Exemptions in open meetings and public information laws for local tax abatements cut the public out of the decision-making process. With citizens kept in the dark, most public input on the abatements occurs only after cities, counties and school districts have negotiated deals with businesses seeking special treatment and decided to move forward.
Press Release September 13, 2018Mike brings not only a rich experience to his work at the Foundation but also a personal commitment to liberty that makes him a natural fit. We are fortunate to find someone who represents the Foundation and the interests of Texans so well in the Capitol and beyond.
Press Release September 7, 2018Vance’s important work continues to advance the goals of the Texas Public Policy Foundation – promoting liberty at every level, from local governance to state and federal issues. This honor from Grassroots America-We The People is an unexpected but richly deserved award. We thank Grassroots America for its own work of holding government officials accountable and ensuring that government itself remain efficient, open and limited.
Press Release September 6, 2018Denying educators a real opportunity to reform Texas’ most under-performing schools would be a travesty. Instead of taking options off the table, teachers associations should encourage innovations like partnering with charter school organizations to provide options, resources and reform for campuses that continue to fail. More than 162,000 Texas children are currently trapped in D and F-graded districts where they are behind grade level and not learning. High-performing charter schools could turn their lives around.
Press Release August 31, 2018AUSTIN – On Thursday, Aug. 30, beginning at 12:00 p.m., Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Michael Haugen, a policy analyst with the Foundation’s Right on Crime initiative, will provide invited testimony before the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee regarding pre-trial risk assessment tools. "In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of attention being brought to bear...
Press Release August 29, 2018Student loan debt in America is at a historic high. At nearly 1.6 trillion dollars, student loan debt exceeds even national credit card debt, and this in a country fairly addicted to credit cards. The three-year college degree, practiced in the United Kingdom for centuries, can reduce the cost of college by as much as 25 percent. Purdue University, in Indiana, has just begun offering a three-year degree in its liberal arts majors. Texas public college and university students need and deserve the same.
Press Release August 28, 2018I look forward to sharing our ideas for overhauling the ineffective and costly state jail system to produce better results for public safety and Texas taxpayers.
Press Release August 28, 2018Enhanced monitoring systems improve law enforcement's ability to supervise offenders who are re-entering our communities. Offenders with a higher risk of re-offending may be more closely monitored while those who are less likely to re-offend may be granted a more appropriate supervision strategy, such as self-reporting. This makes it easier to maintain a job, allowing offenders to pay restitution to victims and provide for their families. While technology can never replace the discretion of people, it can lead to greater efficiency, which improves public safety and yields savings for taxpayers over time.
Press Release August 28, 2018While the devil may be in the details which aren’t all known yet, this bilateral trade deal between the U.S. and Mexico is important for trade certainty for Mexicans, Texans, and all Americans. It’s time to now include Canada in a trilateral trade deal so that the livelihood of people won’t be at risk.
Press Release August 27, 2018The city of Austin is home to crushing property taxes, a massive budget, and an enormous debt. These are all warning signs that the city’s finances are headed over a fiscal cliff. Rather than sit idly by, Austinites are fighting to better understand the city’s many problems and come up with tailor-made solutions. The high court would do well to let this process unfold as intended so that residents can better hold their city government accountable.
Press Release August 21, 2018Without this stay, Austin business owners would be forced to incur significant costs implementing the requirements of the ordinance while its legality was in serious doubt. Leave policies are best negotiated between employer and employee without the imposition of a one-size-fits-all mandate from the city that may not be in either party’s best interests. The order was correct in preserving the status quo and ensuring that the legality of the ordinance may be addressed first in the court before businesses are forced to comply
Press Release August 17, 2018AUSTIN – This week, the Texas Public Policy Foundation released the second installment in the video series, Wind Power Unplugged, which aims to tell the full story of wind power and wind power subsidies. The video premiered at a TPPF event in Georgetown, Texas, a city that claims to be powered by 100 percent renewable...
Press Release August 17, 2018