Energy & Environment

Val Verde Residents Concerned about Turbine Effects on Wildlife, Land, and Economy

Residents from across Val Verde County came together in Del Rio on Thursday evening to discuss the effects of potential wind farms on their scenic region of Texas. Attendees heard from Randy Nunns, Ruthie Russell, and Dell Dickinson—local landowners—as well as comments from Texas Public Policy Foundation experts. Residents voiced concerns covering a wide array...

July 27, 2018

Economy

New York And Other High-Tax States Sue Over SALT Deduction Cap While Jobs Follow Lower Taxes

Last week, New York and three other Northeastern states filed a federal lawsuit claiming that 2017’s tax reform and reduction law discriminates against states run by Democrats. They are unhappy that the tax law, signed by President Trump in December 2017 after receiving no Democrat votes in Congress, limits state and local tax (SALT) deductions...

July 26, 2018

Energy & Environment

Debate in Concho County Exposes Issues with Chapter 312

There’s a growing body of research that highlights the negative effects of tax abatements granted for renewable energy under Texas Tax Code Chapter 312 and 313. Among the effects are the harm to the reliability of the electric grid, the hidden cost to Texans via taxes, and the unfortunate experiences of those who live next...

July 25, 2018

Criminal Justice

Give A Straw, Go To Jail–How Plastic Straws Are Becoming Criminal

First they came for the New York muck, and I did not speak out—because I am not from New York. Then they came for competitive foot races in wilderness areas, and I did not speak out—because I am not a runner. Then they came for my plastic straws—and there was no one left to speak for me. These...

July 25, 2018

Energy & Environment

Testimony before the Concho County Commissioners Court

2018-07-Testimony-Testimony Before the Concho County Commissioners Court-ACEE-Gonzalez by texaspolicy on Scribd

July 24, 2018

Energy & Environment

Testimony before the Concho County Hospital District

2018-07-Testimony-Testimony Before the Concho County Hospital District-A… by texaspolicy on Scribd

July 24, 2018

Taxes & Spending

Local Government Would Benefit From Independent Audits — Now Taxpayers Are Demanding Them

Government efficiency is an elusive ideal. When a business or a household consistently spends more than it earns, it will go bankrupt. This provides an incentive to review costs. Total government spending in the U.S. will come to about $7.1 trillion this year, of which a little more than half will be federal spending with...

July 24, 2018

Criminal Justice

FINES MEANT TO HELP ENFORCE LAWS HIT LOW-INCOME WORKERS THE HARDEST

Most people agree that paying a fine is a preferable punishment compared to incarceration or supervision. But because the impact of a fine is directly related to one’s ability to pay, fines and court fees can actually cause the greatest sting and the most severe punishment on poor Americans. A federal court recently confirmed this. A...

July 24, 2018

Criminal Justice

Sunshine and Seashells, Mollusks and Mens Rea

Collecting seashells that are strewn across thousands of miles of America’s shorelines may be a pastime for many beachgoers, but a recent incident out of Florida highlights that the line between “commonplace” and “criminal” is thin, indeed. According to the Florida Keys News, Diana Fiscal-Gonzalez pleaded no contest to criminal charges after taking 40 queen conches out...

July 23, 2018

Energy & Environment

Wind Energy: When You Need It Most, It Isn’t There

The summer is in full swing in Texas. With temperatures soaring into triple-digits across the state’s most populous areas, more energy is required to keep the lights on and the indoors cool. With these higher-than-usual temperatures, demand for energy is breaking records, giving rise to concern about the adequacy of the state’s energy supply. People...

July 23, 2018

Taxes & Spending

Instead of fighting Trump tax cuts, high-tax states should cut their taxes to boost job creation

New York, Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey – four of the highest-taxing states in the nation – filed a breathtakingly foolish lawsuit this week against the federal government alleging that the tax cut and reform legislation signed into law by President Trump last year is unconstitutional because it unfairly targets Democratic-controlled states. The states claim that the...

July 21, 2018

Energy & Environment

Trump has a chance to rein in Obama’s out-of-control EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency has sent its replacement for the Clean Power Plan to the White House. We don’t know what’s in it (it won’t be released until the White House has a chance to review it), but we know what should be and what shouldn’t. The new plan should restore the rule of law...

July 20, 2018