Tribpedia: Texas Public Policy Foundation

Tribpedia

The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) is a conservative, non-profit think tank based in Austin founded by James Leininger in 1989.

The foundation conducts research to promote free-market policies among Texas lawmakers and to influence the public policy debate in the state, according to its Web site. The foundation is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit.

The foundation's 2008 ...

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Standardized Test Proposal for Texas Colleges Stalls

State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury on Sept. 5, 2012.
State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury on Sept. 5, 2012.

Thomas Lindsay, the director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Center for Higher Education, hoped that Texas might become one of the first states to mandate the use of the Collegiate Learning Assessment at all of its universities. But that dream will have to wait, because the proposal appears unlikely to get anywhere this session.

UT Board of Regents Chairman Gene Powell asks the Board to support Chancellor Dr. Franciso Cigarroa at their Austin meeting on May 12, 2011.
UT Board of Regents Chairman Gene Powell asks the Board to support Chancellor Dr. Franciso Cigarroa at their Austin meeting on May 12, 2011.

A Fight Outlasts the Proposal that Sparked It

Texas Weekly

 A recurring theme questioned the status quo of the boards that govern higher education at this week’s day-long meeting of the Joint Oversight Committee on Higher Education Governance, Excellence, and Transparency: Are the boards that govern higher education due for more restrictive conflict-of-interest policies?

TribWeek: Top Texas News for the Week of 10/10/11

Aaronson interactively asks if stimulus funds created jobs in Texas, Aguilar on new voter registrar rules that could decrease voter turnout, Galbraith on a UT professor's debunking of climate change "myths," Grissom on an epic clash of El Paso political titans, Hamilton on the right's new higher ed guru, Murphy maps household data from the 2010 Census, Ramsey on a coming rules fight in the Texas Senate, Root and M. Smith on Rick Perry's performance at the New Hampshire debate and M. Smith talks public ed cuts with the state's Superintendent of the Year: The best of our best content from October 10-14, 2011.

A pump house at Lake J.B. Thomas sits high and dry with almost no water remaining to pump. The lake level is at 4.60 percent.
A pump house at Lake J.B. Thomas sits high and dry with almost no water remaining to pump. The lake level is at 4.60 percent.

Business Groups Back Texas Water Ballot Measure

Next month, Texans will go to the polls to decide whether to authorize $6 billion in bonding authority dedicated to building and fixing water infrastructure. But some conservatives and Tea Party members have concerns about the measure.

Rep. Dan Branch R-Dallas and Sen. Judith Zaffirini D-Laredo, co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Oversight of Higher Education Governance, Excellence & Transparency during meeting on September 21st, 2011
Rep. Dan Branch R-Dallas and Sen. Judith Zaffirini D-Laredo, co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Oversight of Higher Education Governance, Excellence & Transparency during meeting on September 21st, 2011

Higher Ed Oversight Committee Revisits "Solutions"

At today's hearing of the Joint Oversight Committee on Higher Education Governance, Excellence and Transparency, experts weighed in on how — and how not — to make universities in Texas more accountable and transparent.

Dr. James Leininger at an Austin reception on Sept. 11th, 2009
Dr. James Leininger at an Austin reception on Sept. 11th, 2009

Who is James Leininger?

This weekend, the San Antonio physician and prolific donor to conservative candidates and causes hosts a Hill Country gathering for Gov. Rick Perry and some of his evangelical supporters. Who is Leininger? Here's a primer.

Chancellor Dr. Fransisco Cigarroa at the University of Texas Board of Regents meeting in Austin on May 11, 2011.
Chancellor Dr. Fransisco Cigarroa at the University of Texas Board of Regents meeting in Austin on May 11, 2011.

UT Regents Bless Cigarroa Plan

At this morning's meeting of the University of Texas System Board of Regents, Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa won unanimous approval for a plan addressing hot-button higher ed issues of the moment like productivity, efficiency and accountability.

Guest Column: Another Look at UT Productivity Report

The report on UT teachers' productivity by Richard Vedder and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity is technically accurate — but substantively misleading. A deeper analysis raises troubling questions about how Vedder would change UT.