“We applaud Gov. Rick Perry’s focus on fiscal responsibility in his remarks today. This is the time for state government to restrain spending, not to increase taxes or expand programs. Texas must continue to lead by example, rather than to follow other large states like California down the path to bankruptcy.

“We join Gov. Perry in urging the Texas Legislature to take the next step toward full government financial transparency. Especially during difficult economic times, we need to engage all interested Texans in the battle to root out government waste and inefficiency at both the state and local levels.

“The legislature should also heed Gov. Perry’s call to finish the job of protecting Texans’ property rights from eminent domain abuse. The Legislature took a good first step shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Kelo decision, but it now needs to finish the job of protecting Texas property owners.

“Gov. Perry’s support for increasing the amount of funding for incentive pay and removing the legislative cap on open-enrollment charter schools shows that he understands the importance of promoting competition within Texas public schools.”

Justin Keener is Vice President of Policy and Communications for the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin. More information can be found on the Foundation’s website, www.TexasPolicy.com.

– 30 –