Unlike California, Texas has a reputation for being a business-friendly state. Unfortunately, Texas is becoming more like California. Whereas California legislators like to dictate what businesses can legally do, Texas legislators are increasingly dictating what businesses can’t do. California requires its pension funds to follow environmental and social governance (ESG) policies. Texas lawmakers are prohibiting…
An editorial in the school paper for the University of Texas at Arlington provides an interesting example of the types of conclusions that can result when one drops context. The editorial, which opposes school choice, argues that without education standards imposed by government officials, parents will be given the responsibility of holding schools accountable. Without…
A reader recently asked why an organization that defends property rights is interested in school choice. The reason is: school choice is a property rights issue. The right to property means the freedom to produce, trade, and use material values as one deems best. For producers, this means the freedom to produce a product or…
In opinion piece Andrew P. Napolitano presents us with the false alternative of dictatorship or dictatorship: One is not truly free if one cannot leave the government. This applies to people as well as to political subdivisions. The forced retention of people or geographical units under the government’s monopolistic jurisdiction is totalitarian. Without the threat…
A neighbor recently complained online that the homeowners’ association (HOA) was akin to North Korea. While it might be true that the HOA went a little overboard in its enthusiasm to enforce the deed restrictions, comparing it to North Korea is a gross evasion. HOAs and North Korea are nothing alike. North Korea is a…
In Texas, and across the nation, parents are objecting to the ideas that their children are being taught in government schools. This dissatisfaction is a significant reason why vouchers and education savings plans are growing in popularity. Such programs enable parents to more easily find schools that teach the ideas that they want their children…
Mention any problem with public education, and defenders of the government school system quickly sing the same chorus: we need more funding. In truth, the solution is not more funding. The solution is more freedom. If money is the solution for improving government schools, then Washington, D.C., should be near the top of performance assessments….
Florida legislators are considering a bill that would prohibit government schools from providing education regarding sex and reproduction before the sixth grade. The noteworthy aspect of this story isn’t whether such topics should or shouldn’t ‘t be taught in schools. The important point is that politicians are involved in deciding school curriculum. The politicalization of…
Last week, the United States House of Representatives passed the “Parents Bill of Rights Act.” When the bill was first introduced, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said, We want the parents to be empowered. And that’s what we’re doing today – that you have a say in your kids’ education, not government. If McCarthy and other…
Imagine for a moment the reaction if the State of Texas decided to open government grocery stores. What if the Texas Grocery Agency determined what products would be on the shelves? What if the cost of groceries purchased at those stores was subsidized by imposing a tax on property owners? What if Texans were assigned…
When Gov. Greg Abbott recently iterated his support for school choice, the state’s teacher’s union argued that school choice already exists in Texas. However, there is a vast difference between the “choices” the union points to and true freedom of choice. For example, one former teacher said, The reality is there’s already a choice. Lubbock…
President Biden recently provided an “accidental endorsement” of school choice. In an attempt to criticize Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ education policies, Biden tweeted, I think every kid, in every zip code, in every state should have access to every education opportunity possible. I guess, for some, that isn’t the consensus view. Biden is correct that…