Texas property taxes keep rising despite billions in state relief. In this episode of The Right Idea, Derek Cohen sits down with James Quintero, Policy Director at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, to break down why relief isn’t enough and what real reform looks like.They discuss local spending limits, the sales tax swap idea, voter-driven tax cuts, the “Death Star Bill” (Texas Regulatory Consistency Act), and how to rein in runaway local government spending in cities like Austin.

Key topics covered:
* Why property taxes continue climbing despite $18B+ in cuts
* Local spending caps tied to population + inflation
* Sales tax for property tax swap proposal
* Allowing voters to directly cut tax rates via referendum
* Expanding the Death Star Bill / field preemption
* Fixing deceptive local tax ballot language

Timestamps:
* 00:08 – Welcome & Introduction
* 00:44 – Hot Take: How to Beat the Texas Heat
* 02:51 – The History of Property Tax “Reform” in Texas
* 06:10 – Relief vs. Real Reform: Why Billions Haven’t Fixed the Problem
* 10:02 – Rep. Cody Vasut on Local Spending Limits
* 10:56 – Why Texas Needs Local Government Spending Caps
* 12:53 – Austin’s Out-of-Control Priorities
* 15:47 – Rep. Jeff Barry on the Sales Tax Swap for Property Taxes
* 22:22 – Voter Power: Tax Cut Elections & Referendums
* 29:54 – The “Death Star Bill” (Texas Regulatory Consistency Act) Explained
* 33:01 – Enforcement Challenges & Next Steps
* 36:55 – Expanding Field Preemption
* 38:18 – Closing Thoughts

If you’re a Texas homeowner tired of rising property taxes, this episode gives you the clearest picture yet of the solutions on the table for the next legislative session.

TPPF's Derek Cohen and Kate Bierly break down the biggest challenges and solutions in Texas K-12 education.

They cover everything from pushing back against the "college for all" myth with strong Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, to fixing teacher certification barriers for trades, addressing rural workforce needs, combating gender ideology in teacher training, and tackling screen time with cell phone bans and Chromebook policies.

Kate (Campaign Director for TPPF's Next Generation Texas initiative) shares insights from her experience in elite education programs, real classroom stories, and practical policy fixes to better serve Texas students and families.

In this episode of The Right Idea, Derek Cohen sits down with Carson Clayton, TPPF Life Powered Campaign Director, to break down the controversial 765 KV transmission lines (Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan / STEP).

Texas lawmakers and activists are sounding the alarm over a $33 billion plan to build massive ultra-high voltage transmission lines across the state — cutting through pristine Hill Country and farmland — instead of addressing the root cause: Texas’ broken energy market that over-subsidizes intermittent wind and solar while under-building reliable dispatchable power.

Featuring powerful clips from Senator Kevin Sparks and Representative Brad Buckley.

Key Topics:

• Why the Permian Basin — one of the most energy-rich regions in the world — needs power imported from Central Texas
• How federal subsidies, ESG pressure, and ERCOT’s energy-only market are distorting investment
• The massive cost to ratepayers and landowners
• What real market reform looks like to prevent blackouts and unnecessary transmission boondoggles

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Welcome & Introduction to the 765 Lines Controversy
• 01:23 - What Are the 765 KV Transmission Lines?
• 02:41 - Senator Kevin Sparks on the Permian Basin Plan
• 04:40 - Why Wind & Solar Boom Created a Reliability Crisis
• 08:37 - Senator Sparks on ERCOT Market Failures & Subsidies
• 09:39 - How the Energy-Only Market Rewards Unreliable Power
• 12:19 - Federal Policy, ESG, and Renewable Credits Driving the Problem
• 15:12 - Rep. Brad Buckley: Pause the Project & Reform the Market
• 17:02 - Proposed Market Reforms (SB 715 & Reliability Standards)
• 20:01 - The Coming Reliability Cliff & Why Transmission Is Just a Band-Aid
• 21:22 - How Much Gas Generation Would Make the 765 Lines Unnecessary?

If you care about Texas energy independence, affordable electricity, property rights, and keeping the lights on, this is a must-watch.