When our freedoms are at risk, the Texas Public Policy Foundation will be there fighting for liberty at every level. Despite the challenges of 2020, we had some major wins for Texas. Here's how we kept Texas, Texan in 2020!

National: The Un-Affordable Care Act

In 2020, TPPF participated in the lawsuit to put an end to the Affordable Care Act which was brought before the highest court in the land. While we still await the Supreme Court ruling, we are proud our efforts to end this failed system.

There were many promises made (and broken) about how the ACA would improve healthcare and make it more affordable. However, 10 years later the system has done the opposite of what it had intended to do. Our Right on Healthcare Director David Balat perfectly summarized our focus: "What’s important is ensuring our taxes are being efficiently and effectively used to achieve the goal: providing health care (not merely coverage) to those who need it most."

State: Forging The Lone Star Legend

Texas has been the bastion of liberty and freedom since it was earned in 1836. The principles of liberty, self-government, and equality are just as important today as when Texans started the Revolution. Our Forging Texas video series is a look at what drove Texans to fight for these principles, and win.

“The story of the Texas Revolution is the story of ourselves—who we are, how we came to be, and what it means to truly be Texan,” said TPPF Executive Director Kevin Roberts, Ph.D. “Texas is the extension of America’s founding, based on the principles of ordered liberty, self-government, and equality. Texas’ story is a reflection of our national identity and we continue to fight for the same ideals. How do we live in liberty? How do we resist tyranny? What do we owe to our community? What are we willing to endure for our children’s futures? The revolutionaries of the Texas past gave the best possible answers to each of these questions—and we owe it to them to aspire to their standard.”

Local: Good Governance (Sometimes)

In July, the City of Pflugerville sought to raise taxes above the 3.5% rate-cap through the "disaster loophole" like so many other cities. The day of the vote, TPPF held a livestream with Senator Paul Bettencourt and Representative Dustin Burrows on property taxes in Texas. Fortunately some Pflugerville taxpayers were watching. 

That evening while the Pflugerville City Council was discussing the proposed tax increase, Pflugervillians took action. They sent a message loud and clear that a tax increase would be detrimental. When the dust settled, City Council sought a lower tax rate that wouldn't over-burden taxpayers. This may have been a small win, but it was meaningful in 2020!

Honorable Mention: Recovery Texas

2020 has been devastating to our economy and on the livelihoods of many Texans. But through it all, Texans have still come together to help one another in every way possible. Here are a few examples of Texans helping their community:

• Austin's Couch Potatoes
• Adapt & Serve
• More Than Burgers
• Beyond the Day-to-Day

These stories are a powerful reminder that, no matter what, we're Texans and we're in this together. 

Editor's Note:

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