Gotta Have a Home
What to know: A new survey shows that nine out of 10 Texans say that the cost of housing near them has made owning a home unattainable.
The TPPF take: The main culprit here is the lack of supply—homes on the market.
“Basic economics tells us that low supply means prices rise—so you’d think that local governments would be keen on making it easier to build houses to increase supply and drive prices down,” says TPPF’s John Bonura. “And yet, constant interference by local governments in the housing market has produced a difficult environment. Texas has experienced such dramatic growth over the last 10 years the Comptroller’s report on housing indicates that we are more than 300,000 housing units short of meeting demand.”
For more on housing, click here.
Sola Merit
What to know: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued an order that all military academy admissions be merit-based, with “no consideration of race, ethnicity or sex in applications.”
The TPPF take: This is the right move for our military readiness.
“The Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that all American universities that receive federal funds cannot give preferences to students based on their race, ethnicity or sex, but the military academies were excluded,” says TPPF’s Sherry Sylvester. “Hegseth’s edict eliminates that exception. It is hard to argue with the notion that the military should be led by the country’s best and brightest—a decision that certainly does not preclude diversity.”
For more on merit and military academies, click here.
Help at Home
What to know: Critics of the Trump administration say that his plans to lower prescription drug prices could “hurt the poorest countries.”
The TPPF take: Our health is being held hostage by high drug prices, right here in the U.S. of A.
“However, there are a couple things that Texas can do to help bring down the price of drugs,” says TPPF’s Dr. Cliff Porter. “First, they could allow—like 46 other states—direct dispensing of prescription drugs by physicians. This would remove PBMs, insurance, and pharmacists from the drug pricing equation, bypass prior authorization restrictions, and re-establish a close relationship between doctors and patients.”
For more on prescription drug prices, click here.