HB 603: Fitness Testing for Law Enforcement Benefits Everyone

March 21, 2017

Randy Petersen

Randy Petersen is a former senior researcher at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Petersen spent twenty-one years in law enforcement in Bloomingdale, Illinois, working in patrol, investigations, administration, and management. After retiring from the Bloomingdale Police Department, Randy moved to Texas where he was the Director of the Tarrant County College District Criminal Justice Training Center, one of the busiest police academies in the state.

There is no current statewide fitness test requirement for police officers, yet fit officers miss less work due to illness and injury. Additionally, fit officers are more confident in their interactions with the public.

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Testimony in Support of HB 4914, with Ammon Blair in House Committee on State Affairs

Chairman King, Vice Chairwoman Hernandez, and distinguished members of the committee, My name is Ammon Blair, and I am a Senior Fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. I am honored to appear before you today in strong support of House Bill 4914. I bring 22 years of military experience, including service in the United...

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Criminal Justice

Serving Country & Serving Time

Our attitude should remain one of gratitude when our veterans commit crimes as a result of psychological and physical wounds they received during their time of service. Key Points: Far too many of our nation’s veterans are encountering the criminal justice system due to service-related conditions. Veteran Treatment Courts (VTCs) have been the default solution...

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Who Were Austin’s Highest Paid Public Employees in 2025?

Last month, the Austin American-Statesman launched an interesting new city salary database that shines a light on the “top-paid city of Austin employees of 2025.” The new details are quite interesting, especially given the city’s own recent admission that “Austin is experiencing a housing affordability crisis”—which is, of course, chiefly driven by government action. Using this tool, it’s obvious that city workers have become numerous and well-compensated. As the Statesman itself notes: “The city of Austin employed 13,567 full-time workers...

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Randy Petersen

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Testimony in Support of HB 4914, with Ammon Blair in House Committee on State Affairs

Serving Country & Serving Time

Who Were Austin’s Highest Paid Public Employees in 2025?