AUSTIN – The focus of the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) and other Texas policymakers on rate regulation has been misguided and damaging to Texas consumers, according to a new paper released today by the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “The marketplace for both homeowners’ and windstorm insurance is not being allowed to meet the needs...
Press Release August 28, 2007AUSTIN – A new report from the Texas Public Policy Foundation challenges university trustees to lead the charge in reforming higher education by evaluating their institutions’ mission, organization structure, curriculum and cost-efficiency. “It falls to trustees to fortify the towers,” wrote Dr. Candace de Russy, Senior Research Fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, “lest...
Press Release July 9, 2007AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation applauds Gov. Rick Perry’s signing of House Bill 735, which eliminates the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund tax in September 2008. “Repealing the TIF tax now instead of waiting until 2011 will save Texas consumers more than $210 million per year and more than $600 million in total,” said The...
Press Release June 18, 2007"Texas state government is as big as it needs to be. Our position continues to be that any growth in the state's budget should be limited to inflation and population increases. "While all of the proposed spending caps allow for growth well beyond inflation and population, we applaud the Legislative Budget Board for approving the...
Press Release June 15, 2007"We are disappointed by the veto of House Bill 2006, which we believe to be the most significant legislation recognizing and protecting Texans' most fundamental property rights in decades. "The Supreme Court's 2005 Kelo decision gave government wide latitude in the exercise of eminent domain to take people's property. As a result, Texas property owners...
Press Release June 15, 2007"By ignoring student achievement in favor of an arbitrary measure of teacher ‘quality' such as National Board certification, House Bill 2646 would have undermined the core principle of the incentive pay program that Gov. Perry and the Legislature worked so hard to implement. Gov. Perry's veto was the correct action. "According to our research, National...
Press Release June 15, 2007AUSTIN – The Claremont Institute has selected Mary Katherine Stout, Vice President for Policy and Director of the Center for Health Care Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, as one of its 2007 Lincoln Fellows. “The Lincoln Fellowship is a prestigious program,” said Foundation President Brooke Rollins. “The 76 previous Lincoln Fellows include senior...
Press Release June 14, 2007The Texas Public Policy Foundation applauds the Texas Senate’s approval yesterday of HB 735, which will finally kill off the unnecessary Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF) tax. “The TIF’s mission was completed four years ago but Texans still pay the tax on every bill,” said Foundation chief economist Byron Schlomach. “This is an opportunity for the...
Press Release May 24, 2007Senate amendments added to HB 2006 and HB 3057 earlier this week significantly strengthen both property owners’ rights and limit the abuse of eminent domain. “We have waited for these bills since the Kelo ruling almost two years ago,” said Bill Peacock, director of the Foundation’s Center for Economic Freedom. “If the House adopts the...
Press Release May 24, 2007AUSTIN – Marc Levin, Director of the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, will be honored on the House floor Monday morning for his efforts to reform the Texas Youth Commission and the adult corrections system. Resolutions to be introduced by House Corrections Chairman Jerry Madden will recognize Levin, Texas Ranger...
Press Release May 11, 2007"Texas taxpayers will be outraged once they learn that 81 members of their Texas House have taken hostage all future property tax relief until the Legislature authorizes a massive increase in state spending. Ken Paxton, Rob Eissler, and Bryan Hughes are heroes for standing up for the taxpayers in the face of their 81 colleagues...
Press Release May 10, 2007AUSTIN – Today, the Texas House of Representatives failed to protect taxpayers when it fell seven votes short of the 100 necessary to pass HJR 44 by Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas). HJR 44 was a proposed constitutional amendment that would have required a two-thirds majority vote by each house of the Legislature to increase the...
Press Release May 7, 2007