Higher and Higher
What to know: The vaunted “transition” away from fossil fuels will cost Americans—a lot.
The TPPF take: Too many American families already can’t afford their skyrocketing energy bills.
“Why are American families facing this energy-driven inflationary spiral?” asks TPPF’s Jason Isaac. “Well, prices have surged because President Joe Biden’s policies essentially guaranteed they would surge. When there is a shortage of a product in demand, the price of that product increases. Fossil fuels are clearly in high demand and limiting the supply of such fuels obviously increased the costs.”
For more on fossil fuels, click here.
It’s About Parents’ Rights
What to know: What’s driving the push for universal school choice? Parents’ rights.
The TPPF take: Parents are demanding real education reform—and that includes school choice.
“Parents across Texas are becoming ‘accidental activists’ after learning that the school system is set up to protect the bureaucracy at the expense of what parents want and what students deserve,” says TPPF’s Mandy Drogin. “They are finding they have no other recourse but to stand up, speak out, protest, and ultimately run for office to change the system. But they can’t do it alone and they can’t do it forever. This courageous group of parents needs immediate support from state legislators to give them the tools they need to force public officials to be transparent, focus on education quality, and give parents the respect they deserve.”
For more on parents’ rights, click here.
A Historic Opportunity
What to know: Both the House and the Senate continue to advance legislation that would provide substantial property tax relief, albeit in somewhat different ways. The House’s approach reduces property taxes by $17.2 billion while the Senate’s plan would cut taxes by $16.5 billion.
The TPPF take: Both chambers are making progress toward the right goal—delivering a historic measure of property tax relief.
“Much to the delight of property taxpayers everywhere, the 88th Legislature appears primed to deliver a historic amount of tax relief. While the details are still being fleshed out, the developments thus far have been encouraging,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “Even still, policymakers should strive to give even more back to struggling taxpayers. They should set their sights on $20 billion or more.”
For more on property tax reform, click here.