Re-Fund the Police
What to Know: In the face of a rising wave of crime, more and more cities are re-funding their police departments.
The TPPF Take: Re-funding the police should be done in a smart and targeted manner.
“We owe it to our police officers to give them the tools and training they need to be in as few life-and-death situations as possible,” says TPPF’s Lars Trautman. “And while it will undoubtedly chagrin the Defund the Police crowd, that takes significant resources and support. Change is rarely cheap, yet when it comes to improving policing and protecting public safety, it is well worth it.”
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About Time
What to Know: The Texas Association of School Boards has voted to separate itself from its national counterpart, which last year sent a letter to President Biden portraying parents as “domestic terrorists.”
The TPPF Take: This is the right decision—however belated.
“While TASB tried to quell concerns by claiming that it ‘was not consulted nor involved in the development of the NSBA letter,’ the controversy never abated,” notes TPPF’s James Quintero. “The NSBA’s view of parental participation in school board meetings is repugnant and has no place here.”
For more on TASB, click here.
Property Taxes
What to Know: A record number of Bexar County residents are protesting their property tax appraisals—which could lower their skyrocketing tax bills.
The TPPF Take: It’s not just Texans in urban areas like San Antonio who need property tax relief.
“Opponents of property tax reform will use rural Texans as a prop in their argument,” says TPPF’s Vance Ginn. “But rural Texans need property tax relief, too. And our plan, which will use state surplus funds to buy down the maintenance and operations (M&O) portion of school taxes (the biggest part of your tax bill), will benefit all property owners in every part of the state.”
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