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Countdown to Policy Orientation

What to Know: Criminal procedure is becoming a focus of criminal justice reform efforts.

The TPPF Take: Criminal procedure will be the focus of a panel at TPPF’s Policy Orientation on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

“Like any evolving institution, the criminal court has managed to both strengthen and spurn its role as the guarantor of constitutional due process and a check on government inconsistencies,” says TPPF’s Derek Cohen. “From civil forfeiture to grand jury proceedings to discovery processes, our panelists will examine what changes can be made to return criminal procedure back to the ideals of the Founding Fathers.”

Rising Taxes or Texas Rising?

What to Know: Texas Governor Greg Abbott expressed concern recently over the affordability of living in Texas, saying: “One thing that is driving up the cost of housing and the cost of living is skyrocketing property taxes…[they] are beginning to force people out of homes they’ve lived in for virtually their entire lives.”

The TPPF Take: Texas is becoming less affordable, in part due to rising tax bills.

“Sky-high tax bills are indeed forcing families to flee and businesses to close all around the state,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “The problem is nearing a crisis. State lawmakers need to deliver big and bold solutions in the next legislative session.”

That’s Not What Former Californians Think

What to know: Presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg sees California as a model for the rest of the United States.

The TPPF take: Californians are voting with their feet—and moving away from the Golden State for more freedom and more opportunity.

“Moving from California to Texas was the best thing that ever happened to my family,” says TPPF’s Chuck DeVore, a former California assemblyman. “As with most of the tens of thousands of Californians who have moved to the Lone Star State annually in recent years, we did so for opportunity borne of greater freedom: lower taxes, greater private property rights and less government to tell you what to do.”