It’s Not a Big Request
What to know: More and more Texans are demanding an end to practice of local governments using our tax dollars to lobby against us.
The TPPF take: One bill to ban the practice, SB 10, was gutted and replaced with language that exempted lobbyists who are lawyers from any restrictions on lobbying.
“Amendments to SB 10 also freed lawyers from Texas’s requirements to report their lobbying activities,” notes TPPF’s Chuck DeVore. “Texas might yet see consequential reform limiting local government from using tax dollars to pay for lobbyists—but the victory won’t be easy.”
For more on taxpayer-funded lobbying, click here.
Don’t Defund our Police
What to know: Two bills that would help prevent left-leaning city councils from defunding their police departments are making progress.
The TPPF take: Defunding the police only makes a city less safe.
“The goal of the defunding movement was never about public safety,” says TPPF’s Randy Petersen. “Rather, the goal has always been punishing the police and even abolishing law enforcement. Who exactly stands to gain the most from this agenda? Soaring crime rates give us that answer, and the ones who suffer are the most vulnerable among us in high-crime neighborhoods.”
For more on the movement to defund the police, click here.
Success!
What to know: Tennessee’s governor has signed a slate of criminal justice reform bills.
The TPPF take: Conservative leaders in Tennessee, led by Gov. Bill Lee, are enacting policies that will improve the overall effectiveness of the state’s criminal justice system.
“There are critics who contend the effort of Gov. Lee and legislative leadership is ‘soft on crime,’ and others who argue they were ‘too tough’ or did not go far enough,” says TPPF’s Brett Tolman. “As conservatives, we applaud the measured, evidence-based approach of Tennessee leadership.”
For more on Tennessee, click here.