AUSTIN – Today’s Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) unemployment report is further proof that the Texas Model of doing business leads to prosperity, according to the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The TWC reported that Texas’ unemployment rate fell to 6.1 percent in December, down from 6.2 percent in November and from 7.4 percent one year ago. This marks the fourth...
Press Release January 21, 2013Businesses in Texas shoulder a much bigger share of the state-local tax burden than do businesses in other states, according to a new report from the Texas Comptroller. As a percentage of all state and local business taxes—including the property tax, the sales tax, and the margin tax—Texas businesses paid 64.8 percent of the total load in fiscal 2011, a relatively high mark compared to other large states and the national average (47.9 percent). What’s more, Texas businesses have seen their share of the tax load increase in recent years, up 4.5 percent since fiscal 2007. If steps are not taken to reverse this trend, Texas risks putting its business sector at a further competitive disadvantage nationally and internationally, as well as potentially driving up the cost of goods and services here because, after all, businesses don’t pay taxes, people do. That’s why it’s critical that the legislature make it a priority this session to lighten the load on Texas businesses by eliminating the margin tax, a reform that the Tax Foundation has already said will improve the state’s business competitiveness immensely. Source: State Business Tax Advisory Committee
Press Release January 18, 2013AUSTIN – Though states have an important role to play in local antitrust enforcement, a new study released today by the Foundation, Protecting Innovation: The Role of State Attorneys General in Antitrust Enforcement by Bill Peacock and Josiah Neeley, finds that the increased role of state attorneys general in interstate and high-technology antitrust cases today is a...
Press Release January 18, 2013AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation today released the report Engulfed by Environmental Crimes: Overcriminalization on the Gulf Coast, that provides an overview of “crimes” in the Gulf Coast states, explaining why overcriminalization along the coast is detrimental to economic liberty and growth, and proposes solutions for reining in the overcriminalization problem. Marc Levin and Vikrant...
Press Release January 15, 2013AUSTIN, TX- The Texas Public Policy Foundation will host a press conference launching a new report, Recasting History: Are Race, Class, and Gender Dominating American History? A Study of U.S. History Courses at the University of Texas and Texas A&M University. The report authored by the National Association of Scholars (NAS) and the Texas Association of Scholars (TAS)...
Press Release January 9, 2013AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation will host the panel “Immigration, the Texas Way” at its 11th Annual Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature on Thursday, January 10. The panel takes place at the Hilton Austin Hotel from 12:30 to 1:50 p.m., and will feature Congressman Joaquin Castro, The Honorable Brad Bailey, President and Co-founder of The...
Press Release January 8, 2013The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission will vote tomorrow on recommendations in its Staff Report on the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) which would quadruple the PUC's administrative penalty authority to $100,000 violation per day and authorize the PUC to issue emergency cease-and-desist orders.
Press Release January 8, 2013AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation will convene its 11th Annual Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature with a special conference prequel session, “The Movement and the Media” on Wednesday, January 9. The session, a first-ever third day of programming at Policy Orientation, will be held at the Hilton Austin Hotel from 10:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m....
Press Release January 8, 2013AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation will convene its 11th Annual Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature with a special conference prequel session, “The Movement and the Media” on Wednesday, January 9. The session, a first-ever third day of programming at Policy Orientation, will be held at the Hilton Austin Hotel from 10:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m....
Press Release January 8, 2013AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s 11th Annual Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature begins three days of debate and panel discussions, the first being a day of communications programming, with the opening keynote for policy programming delivered by Texas Gov. Rick Perry at 8:00 a.m. Central time on Thursday, January 10, at the Hilton Austin Hotel....
Press Release January 8, 2013“Today’s Biennial Revenue Estimate is further validation of the Texas Model of limited government, low taxes and spending, and a fair legal system. Texas’ principled approach to governance has created an ideal environment for the state’s economy to thrive and prosper, which has spurred strong and broad-based revenue growth. “The strong growth in state revenues...
Press Release January 7, 2013AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s 11th Annual Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature formally starts two days of debate and panel discussions with a live broadcast of the nationally syndicated radio show, “Bill Bennett’s Morning in America,” from 5:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central time on Thursday, January 10 at the Hilton Austin Hotel....
Press Release January 4, 2013