AUSTIN, Texas – With the House and Senate conference committee meeting for the first time today to consider the two bodies differing approaches to the education reforms found in House Bill 2, the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s director of research, Chris Patterson, offered the following statement: “If conference committee members stand firm on key provisions...
Press Release May 17, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – With passage of Senate Bill 18, the Texas Senate has ensured local taxpayers will have more information about property tax rates, according to the vice president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The legislation was authored by State Senator Tommy Williams of the Woodlands. “This important legislation brings more sunshine to the...
Press Release May 12, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – While the version of House Bill 3 passed by the Senate Finance Committee on Friday (May 6, 2005) is substantively better than that which was originally proposed earlier in the week, Texans could still face a $2.9 billion increase in their overall tax burden, according to an econometric model run by the...
Press Release May 6, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – With the State Senate poised to consider major revisions to the state’s tax system next week, the chief economist of the Texas Public Policy Foundation urged them to reject bad economic policy. “The Senate would do well to rely on sound economic principles and reduce reliance on hidden taxes levied against business,”...
Press Release April 28, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – With passage today (Tuesday, April 26, 2005) of House Bill 1006, the Texas House of Representatives brings greater transparency to the property tax system and empowers taxpayers, the vice president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation said afterwards. “This commonsense legislation brings more truth and openness to the property tax system by...
Press Release April 26, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – Parents in Texas would have greater power in providing for their children’s education under any of three pieces of legislation to be considered by the House Committee on Public Education, two of the state’s leading education experts will tell lawmakers on Tuesday. “Even parents who choose not to exercise their right to...
Press Release April 4, 2005AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas House today voted by a three-to-one margin to repeal the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund tax, levied on all Texans since 1995. Its purpose was primarily to hard-wire public schools, universities, libraries, and public hospitals to the Internet. The tax was assessed on telecommunications companies doing business in Texas to fund the...
Press Release March 23, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Public Policy Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of the Center for Effective Justice. The Center’s initial charge will be to study criminal justice issues in the Lone Star State, and to develop and promote new public policy approaches that work to repair the harm done to victims, reduce...
Press Release March 17, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – With passage today of House Bill, the Texas House has delivered systematic reforms that will improve the chances of academic success for all Texans. "Speaker Craddick, the House leadership and the majority of lawmakers have with this vote signaled their commitment to true reform and results," said Brooke Rollins, president of the...
Press Release March 9, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – As lawmakers consider ways to fund Texas government, some are advocating an expansion of state-run gambling to include video lottery terminals, or VLTs. With some projecting a $2 billion windfall, VLTs are an attractive source of income. But a report issued today by the Texas Public Policy Foundation suggests the VLT lucre...
Press Release March 9, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – State budget challenges of recent years have brought into focus the importance of fiscal discipline and accountability, while calling into question the efficiency of the tax and expenditure limitation set in the Texas constitution in 1978. Legislation filed by State Rep. Carl Isett of Lubbock has filed House Joint Resolution 48, which...
Press Release February 28, 2005AUSTIN, Texas – Texas has one of the worst workers’ compensation insurance programs in the nation, whether one looks at it from the perspective of the injured worker or the cash-strapped employer. Despite decades of effort, the Texas Workers’ Compensation System is ineffective and inefficient. A new study by Chris Patterson, director of research at...
Press Release February 9, 2005