The Texas Freedom Agenda
For those Texans who support the principles of lower taxes, less government, and more freedom, we have a real opportunity in 2003 to affect policy change in our state. But we need your help. Our governor and Texas legislators on both sides of the aisle need to hear from you that Texans want to see these principles reflected in legislation this year. I hope that you will join with CSE to promote these important issues and work to defend our economic liberty.
We need to send a strong message to our elected representatives that the more than 25,000 members of CSE in Texas are focused on the following:
No Tax Increases
In the wake of a budget shortfall, Texas CSE’s central concern is that legislators will try and solve the state’s financial woes with tax increases instead of responsible fiscal constraint. Texas CSE stands firmly against any tax increases and supports the following legislation that will act to ease the tax burden on hard-working Texas families:
HB 1 : House budget which for the first time in over 20 years reduces the size and scope of government.
HB133 / HJR15 by Rep. Carl Isett “Reining in State Spending”: to limit the growth of appropriations in a biennium to not exceed the estimated rate of growth of total personal income in the state.
HB 313 by Rep. Tommy Merritt “Repeal the State Inheritance Tax”: would amend the Tax Code to repeal Chapter 211, the state inheritance tax.
SB 392 by Sen. Steve Ogden and Sen. Tommy Williams “Truth in Taxation”: relates to Texas utility districts that levy property taxes in the state, and provides for safeguards for the taxpayers requiring them to notify taxpayers in advance of proposed tax rate increases.
In addition, Texas CSE opposes the following legislation that uses tax dollars to unfairly subsidize public entities:
HB 262 by Rep. Steve Wolens: this bill allows several large municipalities to use hotel occupancy taxes to guarantee bonds to finance convention center hotels and other public facilities (golf courses, parking garages, restaurants.) This is wrong! It’s the ultimate irony to have private enterprise taxed to pay for public-funded ventures.
Tort Reform
Litigious trial lawyers rob decent, honest Americans of their money, trust and peace of mind. Fear of lawsuit impacts our daily lives both at the workplace, at home and while enjoying recreational activities. Texas CSE believes that it’s time to finish the civil justice reforms that began in our state and supports the following legislation:
HB 4 by Rep. Joe Nixon: This legislation continues the tort reforms passed in 1995 and addresses a number of issues including medical malpractice reform, teacher protection from frivolous lawsuits, product liability, proportionate responsibility, and other measures.
Regulatory Reform
Removing the obstacles that allow our state’s businesses to compete in a free market environment is absolutely critical to Texas CSE. Texas CSE supports the following legislation that will remove barriers prohibiting free enterprise and limiting consumer choices:
HB 3346 by Reps. Arlene Wohlgemuth and Larry Taylor “Free market approach to addressing insurance issues in Texas”: replaces the current regulatory regime with a more competitive system that gives insurance companies the flexibility they need to respond to changing market conditions and provide consumers with better services at better prices.
HB 2997 by Rep. Jamie Capelo “Protecting Consumer Rights to Own Their Contact Lens Prescriptions”: this legislation would grant Texas consumers greater freedom and promote competition in the contact lens market by allowing Texans to easily obtain their contact lens prescription; instead of jumping through government mandated “hoops” that only allow them to receive it from one source.
Texas CSE is against the following legislation that limits competition and harms consumers:
HB 1131 by Rep. Flores and SB 435 by Sen. Carona: this legislation threatens existing Texas jobs by mandating divestiture of Allstate Insurance in a motor vehicle repair facility, Sterling Auto Body Repair and sets a dangerous precedent – allowing government to dictate the consumer options that a company can offer.
CSSB 14 by Sen. Jackson: would impose government price controls, add layers of costly bureaucratic mandates, substitute regulators’ decisions in place of sound business decisions, force certain Texans to subsidize the insurance costs of other Texans, and cause businesses to view Texas as a less desirable place to do business.
Education Reform
Policy makers in Texas need to understand that choice in education, not new taxes is the way to help our children. Furthermore, attempts by forces on the left to inject the liberal agenda into the Texas’ school curriculum are despicable and must be stopped. Texas CSE supports School Choice and efforts to limit the ability of special interests to push their own, narrowly-focused agenda. Specifically, Texas CSE supports the following pro-consumer legislation:
HB 2465 by Chairman Kent Grusendorf and Reps. Mike Krusse, Ron Wilson, and Glenn Lewis “Texas Freedom Scholarship Pilot Project”: A great first step towards School Choice in Texas, this legislation would allow parents to receive a scholarship of 90% of the state expenditure per student in a given Texas school district and give parents an active choice in where their child goes to school.
HB 1277 and SB 744 by Rep. Jerry Madden and Sen. Tommy Williams; “Paycheck Protection”: ISD’s currently provide “dues check off” for employees, and the ISD is then responsible for collecting teacher union dues and Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions, used to support political parties, organizations and candidates. This legislation “Paycheck protection” refers to those labor reforms to protect workers’ rights and the use of taxpayer dollars.
HB 1447 by Rep. Charlie Howard: This legislation acts to clarify the textbook approval process in Texas by providing the SBOE, a body elected by the people of Texas, with the authority to review the content of our children’s textbooks. This body would be ultimately answerable to the people for attempts by liberal groups such as the environmentalists who try to brainwash our children with their own agenda.
HB 1172 by Rep. Jerry Madden: This bill would require the public school curriculum, thru TEKS reform, portray America as a great nation, which has overcome its mistakes to emerge as the most free, democratic nation in the history of the world.
