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

The Death of Merit

What to Know: California groups are demanding that the University of California drop its SAT requirements, claiming that SAT tests discriminate against the disadvantaged.

The TPPF Take: Eliminating the SAT and other such admissions tests will harm those disadvantaged students in the long run.

“In my experience, the SAT and ACT, though not perfect, are better than most measures out there for predicting whether a student will succeed in college,” says TPPF’s Tom Lindsay. “Rampant grade inflation has made high school grades all but meaningless. The result of this move is not all that hard to predict: Primarily white, suburban, and affluent kids will get an even greater upper-hand in college admissions over poorer, inner-city, minority kids than they might already enjoy.”

Still Not Constitutional

What to Know: Despite San Antonio approving minor tweaks to its mandatory paid sick leave law, business groups are taking the city to court.

The TPPF Take: Mandatory paid sick leave ordinances are clearly unconstitutional.

“San Antonio can tweak its ordinance all it wants, but that doesn’t change the basic facts here, and the business community knows that,” says TPPF’s Rob Henneke. “Because mandatory paid sick leave requires a higher level of compensation than the Texas minimum wage, these ordinances run afoul of the Texas Minimum Wage Act. San Antonio’s ordinance will eventually be defeated in court.”

Gagged

What to Know: A judge has issued a gag order in the case of Atatiana Jefferson, who was killed by a police officer while standing in her own home.

The TPPF Take: What we do know about Atatiana’s case shows the need for a robust defense of the Second Amendment.

“We all have a right to be safe and secure in our own homes,” said TPPF’s Randy Petersen. “No homeowner should have to worry that an unannounced intruder might be the police. The identity of responding officers should never be in question. Proper tactics and proper identification, where feasible, can keep the officers and the communities they protect safe.”