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901 Congress Avenue, Suite 400
Austin, TX 


Ms. Brooke Railins

AMQUNT REQUESTEQ:
REQGWMENBAYEQN:
F?R?d?ff? TETLE:

80AM) MEMBERS AFFELEATED
WITH REQUEST:

STAW:
MEETING 

iDi?:

$100,090
775,000

To support the Center for Fiscal Poiicy

J?li Budny
61149016

20160098

 

 

The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) requests a $100,000 grant in renewed
support of its Center for Fiscal Policy (CFP).

mission is to promote and defend liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise in Texas and
across the nation through its research and outreach efforts. Led by its president and CEO Brooke
Rollins, the former deputy attorney general and policy director under Gov. Rick Perry, promotes the
?Texas Model" of low taxes and spending, less regulation, and a strong civicjustica system through the
work of its nine policy centers, including the Center for Fiscal Policy (CFP). Under the direction of former
Texas state representative Talmadge tletlin, CFP researches fiscally conservative, market-based policy
solutions for Texas, in addition to actively promulgating its model of responsibility, accountability, and
transparency to other states, in part through its association with the State Policy Network and 

public education efforts helped to shape Texas?s most conservative state budget in years during
the 84*? Texas Legislative Session. This historic budget included: $4 billion in tax and fee relief for the
state?s fiscal biennium 2018?17, a 25 percent cut to the state's business margin tax, limitations on state
budget increases, and continued rejection of the Obamacare Medicaid expansion in Texas.

TPPF is now looking ahead to the upcoming 85?h Texas Legislative Session and predicts significant
pressure from critics seeking to undermine these budgetary reforms. will help to push back against
these critics through its continued research and publication efforts, as well as its work to educate
policymakers and opinion leaders through strategic outreach and targeted media campaigns. To this end,
the Center will continue to concentrate on research and education pertaining to:

a eliminating the business margin tax (part of an overall effort to make Texas one of the only states
without a business tax or an individual income tax) 

eliminating property taxes and replacing them with a reformed sales tax (the Fund)

a statutorily limiting the state?s acceptance of federal funds

a statutorily limiting the state's taxes and expenditures to restrict any increase in state spending (of
both federal and state funds)

9 ensuring that the growth of the 2016?1 7? state budget stays within the rate of population growth
plus inflation

a requiring local voter approval for property tax rates that result in an increase in local property-tax
revenue in excess of four percent

a reforming the state's ?sunset? process so that agencies and programs can only be privatized,
downsized, or eliminated

at promoting the success of the ?Texas Model? through publications, media, and legislative
outreach, in addition to assisting other states that seek to replicate this model.

BUDGET overall 2018 expense budget is $8,462,447, up from $7,039,406 in
2015. The budget for the Center for Fiscal Policy is $1,664,611 (an increase of $56,000 from last year).
TPPF receives sopport from the Ed Foundation, Searle Freedom Trust. and the State Policy Network.

STAFF RECOMMENQATEQN: has demonstrated its ability to encourage meaningful change
during the last Texas Legislative Session, and it has an experienced and widely respected fiscal policy
team. in fact. its Fund sates tax reform measure, which would authorize the comptroller to lower the
sales tax rate temporarily, was recently accepted by ALEC as model legislation. it its efforts to promote
the ?Texas Model" nationwide are to be successful, CFP must protect and solidify its accomplishments by
providing support for a second conservative budget during the next legislative session. CPF is well?
positioned to achieve this goal with the Foundation?s continued support,

Therefore, staff recommends a grant of $75,000 to TPPF for CFP. This is the same level of support that
TPPF received last year.

 

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Prc?ect Titie grant Amman: .. I 'Agz'p?imi??d Fam?
To supp?rt'the Centerfor Fiscal Poiicy $5,000 8252:2015 Regusa'r 
To support the "Righi on Immigration? inizia?ve $25,300 21'2512014 Regx?ar
To support the project "Changing the Tax?and?pend $50,800 2962013 Regmar
Paradigm: in Texas and Beyond"

To support the for the Pension Problem projec'i $40l000 8117/2010 Reguiar
Grand ?Tata?? imam; $240,000