Courting Chaos
What to know: A San Marcos city councilmember is urging local elected officials to pass progressive policies “no matter what far-right Republicans in Austin say.” Her remarks come one-year after the passage of the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act, aka the Death Star bill, which effectively upended the Left’s radical agenda at the local level.
The TPPF take: Local officials don’t get to pick and choose which state laws to follow.
“It’s damaging for progressive activists to urge people to break the law—especially when those laws were enacted by democratically-elected officials who represent a majority of Texans,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “Next session, the Texas Legislature should consider creating and enhancing penalties for local government officials that willfully violate state law.”
For more on the Death Star Bill, click here.
Not So Green
What to know: Google’s energy emissions have increased nearly 50% due to the demands of artificial intelligence, a new report shows.
The TPPF take: Reality keeps hijacking the Green New Deal.
“In the realm of artificial intelligence (AI), where data crunching and machine-learning algorithms reign supreme, the demand for energy has emerged as a critical concern,” says TPPF’s Chuck DeVore. “Silicon Valley’s techno-optimism — and business plans — must be fueled by reliable power.”
For more on AI and energy needs, click here.
Homelessness
What to know: Texas’ ban on camping in public spaces—enacted after Austin’s disastrous experiment in enabling homelessness and addiction—is constitutional following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
The TPPF take: Policies like those advocated by Austin have caused a homelessness crisis. The Texas law—and the Supreme Court ruling—are entirely warranted.
“The problem has become so pervasive, so out of hand that even progressive states that originally bought into this policy have been forced to act for the sake of public safety,” says TPPF’s John Bonura. “The compassion we feel for other people who find themselves in dire straits is natural and is an important component when deciding policy. However, it is not compassionate to allow people to be stuck in a cycle of government-enabled homelessness, nor is it compassionate to forget about the safety of the public.”
For more on homelessness, click here.