States spend billions of taxpayer dollars on programs intended to help vulnerable families, but the data suggests they are largely not setting recipients on a path of independence and flourishing. When you dig into the numbers, it has less to do with a lack of funds and more to do with how those funds are...
Did you know that Mexico’s biggest political party is organizing, recruiting, and mobilizing supporters in the United States? New research from TPPF’s Alejandrina Elms and America First Policy Institute’s Melissa Ford Maldonado documents how the MORENA party is building a permanent political operation on American soil. They’re doing this in collaboration with the Mexican government’s...
Government transparency is one of those rare ideas that Texans and Americans can almost universally agree on. Whatever your ideological or partisan persuasion, polling consistently shows 90% of people believe taxpayers at least have a right to know what their government is doing with their money. The Texas Public Information Act reflects the shared principle...
Imagine you’re a pilot. In your free time, you give back by volunteering your time for small flights that help patients get access to specialized medical care. We all know fuel and maintenance for airplanes can be expensive, but that’s okay because there are charitable organizations who want to help cover those costs. Now, imagine...
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently reported a landmark milestone: the 287(g) program now has over 2,500 active Memorandums of Agreement covering 39 states and two U.S. territories. These agreements authorize ICE “to delegate state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under ICE’s direction and oversight.” This...
Governor Greg Abbott made parental rights a big focus of his RNC midterm convention speech, declaring: “I put a stop to the craziness by signing laws that protect parents’ rights in the state of Texas.” Texas has indeed made major strides to advance parental rights in recent years, both through statute and a voter-approved constitutional...
Texas cities are pouring unprecedented amounts of taxpayer money into homelessness services, yet the crisis on the streets continues to visibly worsen. From Dallas to Austin, budgets for housing initiatives expand every year, but the encampments remain. Taxpayers are justifiably wondering where exactly all their money is going. The answer, according to a new research...
Another Texas summer is coming to an end soon, and despite the scorching temperatures, the electric grid has kept the A/C running. ERCOT didn’t falter when faced with a new all-time peak energy demand record on July 22. But hot, sunny days are only one end of the spectrum. According to a TPPF/Overton Insights poll released yesterday,...
According to recent polling, 84% of Texans consider property taxes to be a “major burden” on themselves and their families. This heavy strain exists because local governments are spending at rates that consistently outpace both inflation and population growth. With nearly 5,000 property taxing entities in the state auditing these local governments is the essential...
On Tuesday, the Texas Public Policy Foundation had the honor of hosting Governor Greg Abbott for a press event on the future of Texas education. The Governor announced new plans to thwart the creeping influence of hostile foreign actors and radical ideological networks in Texas’ K-12 public schools. His proposals included prohibiting foreign entities from using gifts,...
The Texas Attorney General’s Office announced this week that it was intervening in a case involving McKenna West, an Alaskan woman who was paid to carry a child for another couple. The couple commanded her to undergo a late-term abortion after an ultrasound revealed her baby boy, who she calls Gabriel, had a treatable heart condition. McKenna...
Are you familiar with your local tree ordinances? If not, you might want to do some research before breaking out the chainsaw. Cities and townships across the country have some version of tree-related rules that property owners must follow, or face consequences. The Center for the American Future, TPPF’s public interest litigation team, has now challenged...