AUSTIN—The Texas House of Representatives is expected to consider Senate Bill 29 on Monday. SB 29 prohibits the use of taxpayer dollars by local governments to hire lobbyists to advocate against tax reform, bond transparency, and ethics issues and requires greater government disclosure. The bill has received bipartisan support from lawmakers growing frustrated with local governments spending more than $40...
Press Release May 19, 2019AUSTIN— Last night, the Texas House voted overwhelmingly in favor of the passage of Senate Bill 943, a bill to expand the disclosure requirements of government contracts under the Public Information Act and revise exceptions from disclosure based on competitive advantage and trade secrets. The new law would strengthen the public’s right to know and is now headed...
Press Release May 18, 2019AUSTIN— Today, the Texas House of Representatives passed SB 18 with amendments. The bill will now be sent to the Senate for concurrence. “Free speech and debate is essential to both American education and American democracy. SB 18, as amended by the House would, if passed, be among the strongest campus free speech bills in the country,” said...
Press Release May 17, 2019AUSTIN – Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation announced its support of President Trump’s proposal to secure the border and reform parts of America’s immigration system. The administration’s plan would not only ensure the safety and security of Americans, but also prioritize a merit-based immigration system that puts Americans and the country’s economic interests first....
Press Release May 17, 2019AUSTIN— Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Right on Crime initiative published the policy perspectives Ten Tips for Policymakers for Improving Probation and Ten Tips for Policymakers for Improving Parole. Three Tips for Policymakers for Improving Probation: Reduce criminalization and incentivize and expand use of police and pretrial diversion. Assess risk and criminogenic needs of each person placed...
Press Release May 17, 2019AUSTIN— Today, the Texas House of Representatives will debate whether or not taxpayers should continue to fund government lobbying, as well as the need for stronger reporting requirements for lobbying activities. “We expect our elected officials to be judicious in the use and allocation of taxpayer dollars,” said Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Executive Director Kevin...
Press Release May 17, 2019AUSTIN— Today, the Texas Senate gave final approval to House Bill 477, a bill that brings uniformity and transparency to the debt issuance process. The bill calls for the creation of a voter information document, requires local governments to disclose more information related to the issuance of certificates of obligation, and increases the amount of information...
Press Release May 15, 2019AUSTIN – The U.S. House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee released draft language for the reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) that incorporates language recommended by a coalition of child welfare reform advocates, including the Texas Public Policy Foundation. This coalition, known as United Family Advocates, is a bipartisan group...
Press Release May 14, 2019AUSTIN— This evening, the Texas House preliminarily passed House Bill 769, which would place certain restrictions on severance payments made to school superintendents. One proposal, added via an amendment, would prohibit both open-enrollment charter schools and school districts from making a severance payment to the chief executive in excess of one year’s salary. “Six-figure severance payments are an...
Press Release May 9, 2019AUSTIN— Today, the Texas House passed HB 297 which would eliminate the school districts’ maintenance and operations property tax and replace it with a more efficient sales tax. “Texas’ economy is the strongest in the country — owing in large part to the commitment of policymakers to the Texas Model and strong conservative fiscal leadership,”...
Press Release May 9, 2019AUSTIN—Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation published the policy perspective, Vindicating Texans’ Free Speech Rights Under Janus. “Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court found that elected officials infringe on public employees’ First Amendment rights when they force them as a job condition to allow a third party—a labor union—to speak for them on workplace matters and infringe...
Press Release May 9, 2019AUSTIN– Today, the full Texas Senate passed House Bill 347 which promises to end the practice of forced annexation in Texas. The bill now heads back to the Texas House where representatives can decide whether to concur with Senate amendments. “Last session, the Texas Legislature took a major step toward ending forced annexation by granting...
Press Release May 9, 2019