A Martyr for the Left What to know: The left is now treating Renee Good, who was killed attempting to ram an ICE agent with her vehicle, as a martyr. The TPPF take: The left seeks martyrs to fuel anti-Trump uprising. “Why the drive for martyrs?” asks TPPF’s Chuck DeVore. “It stems from a deep understanding of revolutionary...
Pushing the Message on the Public Dime What to know: Social justice activists serving on the San Antonio city council want to spend $170,000 to install rainbow-colored sidewalks, raising legitimate concerns about waste and abuse. But a few councilmembers are fighting back, arguing that: “Tax dollars should not fund individual viewpoints.” The TPPF take: Pushing politics is...
No More Escaping Consequences What to know: Captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro is unlikely to beat the charges he now faces in the U.S., legal experts say. The TPPF take: The era of escaping consequences is over. “Venezuela’s corrupt leaders got away with it for too long,” says TPPF’s Joshua Treviño. “They sent forth millions of their own citizenry...
Eyes on Local Debt What to know: Thanks to a new state law (HB 103), the Texas Comptroller’s office recently unveiled the Local Government Bond, Tax, and Project Transparency Database, enabling Texans to “see exactly how much debt their local governments carry, what bonds voters approved, and how those dollars are being used.” The TPPF take: Texas’ new...
A Just Action What to know: Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ran a corrupt narco-state. He was first indicted on narcotics trafficking in 2020. The TPPF take: The Trump administration’s actions in capturing Maduro were just and appropriate. “The United States has set itself against not just a particular regime in Venezuela, but against a particular class of regime that...
Obamacare What to know: The Affordable Care Act subsidies enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic have now expired. The TPPF take: Those subsidies have helped drive up health care costs. “Subsidies are often sold as help for working families, but in practice they are a major reason health care costs keep rising,” says TPPF’s Brian Phillips. “They prop up a...
Election Integrity What to know: Suspecting election fraud, the Department of Justice has demanded voting records dating back to 2024. The TPPF take: Minnesota’s election system is broken. “Recent reporting has brought renewed attention to just how permissive Minnesota’s election framework has become,” says TPPF’s Josh Findlay. “The state allows voters to ‘vouch’ for up to eight other individuals at...
A Taxing Christmas? What to know: Californians had a more expensive Christmas than most of us, primarily because of bad policies. Topping the list of higher costs is electricity, which is often twice as high as the national average. The TPPF take: California’s energy problems are entirely self-inflicted. “Back when I served in the California State Assembly from...
CAFE Standards What to know: Fifty years ago, Congress enacted the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. They have been a failure. The TPPF take: The CAFE standards forced automakers to subsidize EV production to offset gas-powered vehicles that fell below the standards. “Every Chevrolet Volt sold allowed GM to sell multiple large SUVs without...
Strengthening the Grid What to know: Is the Texas electric grid ready for winter? ERCOT says probably. The TPPF take: Texas has strengthened its grid, but it’s still vulnerable to winter storms. “Following the 2021 winter storm Uri, Texas lawmakers passed comprehensive legislation requiring power plants and natural gas infrastructure to meet winter weatherization standards,” says TPPF’s Cullen Neely....
Bye Bye Bye What to know: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says Texas can eliminate school property taxes for homeowners by consistently applying state surplus to the problem. The state’s surplus totaled $33 billion in 2023 and $24 billion in 2025. The TPPF take: Gov. Abbott is right—the Legislature has ample resources to solve this problem without disrupting core...
Stop the Steal What to know: For years, state lawmakers have tried to cut property taxes in a major way. However, those efforts have been eroded or reversed by local decisions to hike rates, borrow heavily, and spend large. Now the Texas governor is proposing to “limit local government spending growth to population and inflation, or 3.5%, the...