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Connecting today’s news with the research & opinion you need.

A Father’s Day in Court

What to Know: On March 25, the Texas Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in an important parental rights case, and TPPF attorneys will be there to argue on behalf of a father.

The TPPF Take: The question before the Texas Supreme Court is, when does an unrelated third-party individual have standing to sue for custody of a child?

“The U.S. Supreme Court has acknowledged that parental rights are constitutionally protected, and that has been reflected in the state’s jurisprudence,” says TPPF’s Robert Henneke. “I’ll be arguing that parental rights are fundamental and inherent, and not something granted by government. Parents should have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing of their children—in all circumstances.”

Coverage of Another Kind

What to Know: Advocates for the homeless say that expanding Medicaid (a key component of the Affordable Care Act that Texas has thus far rejected) would help solve the intractable problem.

The TPPF Take: Medicaid expansion is no cure-all homelessness, if the underlying problems are not addressed.

“There is already an existing federal program for those experiencing homelessness to access free, or extremely discounted, health care,” notes TPPF’s Andrew Brown. “Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) are community-based clinics that serve designated medically underserved areas and populations and cannot deny services based on the patient’s ability to pay. The data is clear—merely increasing the number of those with coverage does not create more avenues of access or improve health outcomes.”

Not News to Us

What to Know: Texas doesn’t have a state income tax, but its high property tax rates make it the 11th most highly taxed state in the nation.

The TPPF Take: We need a tax reform plan as big and bold as Texas.

“The Texas Public Policy Foundation has a plan to eliminate the school maintenance and operations (M&O) property tax,” explains TPPF’s James Quintero. “If faithfully implemented, this plan will slow government spending, saw property tax bills in half, and scrap Robin Hood, an ill-conceived scheme that redistributes money among school districts.”