Stop the Steal

Stop the Steal 

What to know: For years, state lawmakers have tried to cut property taxes in a major way. However, those efforts have been eroded or reversed by local decisions to hike rates, borrow heavily, and spend large. Now the Texas governor is proposing to “limit local government spending growth to population and inflation, or 3.5%, the lesser of the two, require two-thirds approval on all local property tax increases, and allow voters to call for a rollback election to lower property taxes.”

The TPPF take: It’s time to stop the steal.

“The Texas Legislature is getting blamed for the harm caused by local government spendthrifts, so it’s time for state lawmakers to take the gloves off and force big changes. Everything from spending limits to supermajority requirements to tax cut elections and more should be on the table,” says TPPF’s James Quintero.

For more on local taxes and spending, click here.

Skipping School

What to know: Harvard students often skip classes and don’t do the reading, a new report says. Yet they still get high grades.

The TPPF take: Grade inflation is undermining higher education—and not just at elite schools.

“This isn’t a sign of smarter students or better teaching—it’s a collapse of standards,” says TPPF’s Tom Lindsay. “Grade point averages (GPAs) at public universities have climbed from 2.7 in the 1960s to 3.2 by 2023, according to a 2024 report, even as student effort has plummeted from 24 study hours per week in 1961 to 14 in 2022. This inflation poisons the academic ecosystem.”

For more on grade inflation, click here.

Veterans Courts

What to know: Veterans Treatment Courts are shown to improve outcomes when a troubled veteran comes into contact with the criminal justice system.