Sometimes, I really feel the distance between East Texas and Austin. It’s a five-hour drive for me, but Austin can seem much, much farther away when important bills on being debated at the Capitol. My voice simply doesn’t carry like the voices of lobbyists ensconced in their Austin offices, with easy access to members of...
How rights are viewed—individual or collective—explains today’s sharp disagreement over the rules for running elections, both in Congress and in states considering election integrity bills. Democrats—specifically the dominant extremist variety—view rights through the collective lens of race. Critical race theory (CRT), based in Marxism, is essential to understanding their objectives. CRT holds that personage is...
Texas will likely receive roughly $40 billion in taxpayer money provided by Congress through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for a number of budget areas: roughly $12 billion to public schools, $10 billion to local governments, and $4 billion to infrastructure projects (i.e., water, sewage, and broadband). Texas looks to also receive $17 billion...
This month, TPPF’s James Quintero testified before the House Committee on State Affairs in support of House Bill 1416, a bill to strengthen the Texas Public Information Act by clarifying in statute which days constitute a business day for the purposes of responding to a requestor. The bill is currently in the Calendars Committee. Below...
In April, TPPF’s James Quintero testified before the Senate Committee on Local Government in support of Senate Bill 1437, a bill to require cities and counties to undergo a third-party efficiency audit prior to holding an election to exceed the voter-approval tax rate. The bill is currently pending in committee. Below are his prepared remarks...
In April, TPPF’s James Quintero testified before the Senate Committee on Local Government in support of Senate Bill 1168, a bill to prohibit cities from imposing fees and fines in the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) of an area that has either dis-annexed or rejected an annexation attempt at the ballot box. The bill has been approved...
In April, TPPF’s James Quintero testified before the Senate Committee on Local Government in support of Senate Bill 1428, a bill to add the term “epidemic” as an additional exclusion to exceed the voter-approval tax rate when a disaster has been declared. The bill has been approved by the full Texas Senate and has not...
In April, TPPF’s James Quintero testified before the House Committee on Pensions, Investments & Financial Services in support of House Bill 664, a bill to require bond elections to be held on the November uniform election date. The bill is currently pending in committee. Below are his prepared remarks delivered orally to the committee. Mr....
In April, TPPF’s James Quintero testified before the Senate Committee on Local Government in support of Senate Bill 1992, a bill to allow residents and property owners in an extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) to use petition and election procedures to remove themselves from the area after one year if they have not been annexed. The bill...
Last month, TPPF’s James Quintero testified before the House Committee on County Affairs in support of House Bill 3775, a bill reform severance payments to government officials and independent contractors. The bill is currently with the Calendars Committee. Below are his prepared remarks delivered orally to the committee. Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee—...
This month, TPPF’s James Quintero testified before the Senate Committee on Finance in support of Senate Bill 1438, a bill to close the disaster tax loophole that some local governments sought to exploit to raise taxes by more than 3.5% without voter approval due to COVID. The bill has been approved by both chambers and...
Last month, TPPF’s James Quintero testified before the Senate Committee on State Affairs in support of Senate Bill 1025 and Senate Joint Resolution 45, a bill and a constitutional amendment proposing an overhaul of the emergency powers provided by the Texas Disaster Act of 1975. Both proposals have been fully passed by the Texas Senate...