AUSTIN— Health care and the economy are now the most important issues for Texans, according to a recent survey conducted by WPA Intelligence for the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Immigration is now third among likely voters in the Lone Star State, followed by education and property taxes. Concern over health care and the economy have...
Press Release April 15, 2020AUSTIN – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced proposed National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and coarse particulate matter (PM10) that leave the current standards unchanged. This proposal marks the first time since the PM NAAQS were established that the standards will remain the same. It is a...
Press Release April 14, 2020AUSTIN – Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation published the research paper The Case for Escape Hatches from Higher Education Accreditation. “Accreditation in higher education is a barrier to innovation because it insists on a recipe of inputs and processes which may or may not actually be tied to producing results for students,” said Andrew...
Press Release April 14, 2020AUSTIN – Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation released the first video in a new series, “Recovery Texas,” highlighting how small businesses are responding to the crisis and helping their fellow Texans. “There are so many heroes in this time of crisis and few will ever know their stories,” said Brian Phillips, chief communications officer...
Press Release April 13, 2020AUSTIN – Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation published the policy perspective Parental Notification of Rights in Child Welfare Investigations. “Despite the Supreme Court affording parental rights the highest protection available, practical protections for families who find themselves involved with the child welfare system are inconsistent at best,” said Andrew Brown, director of the Center for...
Press Release April 7, 2020AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation sent a public letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath with recommendations for securing access to educational services through the Texas Virtual Schools Network during the COVID-19 Pandemic and its aftermath. The letter includes the following highlights: “Many Texas students are missing...
Press Release April 7, 2020AUSTIN— Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation launched a new dashboard tracking several indicators of the economic damage done to America by the government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. The chart includes a state-by-state map comparing known coronavirus cases with the estimated increase in unemployment, as well as a graph showing the explosion in national...
Press Release April 3, 2020AUSTIN – Today the Texas Public Policy Foundation published The Workforce Recovery Act: A Public-Private Partnership Solution White Paper. “Purposeful or not, government is responsible for much of the economic damage that is afflicting the country,” said TPPF’s Executive Director Kevin Roberts. “While the harm inflicted cannot be retroactively corrected, we can move forward to help individuals, businesses, and families recover from this unprecedented situation.” ...
Press Release April 2, 2020WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation published new research, U.S.-Mexico Border Security Cooperation, which examines the evolution of programs and policies concerning border security between the two countries from the 1990s to today. “During the last three decades, the border security cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico has evolved from near nonexistence to...
Press Release April 2, 2020AUSTIN – Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation released a limited series podcast, “The Road to Recovery,” highlighting critical issues facing the country as Americans navigate the effects of dealing with a national pandemic. “While the health care challenges we face are great, that’s certainly not the full picture,” said Brian Phillips, TPPF’s Chief Communications Officer and...
Press Release March 31, 2020AUSTIN – A federal judge in Plano issued an injunction yesterday stopping the city of Dallas from enforcing its mandatory paid sick leave mandate that was set to go into effect on April 1. “Once again, Texas courts are unanimous that it is unconstitutional for cities to mandate paid sick leave,” said Robert Henneke, lead counsel for...
Press Release March 31, 2020AUSTIN – Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation applauds Gov. Abbott and Phil Wilson, HHSC Executive Commissioner, for their commitment to support front-line medical workers with a second Section 1135 waiver request submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “We fully support removing barriers to make care more accessible for patients,” said David Balat, Director of the...
Press Release March 30, 2020