School Choice Week
What to know: As national School Choice Week begins, Iowa is poised to take a big step toward parent empowerment, as its governor pushes an expansion of education savings accounts.
The TPPF take: Support for parent empowerment is strong, even in rural areas of the nation.
“Texas politicians, take note: parents aren’t fooled by the false narrative on school choice anymore,” says Texas Tech University’s Professor Alexander Salter. “School choice doesn’t hurt rural districts. If anything, it strengthens them by giving families additional options. Public education dollars should fund students, not systems. It’s time to make school choice a reality here in Texas.”
For more on School Choice Week, click here.
Lobbying With Your Dollars
What to know: Big city mayors in Texas have laid out their agenda for the Legislature, and it’s a hodgepodge of big-government programs and goals, such as gun control.
The TPPF take: Mayors can have their own agendas, but shouldn’t be allowed to lobby for these items with taxpayer dollars.
“Local governments spend tax dollars to hire registered lobbyists,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “These hired hands advocate for more government. In doing so, they impede Texans’ right to petition their elected officials. The right to petition is a constitutional right that ensures elected representatives hear from more than a select few supporters or special interests. It is intended to empower citizens, not the government.”
For more on lobbying with taxpayer dollars, click here.
Save the Whales
What to know: A Maryland congressman wants to know what’s killing whales along the eastern seaboard. He suspects that increased activity for offshore wind facilities could be a factor.
The TPPF take: TPPF attorneys have filed a lawsuit over offshore wind plans that endanger marine wildlife and the vital fishing industry.
“At every stage of wind farm development, these majestic creatures are threatened, starting with the sonar surveys used to map the seabed,” says TPPF’s Robert Henneke. “When the liberal environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council, a coalition of U.S. senators led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and a conservative Texas institute like mine come together to question an ocean-based wind farm project, something must be fishy.”
For more on offshore wind, click here.