SAVE Act
What to know: The U.S. Senate has begun debating the SAVE Act, which would ensure election integrity.
The TPPF take: Much of the national debate is focused on voter identification.
“Voter ID laws require individuals to present identification when casting a ballot; this policy helps ensure elections are conducted fairly and securely,” says TPPF’s Josh Findlay. “The SAVE America Act also focuses on an earlier step in the election process: voter registration. The legislation would require individuals registering to vote in federal elections to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization record.”
For more on the SAVE Act, click here.
Rural Health Care
What to know: Rural Americans have more trouble accessing health care, a new study shows.
The TPPF take: Rural life has its charms, but also its challenges.
“It’s not just about providing grants and other kinds of funding,” says TPPF’s Roy Maynard. “Policy matters, and new ideas could ease the strain on rural health care providers. For example, lawmakers could increase access to direct primary care by allowing Medicaid and Medicare patients to use a portion of their benefits for DPC subscriptions. We could allow for physician-owned hospitals in rural areas, as well as expanded use of telehealth services.”
For more on rural health care, click here.
Live Within Your Means
What to know: Government Abbott wants the next Texas Legislature to rein in out-of-control local budgets through new tax-and-spending limitations. One idea is to impose a local government spending limit, with the Governor reasoning that “cities, counties and other taxing entities need to ‘live within their means.’”
The TPPF take: Governor Abbott is right—local governments need fiscal discipline.
“Unlike Texas state government, local governments are not required to limit spending growth. In the absence of any commonsense boundaries, local budgets continue to explode, putting upward pressure on property taxes and growing government far beyond what most Texans need or want,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “Local government over-spending is the problem. A local spending limit is the solution.”
For more on local government spending, click here.