AUSTIN— Using the Public Information Act, the Texas Public Policy Foundation secured the release of new information from the Bond Review Board revealing local governments are awash in public debt. According to the agency, local debt totaled $365.3 billion in FY 2019, an increase of almost $11 billion over the prior year. Since FY 2017,...
Press Release December 4, 2019AUSTIN— Today, the Third District Court of Appeals published its opinion declaring the City of Austin’s Short Term Rental Ordinance unconstitutional. “Today’s opinion is a big win for both the constitutionally protected right to assemble and protection of private property rights,” said TPPF’s General Counsel Robert Henneke. “In striking down the Austin ordinance ban on...
Press Release November 27, 2019AUSTIN — The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Life:Powered project, in partnership with the CO2 Coalition, submitted public comments to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding proposed revisions to federal methane regulations. “Our comments support the president’s initiative to reform costly and unnecessary regulations on the energy producers that power our nation,” said Mike Nasi, director of...
Press Release November 26, 2019AUSTIN—Today, the 225th Judicial District Court granted a temporary injunction preventing the controversial San Antonio mandatory paid sick leave ordinance from taking effect on Dec. 1. “I congratulate the San Antonio business community on their win stopping the unconstitutional San Antonio paid sick leave ordinance from being enforced,” said Robert Henneke, general counsel at the Texas...
Press Release November 22, 2019AUSTIN—Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation commends the announcement by the Trump Administration to return focus on patients by making healthcare more transparent. “Unknown and obscured prices are unique to healthcare and the lack of information limits the ability of the patient and employer to choose the best value for the service they need in...
Press Release November 15, 2019AUSTIN— Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation published the research paper Come and Take It: What Will—and What Will Not—Improve Public Safety in Firearm Violence Prevention. “In the wake of recent shootings, many gun control proponents have demanded that state leadership ‘do something’ in the hopes of preventing future tragedies,” said Derek Cohen, Ph.D., director...
Press Release November 12, 2019WASHINGTON D.C.—The Border Security Coalition announced the addition of former Congressman Dave Brat (R-VA) to its conglomerate of conservative leaders and organizations that have banded together to prioritize border security as the essential first step before other changes to U.S. immigration law can be made. The Coalition, spearheaded by the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF),...
Press Release November 6, 2019WASHINGTON D.C.—Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation published the paper Federalism in Immigration: The Cases of Canada and Australia. “Australia and Canada have largely focused their immigration policy on providing permanent resident visas to economic migrants with desirable skills to the nations’ workforce while also giving states, territories, and provinces a crucial role in sponsorship,” said...
Press Release October 31, 2019AUSTIN— Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation published the paper, The Case for Replacing Cost of Attendance with Median Cost of College. “Using the median cost of college would generate several benefits including improving the financial aid application process, enhancing the competitive landscape among colleges, and providing an incentive for colleges to measure and improve quality,”...
Press Release October 29, 2019AUSTIN— Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation published the policy perspective, Small Business Owners Speak: Mandatory Paid Sick Leave Hurts More Than It Helps. “Several city governments across Texas have interfered with the relationship between employers and employees by passing ordinances forcing businesses to provide paid sick leave as a benefit,” said Grace Watson, legislative...
Press Release October 29, 2019AUSTIN— Yesterday, the Supreme Court of Texas granted the Pardo family’s petition for emergency relief concerning the wrongful removal of their son and ordered the immediate return of the child to his family pending a final ruling in the case. “We are thrilled that Drake is going home to his family where he belongs,” said Andrew Brown,...
Press Release October 25, 2019AUSTIN—The Texas Public Policy Foundation released two episodes of the new podcast, Step Up with Ellen Troxclair. “It was an honor to serve as the youngest woman, and sole conservative, on the Austin City Council, but it was also isolating and discouraging that my point of view was often ignored or belittled. If I felt this...
Press Release October 23, 2019