What Went Wrong
What to know: The Texas Legislature is already holding hearings on the failures of ERCOT during the recent winter storm.
The TPPF take: There’s no mystery here; ERCOT failed, and so did the policies that led Texas to depend too much on unreliable sources of power.
“The Texas electricity market and its experiment with wind offer a real-life, cautionary tale on the real effects of relying on renewable energy,” says TPPF’s Jason Isaac. “When Texas needs electricity the most, wind proves most of the time to be a ‘no-show’ while fossil fuels keep on powering the
state.”
For more on Texas’ grid reliability, click here.
Making New Felons
What to know: U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s new gun control bill would make millions of law-abiding Americans into instant felons unless they comply with her new regulations.
The TPPF take: The unintended consequences of the bill would be legion.
“Many working class Americans would be priced out of defending themselves and their families—at least legally,” says TPPF’s Derek Cohen. “And the criminals who haven’t obeyed even the existing gun laws? They’ll be undeterred.”
For more on the gun control bill, click here.
Property Taxes
What to know: The Texas Comptroller’s Office has released its biennial property tax report.
The TPPF take: As usual, school property taxes make up the majority of what Texans owe. And the burden keeps growing.
“From 1998 to 2019, the average annual increase in the total property tax levy was 5.9%, meaning that cities, counties, school districts, and special districts have seen, on average, a revenue bump of almost 6% every year for the last two decades,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “These data confirm that the property tax burden continues to increase at a rapid rate and that further reforms are needed, with an eye toward reversing the excessive revenue growth and letting Texans keep more of their own hard-earned money.”
For more on property taxes, click here.