That’s the Wrong Direction What to know: State lawmakers are holding hearings on proposed 765-kV transmission lines, which are facing significant pushback from landowners and ratepayers throughout the state. The TPPF take: You can’t solve a reliable generation problem with more transmission lines. “Texas needs more transmission to accommodate demand growth, both in the cities...
Hiding the Grades What to know: The University of Michigan is hiding the grades of incoming freshmen — for fear that bad grades might pose a threat to the student’s mental well-being. The TPPF take: The job of a teacher is to lift students up, not lower the bar. “A student does not possess all...
Making the Case What to know: Former Vice President Kamala Harris inadvertently made the case for the SAVE America Act, which would help secure U.S. elections. She warned that the bill would mean “you’re going to have to have proof of who you are.” The TPPF take: Yes, exactly. “The argument is not that eligible...
Fair Pay, Not Financial Enrichment What to know: There is brewing discontent over sky-high superintendent salaries and gold-plated benefit packages that oftentimes include housing subsidies, car allowances, lump-sum payments, and other perks. Commenting on this controversy, one observer recently remarked: “A basic principle of public-sector compensation is that public officials should be paid fairly for...
AI Boyfriends What to know: Millions in China have been forced to break up with their AI boyfriends and girlfriends, as the Chinese government bans AI companion apps. The TPPF take: China has this much right, at least — AI boyfriends aren’t real boyfriends. “Over the past decade, much of the public square has migrated online,” says TPPF’s Hannah Bruck....
ETJ Win What to know: A federal court recently granted a preliminary injunction “stop[ping] the City of Austin from regaining extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) over a swath of land west of the city, representing a temporary win for the group of landowners who sued.” The court’s decision preserves the Texas Legislature’s intent of creating a pathway out of city...
Baby Boom What to know: President Donald Trump has issued new executive orders to deter “birth tourism,” in which foreigners arrange to give birth in the U.S., thereby ensuring the baby has American citizenship. The TPPF take: Texas is already taking aim at birth tourism. “Time and time again, Texas has had to act where...
An Affordability Session What to know: Speaking to a group in West Texas, the Texas Speaker of the House told the crowd: “It’s going to be a property tax, affordability session.” The TPPF take: Affordability is the number one issue in America — and Texas. “State leadership appears poised to address affordability in a major...
Proactive Transparency What to know: After hearing complaints about the city’s handling of the Public Information Act, one Dallas city councilmember is urging her colleagues to embrace transparency and proactively post “all travel records by staff and elected officials” online. Doing so, she says, would help promote public confidence. The TPPF take: The proactive disclosure of public information is...
Texas DOGE What to know: Acting Texas Comptroller Don Huffines is moving quickly to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse at the agency and save taxpayer money. In one of his first acts, the new Comptroller has asked department heads to identify possible staff reductions under the rationale that: “One of our largest objects of expense is salaries, so...
What to know: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is cracking down on “birth tourism,” the practice of foreigners giving birth in the U.S. in order to secure American citizenship for their child. The TPPF take: A whopping 26,000 babies are born to foreign nationals in the United States each year. “Texas is not deciding constitutional questions about citizenship,” says TPPF’s Selene...
A Stronger Core What to know: Lawmakers are increasingly involved in what colleges and universities teach — by deciding what their “core” classes should be. The TPPF take: Those core classes are important. “A genuine core is not a cafeteria of disconnected distribution requirements,” says TPPF’s Tom Lindsay. “It is a coherent course of study...