Central in this skirmish is Austin’s new ordinance governing short-term rentals, or STRs. The ordinance, which was approved in February by an overwhelming majority of the Austin City Council by a 9-2 vote, is a near-perfect example of the nanny state run amok
In this issue: Clean Power Plan threatens the Navajo Nation, passing a Conservative Texas Budget, and the Battle over an Article V Convention of States.
The presence of police in school disciplinary matters is a fairly recent phenomenon. Today’s policies are much different from the days in which a student who misbehaved could expect a stern meeting with the principle and a call to their parents. The culprit in these circumstances is often less the child involved and more the zero-tolerance policies that remove time-honored discretion from school administrators.
Beginning in earnest last session, state lawmakers began proposing and passing legislation aimed at reining in some of these local excesses, and next session is shaping up to be no different with many high-profile issues in the crosshairs. But Texas is far from alone in trying to rein in local policymaking run amok.
Are Texas’ local governments putting the American Dream out of reach for some? An interesting case in Dallas, Texas illustrates one of the most insurmountable new barriers preventing, not only immigrants, but small business owners and entrepreneurs of all kinds from realizing their dreams.
During the last legislative session, local government officials and their Austin-based associations were out in force, making the case that the Legislature ought not interfere with “local control.” But, as conservatives countered, the principle was never intended to justify tyrannical policies and, more importantly, “liberty always trumps local control.”
It is essential that the Legislature make history by adopting a second consecutive conservative budget. As a result, the state will continue to lead the way as one of the last free market bastions nationwide and empower its citizens to attain true economic freedom.
Despite Austin’s reputation as one of the most welcoming cities in the world, local officials continue to adopt policies that are hostile to outsiders. Take the city’s onerous new restrictions on short-term rentals (STRs), for instance.
Ralph Ellis, in conducting new and original science, has developed a thesis that “is simple, robust, and comprehensive in its scope, (with) its key elements… well supported by empirical evidence.” If supported by subsequent findings, this should be good enough for “Rationalia” to change its policy approach to global warming — after all, if carbon dioxide isn’t the main culprit, there’s not much use in regulating and taxing it out of the economy. Unfortunately, “Rationalia” has a lot at stake in perpetuating existing policy via generous infusions of tax money, making the “weight of evidence” very difficult to shift against the inertia of official doctrine.
If the global warming alarmists are correct, rising CO2 could lead to runaway planetary warming while conversely, low CO2 levels would result in runaway cooling
If we hope to preserve liberty as well as equality, we should take seriously Lincoln’s admonition and restore required study of the Declaration and Constitution at all levels of schooling—not simply in Louisiana, but nationwide.