Halting Harris County What to Know: Yet again, Texas courts have halted Harris County activists. On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court put a stop to a county program that “provide[d] taxpayer-funded legal defense to illegal immigrants facing deportation,” finding that it likely violates the state constitution. The TPPF take: Progressive activists in Harris County continue to bend, if not...
Big News in the Bay Area What to know: Even the San Francisco Chronicle is covering TPPF’s new lawsuit against the city of Oakland for its decision to fine a couple nearly $1 million for removing dead and dying trees from their own property. The TPPF take: The city’s actions constitute an uncompensated taking of private property. “You can...
Independence Day What to know: America will soon celebrate her 250th birthday. The TPPF take: It’s time for a renewal of civic literacy. “Civic literacy is not a conservative or liberal project; it is a prerequisite for democratic self-rule,” says TPPF’s Richard Johnson. “As James Madison warned, a people who mean to govern themselves must arm themselves with knowledge. Stated...
Central Texas Fat Cats What to know: Superintendent salaries are sky-high. For instance, in the Central Texas area, the Lake Travis ISD superintendent took home “$468,716” this year, excluding benefits. The TPPF take: Every dollar spent on supersized salaries is a dollar that doesn’t make it to the classroom. “Classrooms are starved for resources. Teachers are living...
Don’t Vermont My Texas What to know: On a recent visit to Texas, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders urged “raising the federal minimum wage to $20 an hour, freezing rents, improving healthcare, expanding Social Security, curbing corporate political donations and passing ‘Medicare for all.’” The TPPF take: Radical leftists threaten a socialist takeover. But freedom-loving Texans will fight to keep...
Teaching the Truth What to know: The Texas State Board of Education has approved new standards for social studies and literature for Texas school children. The TPPF take: The SBOE stood up to incredible pressure to wokify social studies and the reading lists. “This is a major win for Texas parents who value literacy, critical thinking, and the...
Citizenship at the Ballot Box What to know: Los Angeles will let voters decide whether illegal immigrants should be allowed to vote in city elections. The TPPF take: When did citizenship become optional at the ballot box? “For most Americans, the answer is straightforward: Voting is a right reserved for citizens,” says TPPF’s Josh Findlay. “Yet the Los Angeles...
An Important Pause What to know: Texas’ Public Utility Commission has put plans for a massive transmission line project on hold. The TPPF take: While the pause is good news, what is needed is a full stop until the Legislature meets in 2027. “The decision by the PUC to defer action on this first section of the 765-kV lines...
Taking a Stand What to know: Conservatives on the Conroe ISD school board declined to nominate a member to the Texas Association of School Boards’ governing body, “citing disagreements with the organization’s left-leaning policy positions.” During the last legislative session, TASB was heavily criticized for its positions on taxpayer-funded lobbying, parental rights, and DEI. The TPPF take: Conroe...
Discovering America What to know: Soccer fans from around the world are discovering America, as FIFA World Cup games continue. The TPPF take: The internet is filled with videos of soccer fans from across the world learning just how incredible the United States is. “As we approach our 250th anniversary, these people experiencing America for the first time...
Let the Sun Shine In What to know: A Texas state representative is battling a local education foundation over transparency. The TPPF take: In Texas, education foundations are supposed to support public school districts through fundraising, making donations, and offering other supportive services. “However, as documented in a recent report, these foundations sometimes blur the line when it comes...
No Sex in the City What to know: Young people are in a “sex recession,” having fewer romantic relationships than previous generations. The TPPF take: Why is an entire generation opting out of intimacy? “We live in a culture increasingly convinced that hope is naïve,” says TPPF’s Hannah Bruck. “The data, the apps, the accumulated lore of disappointment...