This Isn’t ‘Going Green’
What to Know: Environmental groups are trying to block mining of the minerals we need to power the green energy future they demand.
The TPPF Take: Renewable energy requires an immense amount of “critical minerals.” They’ve got to come from somewhere.
“The current shortage of critical minerals stems in part from a decades-long push from activist organizations to limit mining activity in the United States, and the Endangered Species Act has long been a favorite cudgel of these groups because of its sweeping powers,” says TPPF’s Brent Bennett. “A classic example is a lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity challenging an Ioneer Corp. open-pit lithium and boron mine in Nevada over the impact it was having on a wildflower.”
For more on critical minerals, click here.
Big Budget
What to Know: Comal Independent School District has adopted a big, new budget.
The TPPF Take: Comal ISD has seen a dramatic increase in spending in the last decade.
“Compared to the previous year, CISD’s newest All Funds budget increased by almost $90 million total, growing from $321 million in 2021-22 to $411 million this year,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “To be fair, the new budget includes ‘almost $26 million’ in recapture payments to the state; but even accounting for that expense, there’s substantial growth in new spending that state and local taxpayers will have to pay for—now and into the future.”
For more on Comal ISD, click here.
Digital Bill of Rights
What to Know: Another day, another announcement of a digital privacy breach.
The TPPF Take: Texans deserve a Digital Bill of Rights.
“Texans have virtually no way of knowing what personal data is being collected, who has access to it, and no say in whether a business can sell their data,” says TPPF’s David Dunmoyer. “But Texans should have basic data privacy protections, and the way to provide this is through a Digital Bill of Rights.”
For more on a Digital Bill of Rights, click here.