An Armed Populace
What to Know: A gun control bill is now advancing in Congress, in the wake of shootings in Uvalde.
The TPPF Take: An armed populace serves as a check on government.
“We must resist the siren call of the idea that all we need is right combination of laws to produce a safe and happy society,” says TPPF’s Austin Prochko. “America saved Eastern Europe from the yoke of Russian oppression. If we submit, there is no one to save us.”
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Piling On Debt
What to Know: Harris County commissioners are considering a $1 billion bond package for public safety, roads and flood projects.
The TPPF Take: Now is not the time for local governments to pile on more debt.
“If voters aren’t dissuaded by the prospect of paying higher taxes in tough times, then they might be dismayed with the level of debt that Harris County already carries,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “According to the Bond Review Board, its debt totaled more than $5.3 billion in fiscal year 2021. The proposed bond would further bloat Harris County’s already mounting debt.”
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Local Overreach
What to Know: The city of Austin isn’t worried about its skyrocketing murder rate or its affordability crisis. Instead, it wants to tell businesses what to do.
The TPPF Take: Local overreach threatens economic opportunity.
“A city that can’t take care of its own business shouldn’t be telling private firms how to run theirs—especially in tough economic times like these,” says TPPF’s Rod Bordelon. “When the Legislature convenes again in January 2023, it should prohibit and statutorily preempt these local ordinances, and reassert its constitutional role of supremacy over local governments.”
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