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

Hey, Humans Are A Species, Too

What to Know: The Trump administration has finalized its new rules for the Endangered Species Act, finally recognizing that humans are a species, too.

The TPPF Take: The new rules simply require the government to take into account the economic burden of ESA rulings.

“The ESA is an ineffective tool for protecting species; less than 2% of listed species have been removed from the ESA’s endangered list in 40 years,” notes TPPF’s Rob Henneke. “And ESA protections won’t be removed by the new rules; the Administration’s new rules provide greater clarity in the enforcement of the law and will incentivize recovery of more species.”

Our Bills Are Going Up

What to Know: Even though Georgetown city officials say they’re not raising the tax rate, tax bills are still going up—because of higher appraisals.

The TPPF Take: Many Texans will see higher tax bills this year.

“Like many cities, Georgetown is gaming Texas’ property tax system to reap a windfall while skirting responsibility for hammering homeowners,” said TPPF’s James Quintero. “By now, most of us are familiar with shell game. Instead of lowering property tax rates to compensate for skyrocketing values, many local officials are leaving rates unchanged and blaming market pressures for high tax bills. But no one is fooled.”

You Don’t Say

What to Know: The Orange County (California) Register laments the state’s last-place ranking in Business Climate in a new survey—and notes that its problems are self-inflicted.

The TPPF Take: It’s not just the cost of doing business that is sinking California—it’s the cost of living, too.

“Like me, more and more Californians are finding that the California Dream is really only accessible out-of-state, in places like Texas,” says TPPF’s Chuck DeVore, a former California assemblyman. “That’s entirely due to the lack of liberty and opportunity in the Golden State. But those are freely available here in the Lone Star State.”