Press

TPPF statement on U.S. Senate Bill to reverse “waters of the United States” rule

The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for the American Future Director Robert Henneke issued the following statement on the U.S. Senate Bill 1140, which was passed today by the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. The bill, also known as the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue a revised “Waters of the United States” rule that protects traditional navigable water and wetlands, and protects farmers, ranchers, and private landowners.

Press Release June 10, 2015

TPPF statement on City of Austin’s new plastic bag ban report

Today, the City of Austin’s Zero Waste Advisory Commission is set to be briefed on a new report reviewing the city’s ban on single-use plastic bags. The report, Environmental Effects of the Single Use Bag Ordinance in Austin, Texas, reveals that Austin’s plastic bag ban has failed to live up to expectations, has lost public appeal, and may result in even more radical reforms, such as banning reusable bags.

Press Release June 10, 2015

TPPF’s Marc Levin to participate in press conference on creation of innocence commission

The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Effective Justice Director Marc Levin will participate in a press conference on House Bill 48 TODAY, Monday June 1, at 3:00 p.m. or 30 minutes after the Texas House adjourns, in the Speaker’s Conference Room, room 2W.15 at the State Capitol. HB 48 creates a commission to review convictions after exoneration and aims to prevent wrongful conviction. Governor Abbott is expected to sign the legislation into law today. 

Press Release June 1, 2015

TPPF statement on passage of over-criminalization bill

On the closing days of the 84th session, the House and the Senate overwhelmingly adopted the Conference Report on HB 1396, which codifies the rule of lenity, a long held canon of statutory interpretation that instructs a judge, as a matter of law, to interpret objective ambiguities in criminal law in favor of the defendant. HB 1396 also creates a commission to study potentially unnecessary criminal penalties for activities not traditionally criminalized; codifies the recent U.S. Supreme Court case, Riley v. California, which states that law enforcement must obtain a warrant in order to access a telephone; places theft value thresholds in line with modern-day inflation values; and provides docket preference to cases where the victim is under the age of 14.

Press Release June 1, 2015

TPPF statement on raise the age amendment to juvenile justice reform bill

The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Director of the Center for Effective Justice, Marc Levin, issued the following statement concerning SB 1630, which aims to reform the juvenile justice system by increasing accountability and helping to keep youth out of the adult corrections system. The amendment is the subject of negotiations between the House and Senate on an amendment to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction.

Press Release May 30, 2015

TPPF statement on the Texas Legislature’s passage of the 2016-17 budget

The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Director of the Center for Fiscal Policy, the Honorable Talmadge Heflin, issued the following statement congratulating the 84th Texas Legislature for passing a conservative Texas budget. The budget increases in all funds, including federal funds of 3.6 percent to $209.4 billion and state funds of 5.8 percent to $141.4 billion, are below the Conservative Texas Budget Coalition’s recommended 6.5 percent spending limit based on population growth plus inflation.

Press Release May 29, 2015
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