Inappropriate Use
What to know: A Dallas City Council member has admitted to using taxpayer-funded lobbyists to lobby West Texas state senators about some land she owns there.
The TPPF take: Hiring lobbyists is an inappropriate use of taxpayer funds.
“As this instance demonstrates, it poses a danger to taxpayers and the public trust alike,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “And there is no real public benefit to allowing governments to lobby government for more government.”
For more on taxpayer-funded lobbying, click here.
A Matter of Fairness
What to know: The Trump administration has increased funding to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), even as it cut some grants for Hispanic-serving colleges, CNN (and others) report.
The TPPF take: The media isn’t reporting the reasons why funding was cut at Hispanic colleges.
“This was not an act of favoritism but one of fairness and compliance,” says TPPF’s Richard Johnson. “The reallocation followed findings that certain HSI funding practices conflicted with federal guidelines and the race-neutral intent of federal education law, while HBCUs remained fully compliant and eligible under existing statutes.”
For more on HBCU funding, click here.
Water
What to know: Texas voters will go the polls in November; one of the issues they’ll decide is a constitutional amendment to help fund water for Texas’ future.
The TPPF take: Texas faces serious water challenges.
“Consider that Texas’ population will increase by an estimated 73% by 2070 to 51.5 million, while water supplies are projected to decrease by about 18%,” says TPPF’s Larry French. “Inaction is not an option. Cities, farms, and industry need water, and must plan and work together with state policymakers to ensure that Texas continues to succeed.”
For more on water in Texas, click here.