A Huge Exodus
What to know: JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon issued a stark warning that “high taxes and declining quality of life are driving a ‘huge exodus’ of people and companies.” The warning was aimed at America’s left-leaning states, which are losing loads of people and income to well-governed conservative states, like Texas.
The TPPF take: Americans are voting with their feet. And conservative states, like Texas, are the destination of choice.
“Texas’ reputation as a low tax, limited government state continues to attract countless new residents every day, eager to chase after the American Dream and shake off the shackles of socialism. It is a true testament to the power and potential of the Texas Model,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “Dimon’s remarks should bolster policymakers’ confidence and spur them to go bigger in the next legislative session.”
For more on the Texas Model, click here.
What’s an American?
What to know: Does the U.S. Constitution allow for “birthright” citizenship? Writing in The Federalist, attorney Hans Mahncke says no.
The TPPF take: In the U.S., the very concept of “citizenship” is under siege.
“The Left frames illegal immigration as a humanitarian right; the Right now echoes that framing under the guise of compassion and market necessity,” says TPPF’s Ammon Blair. “Both erase the border between legal and illegal. And both are leading us to the same destination: a nation where citizenship is conditional, rights are transactional, and sovereignty is symbolic.”
For more on citizenship, click here.
Foreign Funding
What to know: More and more states are taking action to prevent foreign funding from influencing elections.
The TPPF take: Foreign nationals and corporations have spent money to influence state or local ballot measures, with one group spending $130 million over 10 years.
“In an era of geopolitical tensions, sophisticated ways of moving money around to fund elections, and growing foreign attempts to influence events in the U.S., allowing foreign money to sway ballot outcomes undermines the principle that American laws should reflect American voices,” says TPPF’s Chuck DeVore. “Blocking foreign funding in ballot initiatives represents a straightforward, constitutionally sound solution.”
For more on foreign funding, click here.