Health Care
HB 2766, SB 1130: “Granny Tax” Overview
HB 2766, SB 1130: “Granny Tax” Overview by Dr. Deane Waldman
May 12, 2017
Local Government
It’s time for a convention of states to rein in the federal government
Texas has spoken, and we encourage other states to join with us in saying that we are not going to settle for the status quo. After all, what we have is a republic … if we can keep it.
May 11, 2017
Economy
Chauffeur Licensing in a Red-tape State
Ever since the Great Recession, my go-to means of making a living between jobs has been to drive “black cars” and limousines. I have over ten years of experience as a professional driver, including several years of full-time driving work. For most of this time period, I was working in another state. I moved to...
May 11, 2017
Energy & Environment
How state’s air rules went too far
States outside California will also suffer because California is the largest single marketplace in the nation, and out-of-state firms seeking to continue doing business in the state will be required to comply with the strict emissions limitations.
May 11, 2017
Economy
HB 3293: Unnecessary Roofing Regulation
Government is not instituted in order to guide customers’ purchasing decisions. Customers have many options to help them evaluate businesses, including companies like Yelp or Google Reviews, associations like the BBB, and traditional word of mouth.
May 11, 2017
Economy
HB 3878: Correcting a Serious Design Flaw
Occupational licenses more broadly are not an area where the state often should be involved. A free market can sort out such bad actors without unnecessary government influence and intervention in the marketplace.
May 10, 2017
Taxes & Spending
Yes, Cities are Part of the Property Tax Problem
Austin Mayor Steve Adler reportedly doesn’t think that cities are contributing to Texas’ enormous property tax problem, according to the Texas Tribune’s Sanya Mansoor. Well, I beg to differ. Property taxes levied by city governments totaled $8.4 billion in in 2015, representing 16 percent of the total share ($52.2 billion). On a per capita basis,...
May 10, 2017
Criminal Justice
Raise the age to lower crime
Raising the age would enhance public safety by lowering recidivism rates among youthful offenders. It is a common sense policy that takes advantage of the benefits the juvenile justice system has to offer, including greater family involvement and individualized treatment.
May 9, 2017
Criminal Justice
Texas should close prisons, but strengthen alternatives
Texas has saved billions and become safer by thinking outside the cell. Now, state leaders must act to write the next chapter in this criminal justice success story.
May 8, 2017
Health Care
Administrative job growth in healthcare isn’t good for America
ObamaCare has driven up healthcare costs so that average annual expenditures for a family of four have reached $25,826 a year, which is close to half of all of their income. As a nation, the U.S. is now expending more than $3 trillion per year on its healthcare system, an amount greater than the entire GDP of the United Kingdom.
May 8, 2017
Higher Education
American Higher Education: An Autopsy
In short, our universities have none but themselves to blame for the growing public backlash from which they are suffering—and will likely suffer further if they continue to treat concerns over campus censorship with what sometimes appears to be smug indifference. By letting ideology trump scholarship, by elevating feelings over rational arguments, by strangling the quest for truth—their reason for being—at the altar of political correctness, our colleges and universities have squandered the almost-devotional respect felt for them by the larger society.
May 8, 2017
Taxes & Spending
Going for Broke: San Antonio Asks Voters to Approve Massive New Debts
On Saturday, San Antonio will ask voters to approve a massive $850 million bond, split into 6 different propositions, including: Proposition 1: Streets, Bridges, & Sidewalk Improvements ($445.3 M) Proposition 2: Drainage & Flood Control Improvements ($139 M) Proposition 3: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Improvements ($187.3 M) Proposition 4: Library & Cultural Facilities Improvements...
May 5, 2017