“We are deeply disappointed at the House’s vote to defund the state teacher incentive pay programs. The House vote puts successful incentive pay programs – such as Houston ISD’s ASPIRE program – in jeopardy by altering the method of funding and distributing it through the formulas to all school districts regardless of their interest in...
Press Release April 20, 2009Statement by Justin Keener, Vice President of Policy and Communications: “Two weeks ago, the Texas Senate approved a budget that continued the diversion of $1.3 billion of our gasoline taxes to non-transportation purposes. Rather than doing the hard work of setting better priorities so that these taxes could be spent on transportation, the Senate decided...
Press Release April 14, 2009AUSTIN – The Texas Senate opened the door to billions of dollars in new taxes and fees in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, Waco, Fort Hood, Corpus Christi, and Brownsville regions through its preliminary passage today of Senate Bill 855. The bill faces a final vote next Tuesday. “As we initially feared...
Press Release April 8, 2009AUSTIN – The recently passed federal stimulus package increases overall government spending to a level that will hinder Texas’ private sector growth and cost the state at least 131,400 jobs, according to research findings released today by the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “These findings show clearly that growth in government crowds out growth in the...
Press Release April 6, 2009“The Texas Senate has set a good benchmark for the 2010-11 state budget negotiations. Our senators deserve credit for keeping the state’s budget growth within a reasonable limit and not tapping the state’s Economic Stabilization Fund. “The federal stimulus package was bad policy. To the extent that our legislators decide to accept the federal stimulus...
Press Release April 1, 2009AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation joined several research and taxpayer organizations today to urge legislators not to tap the Economic Stabilization Fund during the 81st Texas Legislature. The Foundation, along with leaders from Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Americans for Prosperity-Texas, the Free Market Foundation, and the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute, made the...
Press Release March 31, 2009AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation expressed disappointment over today’s committee approval of Senate Bill 855, which opens the door to significant new taxes and fees in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and El Paso regions. “Today, the members of the Senate Transportation & Homeland Security Committee approved Senate Bill 855 without ever...
Press Release March 25, 2009The Texas House of Representatives recognized the accomplishments of the Texas Public Policy Foundation on the occasion of its 20th anniversary with its passage of HR 943 this morning. The resolution by Rep. Brian McCall states, among other things, that, “the Foundation has played an integral role in the Texas legislative process by providing principled...
Press Release March 24, 2009AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation praised Gov. Rick Perry’s announcement today that he would formally reject the $555 million offered by the federal government in exchange for Texas loosening its eligibility requirements and increasing payments for unemployment benefits. “Legislators must keep in mind that every additional dollar that Texas employers have to pay...
Press Release March 12, 2009AUSTIN – On the heels of gloomy employment reports and forecasts, the Texas Public Policy Foundation asked Texas Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and Texas House Speaker Joe Straus to stop further consideration of tax increases that could weaken an already shaky state economy. "With Texas businesses and families facing such economic stress, our state government...
Press Release March 6, 2009“The federal stimulus spending plan takes America in the wrong direction, but if the funds are going to be used, they must not fund programs that create future financial obligations for Texas. “Spending stimulus funds on transportation is dicey because of the significant cost to maintain highways. TxDOT should consider future costs when selecting stimulus...
Press Release March 5, 2009“The federal stimulus package takes Texas and America down the wrong path. States like California and Michigan have shown us that getting hooked on federal funds is the path to economic destruction. Texas must learn from their examples and resist the federal government’s bait to use one-time money to expand social programs because there won’t...
Press Release March 3, 2009