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

What to Know: A new study shows that fines and fees are overused, with little effect on justice and safety.

The TPPF Take: Texas’ criminal courts imposed $8.7 billion in fines and fees on defendants between 2012 and 2018.

“As we work to ensure the criminal justice system is not unduly burdensome, we must be concerned when vulnerable Texans are being saddled with debts they cannot afford and that the state will never collect,” says TPPF’s Marc Levin. “The repercussions for those who cannot pay can be devastating.”
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Ruling Against New York

What to Know: A judge has ruled against the state of New York in a climate lawsuit.

The TPPF Take: Such lawsuits are really all about going after fossil fuel companies for cash, not the well-being of citizens (or sound legal theory).

“Critics of fossil fuels are ignoring the lives saved and the lives improved by the availability of abundant, reliable and affordable energy sources,” says TPPF’s Jason Isaac. “In a ruling in which he threw out two similar California lawsuits, the judge wrote that ‘Without those fuels, virtually all of our monumental progress would have been impossible. All of us have benefitted.’ He was right.”
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Apprenticeships

What to Know: Even the New York Times is realizing that apprenticeships can be a pathway to a rewarding career—without college debt.

The TPPF Take: Apprenticeships are right for many Americans.

“According to a recent study, college graduates with a B.A. are more likely to be underemployed than the population as a whole,” says TPPF’s Erin Valdez. “At the same time, there are high-paying jobs in the skilled trades going unfilled. In America, you can make your own path—and that might include an apprenticeship.”