Texas has long been the beacon of liberty, prosperity, and innovation for America and the world, and one of the state’s leading policy research institutes has a plan to keep it that way.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s “Texas Prosperity Promise” outlines policy reforms relating to taxation, education, government spending, accountability, and self-governance; and commits grassroots activists, policy leaders, and state and local officials to actively support the measures.
TPPF’s Rafael Bejar explained the five legislative priorities included in the Promise at an event hosted by the Hispanic Republican Club of North Texas Monday night.
The foundation’s boldest policy reforms are aimed at fixing the state’s complex school finance scheme and lowering property tax burdens by using existing state revenue streams to fund schools’ maintenance and operating expenses.
The Promise also calls on state and local governments to adopt budgets that limit spending increases to less than population growth plus inflation, and for an end to tax-funded lobbying and government collection of union dues.
Prioritizing American history and civic education for all Texans is the final component.
“If we fail to restore civics education within society, we shall lose the capacity for self-government on which life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness ultimately depend,” says the TTPF document.
By signing the Promise, Texans commit to demanding government policies that foster prosperity. That means actively engaging with lawmakers and other public officials, said Bejar.
“For representative democracy to work, you have to be engaged,” Bejar concluded.
Texans can stay informed and engaged during the current legislative session by texting TXLEGE to 52886 for alerts on key bill filings, committee hearings, floor votes, and other updates.
