Many cities across Texas are racing to max out property tax rates before strong new taxpayer protections take effect early next year. But this isn’t the case in Von Ormy, Texas. That’s because this small town doesn’t collect property taxes. Located south of San Antonio, Von Ormy is flourishing, thanks in large part to its liberty-centric...
Around the world, activists are conducting a “climate strike” on Fridays, walking out of their offices and schools to protest climate change. Some are even blocking busy intersections in Washington D.C. Unfortunately for the strikers, their time and energy won’t achieve lasting change—if any change at all. Blocking roads just leads to more emissions due...
Thousands of ranchers, farmers, trucking companies and other small businesses would be hit hard if the Clean Water Act is expanded to include groundwater discharges, as the Ninth Circuit recently held that it should in the case of County of Maui, Hawaii v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund, et al. For example, many family farming operations in...
If the federal government were to attempt an overtly unconstitutional gun control overreach, which side would the police take? We just got our answer loud and clear — and it’s music to the ears of liberty-lovers across this country. The police are an integral part of the communities they serve. They represent both the community...
Moving usually isn’t much fun — it’s hard, it can be expensive and, if you’re moving out of state, it can be a bit intimidating. But moving from California to Texas was the best thing that ever happened to my family. In 2011, along with my family, I was one of about 562,000 people who moved out of California (468,000 moved in). A...
When Governor of Alaska tried to cut funding for the University of Alaska by 41 percent, observers were quick to connect it to what they saw as a larger long-term trend — states relentlessly cutting funding for higher education. But there’s a small problem with portraying Alaska as an extreme example of a story playing out...
The Tax Foundation’s 2020 State Business Tax Climate Index illustrates the states’ relative business … [+] THE TAX FOUNDATION The 27 states with the lightest tax burden on individuals continued to add jobs at double the rate of the 23 states with higher taxes since the federal tax cut was signed into law in December 2017....
Early voting begins Monday, giving Texas voters another opportunity to decide on constitutional questions, bond propositions, tax increase elections and more. But this election cycle will feature at least one new change that may surprise some. Thanks to a new law passed last session — House Bill 1888 — most local officials are now banned...
Border security is at the forefront of the American political psyche. With the on-going crisis at the southern border and the endless efforts by the Trump administration to address it, it’s a recurring subject of heated debate. However, a fundamental question is often overlooked: What does a secure border even look like? This is a much harder...
Most Americans would agree that the Chinese Communist Party isn’t a friend of workers’ rights, free speech, or corporate transparency. The challenge is that they rule China and control access to a potentially lucrative market. In the NBA’s case, this dilemma was front and center for the past week after the Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey expressed support for demonstrators in Hong...
This week, congressional Democrats will use the Congressional Review Act to force a series of votes meant to derail key parts of President Trump’s regulatory agenda. The strategy will no doubt backfire. Where Democrats were scared to take a vote on the fantastical Green New Deal, they are now finding comfort in turning back to...
After planned blackouts to reduce wildfire risk left almost 2 million people without power in Northern California, politicians and bureaucrats scrambled to lay blame. Blackouts have a powerfully toxic political legacy in California. In 2000 and 2001, a series of blackouts and price hikes amidst a botched partial deregulation of the electricity market was a...