Texas Public Policy Foundation

{{Conservatism US|expanded=other organizations}}

File:Texas Public Policy Foundation.jpg

TPPF was initially co-founded in 1989 by James R. Leininger, a physician, businessman and conservative activist from San Antonio, Texas , and Fritz S. Steiger, a businessman who had formerly worked for George H. W. Bush and Sam Walton. Leininger is notable for his school voucher and privatization activism.{{cite book|first=Danny|last=Weil|year=2002|title=School Vouchers and Privatization: A Reference Handbook|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9781576073469|issn=1556-0465|page=[https://archive.org/details/schoolvoucherspr00weil/page/180 180]|url=https://archive.org/details/schoolvoucherspr00weil|url-access=registration|accessdate=October 19, 2016}} The organization's board of directors includes 19 individuals.{{cite web|title=Board of Directors|url=http://www.texaspolicy.com/experts/board|publisher=Texas Public Policy Foundation|accessdate=March 10, 2015}} Originally based in San Antonio, it was relocated in 2003 to Austin, Texas , to be near the state capitol. In February 2015, TPPF moved into a new $20-million building two blocks from the Texas Capitol.{{cite news|last1=Satija|first1=Neena|title=TPPF Building the Foundation of Texas Conservatism|url=http://www.texastribune.org/2015/01/07/tppf-moving-legislature-convenes/|accessdate=March 10, 2015|publisher=Texas Tribune|date=January 7, 2015}}

In 2010, TPPF received funding from Koch Industries as well as Geo Prison Group, a GEO Group company.{{cite news |last1=Lennon |first1=Will |title=Stung by Trump and midterms, the Koch network changes its approach |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/11/stung-by-trump-and-midterms-the-koch-network-changes-its-approach/| publisher=OpenSecrets |date=November 16, 2018}} Donors to the organization have included energy companies Chevron, ExxonMobil, and other fossil fuel interests.{{cite news|last1=Kelly|first1=Caroline|title=Trump nominates ex-Texas regulator, a climate change skeptic, to head environmental council|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2017/10/13/trump-nominates-former-texas-regulator-climate-change-skeptic-environmental-council|accessdate=October 20, 2017|publisher=Dallas Morning News|date=October 16, 2017}}

In January 2018, the organization announced that it had opened a new office in Washington, D.C. At the time, TPPF had more than 75 employees based in Texas; it announced plans to increase its D.C.-based staff from 5 to as many as 15 employees in 2018 in order to expand the group's work in the areas of environmental and health care policy and criminal justice reform.{{cite news|last1=Drusch|first1=Andrea|title=Fort Worth's Rollins expands Texas policy shop into Washington|url=http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article192284524.html|accessdate=January 12, 2018|publisher=Kansas City Star|date=January 1, 2018}}

In February 2019, the organization hired former U.S. Representative John Hostettler, a Republican from Indiana, to lead its state-based policy efforts. The Texas Public Policy Foundation States Trust initiative promotes policy ideas aimed at increasing states' rights and decreasing the role of the federal government in areas including energy regulation, spending, and health care.{{cite news |last1=Drusch |first1=Andrea |last2=Ordonez |first2=Franco |title=White House green-lights Texas think tank's ideas, irking Capitol Hill Republicans |url=https://www.star-telegram.com/latest-news/article223205325.html |accessdate=15 April 2019 |publisher=Star Telegram |date=December 18, 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Drusch |first1=Andrea |title=Texas think tank adds former Indiana Congressman to D.C. policy shop |url=https://www.star-telegram.com/latest-news/article226461980.html |accessdate=25 February 2019 |publisher=Star-Telegram |date=February 20, 2019}}

TPPF is organized into nine issue-area centers and a litigation arm.

During the year, TPPF hosts monthly policy events ("Policy Primers") covering a range of issues, and an annual conference ("Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature"). The 2015 policy orientation included Steve Forbes, Newt Gingrich, and Phil Gramm.

In 2013, TPPF published The Texas Model: Prosperity in the Lone Star State and Lessons for America.{{cite news|last1=Loyola|first1=Mario|title=The Texas Model|url=http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/337897/texas-model-mario-loyola|accessdate=March 10, 2015|publisher=National Review|date=January 16, 2013}} TPPF also publishes a quarterly journal titled Veritas.{{OCLC|806032908|806034290}} (print and on-line versions)

Current U.S. Senator Ted Cruz formerly headed TPPF's Center for Tenth Amendment Studies.{{cite news|last1=Wilder|first1=Forrest|title=The Money Behind the Fight to Undermine Medicaid|url=https://www.texasobserver.org/money-behind-fight-undermine-medicaid/|accessdate=October 20, 2017|publisher=Texas Observer|date=December 5, 2013}}

The organization sponsors the Right on Crime initiative, an effort to reduce crime, restore victims, and replace mass incarceration with more cost-effective and humane sentencing and criminal punishment.{{cite web | last1 = Reilly | first1 =Ryan J. | title=Conservative Skepticism About 'Tough On Crime' Policies Gets Its Turn At CPAC | work=The Huffington Post | date = March 7, 2014 | accessdate = March 7, 2014 | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/07/criminal-justice-reform-cpac_n_4920352.html}}{{cite web | last1 = Hancock | first1 =The Hon. Sen. Loni | title=Texas an unlikely model for prison reform | publisher=The San Francisco Chronicle | date = February 22, 2014 | accessdate = March 12, 2014 | url=http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/Texas-an-unlikely-model-for-prison-reform-5256894.php}}

