What to know: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is cracking down on “birth tourism,” the practice of foreigners giving birth in the U.S. in order to secure American citizenship for their child.
The TPPF take: A whopping 26,000 babies are born to foreign nationals in the United States each year.
“Texas is not deciding constitutional questions about citizenship,” says TPPF’s Selene Rodriguez. “Those issues belong to Congress and, where appropriate, the courts. But the state can enforce its laws against fraud, protect taxpayers from exploitation, and hold accountable those who profit from abusing the immigration system.”
Masculinity
What to know: The Los Angeles Times says the Democrats have just two flawed ideas of what masculinity is — they’re embodied in former Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner and Texas Senate candidate James Talarico.
The TPPF take: That’s not authentic masculinity.
“Masculinity seeks distinction, takes pleasure in skill, and embodies a desire to be known,” says TPPF’s Cameron Abrams. “The fundamental male archetype includes a heroic urge. It is an ancient form of ambition that seeks greatness, even if it may appear vain or domineering to our modern, feminine-coded morality. Masculinity incurs its own civic weight. Men must be courageous, pursue excellence, have the ability to find and restore order — even when the culture has a reluctance to encourage such types of action.”
Housing Costs
What to know: Nearly half of Texas renters are drowning in housing costs, a new report says.
The TPPF take: New research by TPPF’s Jacob Nemit notes that half of Texas renters are spending at least 30% of their income on rent.
“What many renters may not realize is that taxes factor heavily into what they pay their landlord each month,” says TPPF’s Eric Oldfather. “The research highlights that roughly 20% of every rent dollar in Texas goes directly to paying local property taxes. How these taxes come about is usually through massive bond packages or higher tax rates, both of which are decided by local elected officials. Yet, most renters never make the connection between local decisions and higher rent.”