AUSTIN, Texas — The House Ways & Means Committee on Wednesday adopted a tax plan offered by State Rep. John Smithee that reduces property taxes without creating new classes of taxes. The vice president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation issued the following statement: “The committee has chosen a plan that reflects good economic policy,”...
Press Release June 29, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas House passed House Bill 2 late Tuesday night, and was praised for its “forward-thinking approach” to improving public education by the research director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “House Bill 2 brings together key reforms that will improve our public schools by raising academic standards and increasing financial accountability,”...
Press Release June 28, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – At a press conference today, the president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation praised the reforms found in House Bill 2 as “good for all Texans.” “These reforms mean a lot to me, as I consider their impact on my son,” said Brooke Rollins. “All Texas children deserve to be educated in...
Press Release June 24, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – Governor Rick Perry today announced his tax proposal as lawmakers convene on the first day of the special session. The president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Brooke Rollins, offered the following statement. “The governor’s plan recognizes that we cannot stifle economic growth by applying burdensome new taxes, but we still need...
Press Release June 21, 2005AUSTIN, Texas — With the governor’s call of a special session, the following statement was issued by Brooke Rollins, president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation: “It’s our hope that legislators will come to Austin with the desire to enact true tax reductions and important education reform. Lawmakers have the chance to do right by...
Press Release June 18, 2005Austin, TX – With today’s veto of HB2193, the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Effective Justice director Marc Levin issued the following statement: “Texans recognize that the current probation system is broken with unacceptably high rates of revocations and recidivism. While HB 2193 contained positive reforms such as progressive sanctions and the expansion of...
Press Release June 17, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas House on Sunday followed the Senate’s lead in passing a $139.4 billion budget, which the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s vice president, Michael Quinn Sullivan, today described as “too big, even for Texas.” “We are not seeing the same fiscal discipline that marked last Session’s budget process. Two years ago, lawmakers...
Press Release May 29, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – The following statement was issued today on passage of legislation to reform Texas’ “zero tolerance” law. Marc Levin, director of the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, said: “We applaud the Legislature for making much needed reforms to Texas’ zero tolerance law. “During this session, we learned of...
Press Release May 26, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – As budget negotiators for the House and Senate continue work on the spending and tax plans, the vice president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation urged them to exercise the same fiscal restraint found during the last legislative session. “Two years ago these lawmakers closed a $10 billion shortfall through sound fiscal...
Press Release May 20, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – Hundreds of thousands of students would be given the opportunity for a better education and a brighter future under a school choice plan voted out of the House Public Education Committee today (May 18, 2005) as part of the Texas Education Agency reauthorization bill. The following statement was issued by the Texas...
Press Release May 19, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – With the House and Senate conference committee meeting for the first time today to consider the two bodies differing approaches to the education reforms found in House Bill 2, the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s director of research, Chris Patterson, offered the following statement: “If conference committee members stand firm on key provisions...
Press Release May 17, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – With passage of Senate Bill 18, the Texas Senate has ensured local taxpayers will have more information about property tax rates, according to the vice president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The legislation was authored by State Senator Tommy Williams of the Woodlands. “This important legislation brings more sunshine to the...
Press Release May 12, 2005