New Laws, Who Dis?
What to know: On Friday, new laws go into effect. This includes new penalties for voter fraud. House Bill 1243 makes it a felony to vote illegally in Texas elections.
The TPPF take: The new law will help restore integrity to our elections.
“House Bill 1243 sends a strong message that threats to free and fair elections will not be tolerated,” says TPPF’s Chuck DeVore. “This crucial measure will help restore Texans’ faith in our process.”
For more on secure elections, click here.
High School High Rollers
What to know: The most expensive high school stadiums seem to be concentrated in a few areas. “Five of the top 10 come from Houston area school districts, four of them are in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and one is in the Beaumont area.”
The TPPF take: Some school districts are spending wildly on publicly funded palaces, despite the fact that their taxpayers are struggling.
“School district spending is out-of-control, as partially evidenced by the host of $50 million-plus high school stadiums that litter the state. This recklessness is pushing tax bills through the roof,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “If we are ever to truly get property taxes under control, then we must make commonsense changes to the way that public schools tax and spend.”
For more on school spending, click here.
Buoys on the Border
What to know: Texas and the federal government are facing off in court over the buoy barrier that Texas put in place to deter illegal immigration.
The TPPF take: TPPF attorneys have filed an amicus brief supporting Texas’ authority to install the barrier.
“On Tuesday, U.S. Mexico Border Affairs Coordinator Hillary Quam testified that Texas should remove buoy barriers in the Rio Grande because they have upset the Mexican government,” says TPPF’s Robert Henneke. “The reality of the border demonstrates that Mexico is anything but a willing partner. Texans are paying the price for this willful blindness—often, with their lives.”
For more on the board, click here.