Texas is a leader in economic prosperity, but that gap may narrow soon. Missouri is enacting a slate of pro-business policies, including tort reform and considering deep cuts to its corporate tax rate. North Carolina’s low cost of doing business put it on top of Forbes’ list of best states for business in 2017....
This is what State of the Union speeches used to be. On a bright January morning in 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger lifted off from its Cape Canaveral launch pad and broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean. The nation was shocked, and deeply shaken. President Reagan postponed his scheduled State of the Union address...
One thing is very clear about Kathleen Hartnett White, President Trump’s nominee to chair the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality: She’s eminently qualified for the position, having chaired the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality under then-Gov. Rick Perry. As the executive vice president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, I have the privilege of...
There is nothing quite like the power of American ingenuity and innovation. And nowhere in the country is there a better example of economic growth and empowerment on display than right here in Texas. A primary reason for that? Freedom. Specifically, there is simply less government intrusion into the daily lives of families and...
Hurricane Harvey recovery, especially for the families of the 70 Texans who lost their lives, will take years. The economic impact is also staggering. Early estimates show this storm could cost $190 billion in lost economic output, according to AccuWeather, roughly 14 percent of the state’s personal income and 1 percent of the nation’s total gross domestic product. In addition,...
American education is at a crossroads. With per pupil spending at record highs, and educational attainment stagnant at best, our return on investment has never been worse.
FEATURES: 1. The 85th Texas Legislature Round-up A Conservative Texas Budget, major changes to our beleaguered foster care system, and significant criminal justice reform highlighted conservative successes in the recently concluded regular session of the 85th Texas Legislature. This feature highlights the victories—and some of the areas in which we still have work to be...
While these four measures are by no means the only reforms that should be considered this session, they represent essential principles for making sure Texas stays Texas, a state with strong individual liberty and broad opportunity. They are the proven ingredients for Texas' continued success, and supported by a huge majority of Texas voters. Failing to enact these will be transformational for Texas — but in the decidedly wrong direction.
If the administration follows the precepts of Secretary DeVos’ address—and can find a sufficient number of allies in Congress who put children ahead of the system—the Department of Education may finally have found its proper role.
This commentary originally appeared in The Dallas Morning News on April 25, 2017. This column is part of a series of columns and news articles examining President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office. The Dallas Morning News asked Texas conservative thinkers to write on the question: What does it mean to be conservative during the...
The rhetoric on both sides about education is all moot, however, if we continue to throw more money at the same systems, which evidence little impulse to innovate. Our new president has shown a willingness to end business as usual. If he wants a lever for change that will spur similar reforms around the country, he need look no farther than the children of our capital city.
Too often, well-intentioned, conservative executives end up using federal power to heal the wounds caused by the very same bludgeon—federal power.