Taking Away Options

What to Know: The Biden administration plans to ban the kind of short-term health insurance policies that millions of Americans have chosen.

The TPPF Take: American families will go uninsured because of this move.

“In 2018, Trump signed an executive order loosening the rules for short-term health plans. This allowed insurers to offer more flexible and more affordable plans,” says TPPF’s Robert Henneke. “By restricting these again to conform to the Affordable Care Act, the new administration is taking away choices and agency from the 1 million Americans who purchase these plans today.”

For more on the Biden's rollback of health care reforms, click here.

Texas Loves Plumbers

What to Know: State Rep. Matt Schaefer has filed a bill that will cut some of the red tape faced by the plumbing industry. It begins with getting plumbing back onto the CTE curriculum.

The TPPF Take: Skilled trades like plumbing offer a bright future to young Texans. We can work together to ensure every student has opportunities.

“Bringing local employers into the mix by supporting paid apprenticeships can give students at risk of dropping out a real incentive to stay in school and graduate,” says TPPF’s Erin Davis Valdez. “Traditional vocational programs that are oriented towards providing industry-based certifications during high school can provide true value to these students, even if they do not choose to pursue post-secondary education immediately after graduation.”

For more on CTE, click here.

We Have Questions

What to Know: Even in the depths of the COVID-19 recession, the city of San Marcos continued to spend time and money on promoting itself as the “Mermaid Capital of Texas.” Mermaids, as you are probably aware, are mythical creatures that do not exist and whose association with serves no core function of government. EDITOR’S NOTE: We take no such position on chupacabras or jackalopes.

The TPPF Take: In ordinary times, city governments shouldn’t spend finite public resources on mermaid-related activities. In extraordinary times, it should be unthinkable.

“When people were at their lowest, the city of San Marcos spent their money on a make-believe branding campaign. That speaks volumes about the city’s priorities,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “Texans need their city officials to stop dabbling in fairytales and get back to reality.”

For more on San Marcos, click here.