.
Today, the Texas House of Representatives failed to protect taxpayers when it fell seven votes short of the 100 necessary to pass HJR 44 by Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas).
New Foundation projections eliminate fiscal concerns about HB 2785
The Texas Public Policy Foundation urged the Texas House of Representatives to pass HB 2785 by Rep. Ken Paxton (R-McKinney), scheduled for floor debate later today. The bill would provide an additional 9-cent property tax cut on top of the 50-cent cut passed during last year’s special session.
Levin: 180 days in jail unjustified for not reporting animals to government
Yesterday’s House passage of HB 461 is a small but significant step toward removing disproportionate punishments from Texas law, according to the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Stout: Crownover’s HB 1269 would provide more choices to employees
AUSTIN – “State employees concerned about the cost and quality of their health care should tell their legislators to let them choose Health Savings Accounts,” according to Mary Katherine Stout, Vice President of Policy and Director of the Center for Health Care Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
New Foundation report shows taxes make up 18-20% of Texas consumers’ phone bills
A report released today by the Texas Public Policy Foundation underscores how important it is that the Texas Legislature cut taxes on telecommunications services this session.
SB 1909 diverts low-level, non-violent users from prison to probation, treatment
AUSTIN - The Senate has taken an important step toward rationalizing our criminal justice system by passing SB 1909 by Senators Rodney Ellis, John Carona, and Robert Deuell, according to Marc Levin, Director of the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Urges Texas Senate to return funding to incentive pay program
The Texas House’s vote last night to punish its best teachers will undermine the state’s objectives to improve teacher quality and student performance, according to the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Market is working; Legislature should nix dramatic changes
“Competition has brought substantial benefits to Texas in only a few years, both in absolute terms and relative to other states,” according to a study on the Texas electric market released today by the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
On the termination of the Texas Access Alliance contract with HHSC
Today’s action illustrates the superiority of privatization over government provision of services. If a private vendor fails to meet the agency’s expectations, the state can hold that vendor accountable. Government employees never face such scrutiny for similar failures.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation announced today that Kevin Holtsberry has joined its staff as a policy analyst in the Foundation’s Center for Economic Freedom.
Legislators should exceed spending cap to deliver promised property tax relief
While conservatives are naturally hesitant to broach a constitutional spending limit that has been in place for 30 years, the goal of property tax relief justifies such a vote tomorrow.
Watershed event should encourage Texas legislators to act next
The signing of the first statewide universal school choice law in Utah sends a strong signal to Texas legislators that they should act now to provide educational freedom and opportunity to Texas families, according to the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Proposals would make state budget “leaner and cleaner”
The Texas Public Policy Foundation praised Governor Rick Perry for the budget reform package he laid out today, saying that the measures – when adopted – would produce a state budget that is both leaner and cleaner.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation commends Senate Criminal Justice Chairman John Whitmire (D-Houston) and House Corrections Chairman Jerry Madden (R-Plano) for presenting an alternative vision for criminal justice that would not require the construction of new prisons.
Legislators urged to hold line against additional spending
The Texas Public Policy Foundation applauded Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Speaker Tom Craddick, and the members of the Legislative Budget Board for introducing a 2008-09 state budget that restrains spending increases well within population growth plus inflation.
On the Legislative Budget Board’s adopted spending cap for 2008-09
“Texas state government is as big as it needs to be. Our position continues to be that any growth in the state’s budget should be limited to inflation and population increases."
Peacock: Legislature has no role in NFL Network dispute