State of the State

What to Know: In his State of the State address, Gov. Abbott pledged to put the safety of Texans at the top of his agenda.

The TPPF Take: One of Gov. Abbott’s emergency items—issues the Legislature can act on immediately—is protecting police departments from efforts to defund them for political purposes.

“We know improving policing, a core function of government, is best achieved through better training and better hiring,” says TPPF’s Randy Petersen. “We applaud the governor for prioritizing this effort to ensure law enforcement can keep all Texans safe and keep Texas a law-and-order state.”

Punxsutawney Phlop

What to Know: Even the Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania will be virtual this year—11 months after “two weeks to flatten the curve.”

The TPPF Take: Endless government-imposed lockdowns are having a very real—and very negative—effect on Americans.

“If history can teach us anything, it is that disasters can be devastating to an individual’s mental health,” says TPPF’s Shelby Sterling. “In April, experts estimated that ‘a prolonged shutdown could bring tens of thousands of deaths through spikes in…suicide, heart attack, missed cancer diagnoses, domestic violence deaths, substance abuse, and more.’”

The Texas Model

What to Know: In the movie, “Groundhog Day,” the Tip Top Café was a community gathering spot. Government-imposed pandemic rules have robbed many communities of their cafes, restaurants and pubs.

The TPPF Take : As Gov. Greg Abbott pointed out in his State of the State address on Monday, we can’t let the COVID-19 pandemic (and government responses to it) undermine the successful Texas Model.

“Shutdowns and stay-at-home orders across Texas due to COVID-19 have spiked unemployment,  slowed tax receipts, and forced the permanent closure of  thousands of Texas businesses since March,” says TPPF’s Vance Ginn. “This, from one of the most dynamic and fast-growing economies in the world. A return to previous success is possible, and necessary, by safely reopening Texas and promptly strengthening its institutions.”