The nonprofit Texas Policy Research unveiled its “Texas Liberty Compact” on March 2 – marking 190 years since the state’s 1836 Declaration of Independence from Mexico.
The agenda suggests 10 policy points to rally legislators around accountable government.
“The Texas Revolution was about more than independence. It was about self-government,” said Texas Policy Research President Jeramy Kitchen in a press release. “Today, Texas does not lack legislation. It lacks structural direction. The Texas Liberty Compact is intended to provide that direction.”
10 Policy Points
- “End Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying”
Local governments currently use taxpayer dollars to fund lobbyists in Austin to push for special interests. As The Dallas Express reported, Dallas spent more than $1 million on “internal lobbyists” as of March 2025, while Fort Worth supported legislation that would “prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.”
Republican state Sen. Mayes Middleton is a vocal opponent of the practice, supporting a ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying multiple times in the state Senate, as The Dallas Express also reported.
“For too long, taxpayers’ and parents’ own tax dollars have been used to lobby against them in Austin,” Middleton previously said to DX.
- “Limit Local Spending and Debt”
Texas Policy Research recommends applying spending limits to local governments and requiring voter approval for new debt. Currently, the state government is constitutionally bound to maintain a balanced budget, but local governments are not – placing pressure on property taxes to make up the rest.
“Without addressing unchecked local spending and borrowing, property tax relief will remain temporary, and taxpayers will continue to absorb the cost of local government expansion,” Texas Policy Research officials wrote.
- “Eliminate Property Taxes”
Texas property taxes are driven by appraisals, regardless of residents’ ability to pay. Gov. Greg Abbott recently laid out a five-point plan to end school property taxes, as The Dallas Express reported. Some critics claimed this would not be financially possible, but Abbott said his plan would leave most revenue in place.
“Addressing school property taxes first provides a realistic pathway toward broader property tax reform while restoring accountability and lasting relief for taxpayers,” Texas Policy Research officials wrote.
- “Enable Truly Universal School Choice”
Texas’ current Education Savings Accounts allow families to withdraw public school funding that would have gone to their children, and spend it on other education options, as The Dallas Express reported. But this exists alongside public school funding increases, which Texas Policy Research claims insulates the public school system from competition.
“Expanding choice while reinforcing monopoly funding undermines reform,” the group’s website reads. “Meaningful school choice must challenge entrenched incentives rather than operate as a parallel program that preserves the status quo.”
- “End Corporate Welfare”
The Texas state government often gives corporations public subsidies to encourage investments in different fields. As The Dallas Express reported in April 2025, the state Senate approved a massive $2.5 billion subsidy for the film industry. More recently, Plano offered AT&T a $20 million subsidy package to move from downtown Dallas to the suburb, according to D Magazine.
“Sustainable economic growth is driven by neutral tax policy, predictable regulation, and the rule of law, not by subsidies negotiated behind closed doors,” Texas Policy Research officials wrote. “Ending corporate welfare protects taxpayers, reinforces market discipline, and ensures Texas remains competitive because of its economic fundamentals rather than political favoritism.”
- “Restore Legislative Supremacy”
Like the U.S. Constitution, the Texas Constitution tasks the legislature with making laws through the people’s representatives. The more recent trend of bureaucrats defining policy, seen across the state and more broadly in America, has led to what some scholars call the “administrative state” – rule by agency employees rather than elected legislators.
“Agency rules of significant impact should require legislative oversight, emergency powers should remain temporary and reviewable, and courts should independently interpret statutory meaning rather than defer reflexively to regulators,” Texas Policy Research officials wrote.
- “Protect Economic Liberty and Due Process”
Texas regulatory agencies enforce rules on how businesses can make deals. As The Dallas Express reported, the state rolled out more than 800 new laws in September 2025. But Republican Gov. Greg Abbott also launched the Regulatory Efficiency Office, aiming to cut red tape for businesses.
“Economic liberty and due process require structural limits,” Texas Policy Research officials wrote. “Licensing regimes and regulatory penalties must be clearly grounded in statute, narrowly tailored to public health and safety, and subject to independent judicial review.”
- “Make Government Transparent”
The state government often presents fiscal data in opaque formats that make it difficult to determine where Texans’ tax dollars are going. When The Dallas Express requested H-1B files from Texas A&M University, the school only shared responsive files after months of delayed responses to Public Information Act inquiries and a complaint to the attorney general’s office.
“Transparency should enable taxpayers and lawmakers to evaluate priorities, tradeoffs, and results, not obscure them,” Texas Policy Research officials wrote.
- “Protect Free Speech and Digital Expression”
The U.S. Constitution and the Texas Constitution both guarantee the right to free speech. But government officials still sometimes attempt to regulate speech, especially online. As The Dallas Express reported, deputies with the Hood County Sheriff’s Office arrested Navy veteran Kolton Krottinger in November 2025 for posting a meme about a local political figure.
“Technological change should not become a pretext for expanded government control over lawful expression,” Texas Policy Research officials wrote.
- “Streamline And Modernize the Texas Code”
The Texas Constitution is one of the longest in America, with 17 sections and at least 530 amendments. State code features just short of 30 sections, while the Texas Administrative Code, which dictates agency rulemaking, features 17 titles.
“Government should not grow by inertia,” Texas Policy Research officials wrote. “Laws that no longer serve a clear public purpose should be repealed.”
The Bigger Picture
Texas is facing many more issues than the compact addresses, but it provides a place to start, according to Kitchen.
“These are not the only issues facing Texas,” he said in the release. “But they are foundational. Property tax relief cannot be durable without spending discipline. Economic freedom cannot thrive without limits on administrative overreach. Long-term prosperity requires structural clarity.”
Kitchen appealed to the Texas Revolution, which challenged the Mexican government’s rule over the region, citing violations of Texans’ rights. The Texas Declaration of Independence charged that the nation’s government had “ceased to protect the lives, liberty, and property of the people.”
“Independence requires discipline,” Kitchen said. “On this Texas Independence Day, we are calling for reforms worthy of that tradition.”
The Dallas Express reached out to Texas Policy Research for comment, but did not hear back in time for publication.