A Closer Look What to know: The Texas Attorney General has launched an investigation into Austin ISD’s annual Pride Week celebration, which may be in violation of “a 2025 Texas law restricting districts’ ability to sponsor clubs or deliver instruction related to gender identity or sexual orientation.” The TPPF take: If Austin ISD has willfully violated state...
That’s Not It What to know: The leftist CNBC network claims that the war in Iran “is compounding California’s energy crunch.” The TPPF take: California’s energy problems are entirely of its own making. “Back when I served in the California State Assembly from 2004 to 2010, I warned that these laws, regulations and subsidies would instead drive...
We Could Have Told You That What to know: Texas taxpayers are spending millions of dollars on lobbyists who fight against their interests, Real Clear Investigations reports. The TPPF take: RCI based its report on a TPPF study. “Taxpayer-funded lobbyists consistently opposed legislation involving property tax reform, local regulatory preemption, and school choice,” says TPPF’s Ben Crockett. “Taxpayer-funded lobbyists also...
Thou Dost Protest Too Much What to know: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ speech at the University of Texas at Austin last week was greeted by protests from UT students. The TPPF take: Thomas’ speech outlined what has gone wrong in higher education. “The existential crisis of higher education, then, is not simply one of trust, cost, or...
Pouring Gasoline on the Affordability Fire What to know: Austin city officials recently approved a $13.4 million purchase of “50 acres of parkland” that are outside the city limits. The acquisition costs taxpayers today, spikes maintenance costs in the future, and likely takes affordable property off the market forever. The TPPF take: City governments are making the...
The Cost of EpiPens What to know: Life-saving EpiPens, which cost about $50 in 2007, now cost about $300 each. The TPPF take: High costs are putting people’s lives at risk. “There is not a shortage of epinephrine itself,” says TPPF’s Dr. Cliff Porter. “But there are only a few suppliers of EpiPen and similar epinephrine injection devices to...
Dignity What to know: Holding the homeless responsible for their actions isn’t “punishment,” the head of a Reno shelter explains—it affords them a dignity that hand-outs alone don’t. The TPPF take: When someone can spend a lifetime in the same poverty-based system, “compassion” begins to look less like true help and more like resignation. “Too often, approaches to poverty...
Rising Costs What to know: Rising health care costs are now Americans’ top worry, according to a new Gallup poll. The TPPF take: Those rising costs are why TPPF has put out its Health Care Agenda for the upcoming 90th Legislature. “Health care is a case study in the negative consequences of market consolidation, anti-competitive practices, and government...
Sleight of Hand What to know: McAllen ISD wants voters to approve a $335 million bond proposal next month and to help ease cost concerns, the superintendent is telling voters that: “the district’s 93-cent tax rate will not increase if the measure is passed.” The TPPF take: Taxpayers can still pay more even if the tax rate doesn’t...
‘We Got Him’ What to know: The full story of the rescue of a downed U.S. pilot in Iran is now coming out. The TPPF take: This will go down as one of the most daring rescue operations in our nation’s history. “The pilot was badly injured but still managed to climb a 7,000-foot ridge in the Zagros Mountains...
Ill-Gotten Gains What to know: Fort Worth ISD’s academic performance has long been miserable, to the point that the district has been under a state takeover since October. Even still, Fort Worth ISD’s superintendent started the school year earning a $367,000 base salary, which “ranks 22nd statewide.” The TPPF take: Why are superintendents getting paid so much when the...
Profiting off Public Schools What to know: School districts throughout Texas have put bond elections before the voters in May; these include a $6.2 billion bond proposal for Dallas ISD. The TPPF take: A network of consultants, vendors, and special interests have been profiting off of the state’s school bond system at taxpayers’ expense. “This is a system that...