In October 2017, the White House announced that President Donald Trump had selected Kathleen Hartnett White to serve as chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. At the time, White was a fellow at TPPF. White had said that climate change does not exist and that United Nations findings on climate change are "not validated and politically corrupt."{{cite news|last1=Biesecker|first1=Michael|title=Trump to nominate climate change doubter as top environmental adviser|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-trump-nominates-kathleen-hartnett-white-20171014-story.html|accessdate=October 20, 2017|publisher=Chicago Tribune|date=October 14, 2017}}{{cite news|last1=Wray|first1=Dianna|title=Trump Picks Former TCEQ Head and Climate Change Denier for White House Post|url=http://www.houstonpress.com/news/former-tceq-head-kathleen-hartnett-white-trumps-pick-for-white-house-council-on-environmental-quality-chair-9881869|accessdate=October 20, 2017|publisher=Houston Press|date=October 17, 2017}} She argued that carbon dioxide levels are good for life on Earth, that carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, and that "fossil fuels dissolved the economic justification for slavery."{{cite news|last1=Kaufman|first1=Alexander|title=Trump's Pick For White House Environmental Post Once Said Coal Helped End Slavery|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kathleen-hartnett-white-coal-slavery_us_59e0c0b2e4b04d1d518125a9|accessdate=October 20, 2017|publisher=HuffPost|date=October 19, 2017}} In February 2018, the White House confirmed its intention to withdraw its nomination of Hartnett White as a senior advisor on environmental policy.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/04/kathleen-hartnett-white-dropped-trump-environment-adviser|title=Climate change sceptic Kathleen Hartnett White dropped as Trump environment expert|date=February 4, 2018|work=The Guardian|accessdate=February 4, 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/02/03/white-house-to-withdraw-controversial-nominee-to-head-council-on-environmental-quality/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204020751/https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/02/03/white-house-to-withdraw-controversial-nominee-to-head-council-on-environmental-quality/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 4, 2018|title=White House withdraws controversial nominee to head Council on Environmental Quality|first1=Juliet|last1=Eilperin|first2=Brady|last2=Dennis|date=February 4, 2018|newspaper=Washington Post|accessdate=February 4, 2018}}

TPPF has been described by NPR as "an influential think tank that opposes efforts to fight climate change and receives millions of dollars from fossil fuel interests."{{cite web |last1=Buchele |first1=Mose |title=Texas and other states want to punish fossil fuel divestment |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/03/16/1086764072/texas-and-other-states-want-to-boycott-fossil-fuel-divestment-blackrock-climate |publisher=NPR |access-date=17 March 2022 |language=en |quote=Texas Public Policy Foundation, an influential think tank that opposes efforts to fight climate change and receives millions of dollars from fossil fuel interests.}} A 2023 study by TPPF found that the total cost of fueling an electric vehicle would equate to an electric vehicle owner "paying $17.33 per gallon of gasoline."{{Cite web|url=https://apple.news/AicvK9MoCSUWkAMypUK7mtA|title=Study finds the true cost of owning an electric vehicle equates to $17 per gallon — TheStreet|website=apple.news}}

TPPF lobbied for the Texas legislature to ban the prescription of puberty blockers and hormone treatments for minors.{{cite web |author1=Casey Tolan |author2=Matthew Reynard |author3=Will Simon |author4=Ed Lavandera |title=How two Texas megadonors have turbocharged the state's far-right shift |date=July 24, 2022 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/24/politics/texas-far-right-politics-invs/index.html |publisher=CNN |access-date=25 July 2022 |quote=Last month, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a think tank that Dunn serves on the board of, called on the legislature to ban the prescription of puberty blockers and hormone treatments for minors.}}

TPPF is a member of the advisory board of Project 2025,{{Cite web |title=Advisory Board |url=https://www.project2025.org/about/advisory-board/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119034220/https://www.project2025.org/about/advisory-board/ |archive-date=November 19, 2023 |access-date=July 8, 2024 |publisher=The Heritage Foundation}} a collection of conservative and right-wing policy proposals from the Heritage Foundation to reshape the United States federal government and consolidate executive power should the Republican nominee win the 2024 presidential election.{{Cite news |last=Mascaro |first=Lisa |date=August 29, 2023 |title=Conservative Groups Draw Up Plan to Dismantle the US Government and Replace It with Trump's Vision |url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-conservatives-trump-heritage-857eb794e505f1c6710eb03fd5b58981 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922112031/https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-conservatives-trump-heritage-857eb794e505f1c6710eb03fd5b58981 |archive-date=September 22, 2023 |access-date=July 8, 2024 |work=Associated Press News}}

• Chuck DeVore, vice president of national initiatives
• Talmadge L. Heflin, distinguished senior fellow
• John Hostettler, vice president of federal affairs
• Ron Simmons, director of Right on Work
• Carol M. Swain, distinguished senior fellow
• Joshua Treviño, chief of intelligence and research
• Zach Whiting, senior fellow of technology policy

{{portal|Texas|Conservatism|Libertarianism}}

• Kevin Roberts
• State Policy Network

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• {{official website}}
• {{ProPublicaNonprofitExplorer|742524057}}
• [https://edirc.repec.org/data/tppffus.html EDIRC listing] (provided by RePEc)
• [http://nccsweb.urban.org/communityplatform/nccs/organization/profile/id/742524057/popup/1 Organizational Profile] – National Center for Charitable Statistics (Urban Institute)

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Category:Organizations based in Austin, Texas

Category:Political and economic think tanks in the United States

Category:1989 establishments in Texas

Category:Conservative organizations in the United States

Category:Climate change denial

Category:Organizations established in 1989