Home-Rule Hissy Fit
What to know: Some San Antonio City Council members “are calling for the city to take legal action” to stop House Bill 2127 (i.e., the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act) from taking effect on Sept. 1. City officials argue the bill unfairly limits their ability to regulate.
The TPPF take: Progressive activists might not like the new law, but there’s nothing unfair or unconstitutional about it. The Texas Legislature ultimately has charge over local government matters.
“Home-rule cities have been running amok for years, making life hard and expensive for regular Texans,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “This municipal misbehavior finally resulted in the passage of HB 2127, which aims to bring consistency and common sense to local policymaking. And while progressive activists may not like it, they are ultimately not the ones in charge of state government.”
For more on local liberty, click here.
ESG
What to know: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink says he’s “ashamed” to be involved in the debate over environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment principles. But he’s still going to pursue its goals, he adds.
The TPPF take: ESG is a scam.
“I work now to expose how environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing threatens our economic prosperity and, instead of improving our environment, enables China’s abysmal human rights and environmental records,” TPPF’s Jason Isaac testified before a U.S. House committee last week. “ESG has infiltrated our economy and been weaponized against essential industries all of us rely on, including, but not limited to, fossil fuels, agriculture, and forestry.”
For more on ESG, click here.
Wagons East
What to know: Two-thirds of Californians say they’re considering leaving the state over escalating living costs, rising crime, increased political polarization, and parental rights concerns.
The TPPF take: California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s political future could be clouded by the dismal state of his state—as shown by how many people are leaving it for good.
“With all that tax money California collects, you’d think its residents would enjoy great roads and a strong public education system—but California’s thoroughfares rank the nation’s fourth worst due to a big backlog of deferred maintenance while their K-12 public school results are barely better, ranking 40th of 50,” says TPPF’s Chuck DeVore. “For hundreds of thousands of Californians moving out of the state every year now, Gov. Newsom’s whiny blamecasting may be the last thing they hear as they cross the border heading east.”
For more on California, click here.