Texas Public Policy Foundation

The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) is an American conservative think tank headquartered in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1989 by physician, businessman, and conservative activist James R. Leininger and businessman Fritz S. Steiger, the organization was established to develop and promote market-oriented and limited-government approaches to public policy. Its early intellectual environment was closely associated with education reform, including proposals for public-school vouchers and greater parental choice. TPPF began in San Antonio and moved its headquarters to Austin in 2003, bringing the organization closer to the Texas state government and legislature. In February 2015, it moved into a new building near the Texas Capitol. The organization subsequently expanded its national presence, announcing a Washington, D.C., office in January 2018. At that time it reported more than 75 employees in Texas and planned to enlarge its federal-policy staff. The foundation operates through multiple issue-focused centers and a litigation arm. Its policy portfolio has included education, energy, environmental regulation, health care, criminal justice, federalism, labor policy, higher education, and technology. It conducts research, publishes policy analysis, organizes events, and advocates for legislative and administrative changes. Its regular Policy Primer events address current policy questions, while its annual Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature brings together policymakers, advocates, and conservative commentators. TPPF has also published books and reports, including The Texas Model: Prosperity in the Lone Star State and Lessons for America, and a quarterly journal called Veritas. Several of the foundation's initiatives have sought to extend its influence beyond Texas. Right on Crime promotes criminal-justice policies that it describes as reducing unnecessary incarceration, improving public safety, restoring victims, and using public resources more efficiently. The States Trust initiative advances a stronger role for state governments and a narrower federal role in areas such as energy regulation, health care, and public spending. Fueling Freedom presents a moral and economic case for continued use of fossil fuels and challenges policies intended to accelerate the transition away from them. TPPF is influential within conservative policy networks but is also politically contested. Critics, including public-media reporting, have emphasized its opposition to climate-change mitigation initiatives and its financial support from, or relationships with, fossil-fuel and other corporate interests. Publicly discussed donors and funders have included Koch Industries, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and GEO Group-related interests, although the foundation's complete donor base and individual contributions are not represented here. The organization has supported restrictive legislation concerning gender-affirming medical care for minors in Texas and has participated in national conservative policy networks, including the advisory board associated with Project 2025. The foundation's work combines research, communications, legislative advocacy, litigation, and coalition-building. It remains an active Texas-centered institution with a national policy profile, particularly in debates over energy, environmental regulation, criminal justice, federalism, education, and health care.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation was established in 1989 in San Antonio by James R. Leininger and Fritz S. Steiger. Leininger was a physician, businessman, and conservative activist known for supporting school vouchers and education privatization. Steiger had worked for George H. W. Bush and Sam Walton. Their founding objective was to provide intellectual and policy support for conservative reforms, particularly in education and the role of government. For its first years, TPPF operated from San Antonio. In 2003 it relocated to Austin, a move that placed the organization closer to the Texas Capitol and the state's principal policymaking institutions. The new location supported a more direct role in legislative advocacy, policy communications, and relationships with elected officials. In February 2015, TPPF moved into a new building two blocks from the Capitol. The facility was reported as costing $20 million, but no financial figure is included here as a current organizational metric. The foundation developed into a multi-issue think tank organized around nine policy centers and a litigation arm. Its activities have included research, publications, public events, coalition work, legal advocacy, and legislative engagement. It hosts monthly Policy Primer programs and an annual Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature. The latter has featured prominent conservative speakers, including Steve Forbes, Newt Gingrich, and Phil Gramm. TPPF also published The Texas Model: Prosperity in the Lone Star State and Lessons for America in 2013 and issues the quarterly Veritas journal. Its policy agenda has broadened beyond education. Right on Crime became a prominent project centered on criminal-justice reform, with an emphasis on reducing mass incarceration, protecting victims, improving public safety, and replacing expensive or ineffective punishments with more targeted approaches. TPPF's States Trust initiative argues for greater state authority and a smaller federal role in areas including energy, health care, and spending. Fueling Freedom presents fossil fuels as economically and morally beneficial and challenges climate policies that would restrict their use. The organization's funding and policy positions have generated public debate. Sources have identified support from Koch Industries and GEO Prison Group in 2010, and have named Chevron, ExxonMobil, and other fossil-fuel interests among its donors or funders. Critics have used these relationships to question the foundation's environmental research and advocacy. NPR has characterized TPPF as an influential think tank opposing efforts to address climate change while receiving substantial fossil-fuel-related support. TPPF expanded outside Texas in 2018 by opening a Washington, D.C., office. The expansion was intended to increase its role in federal debates over energy, environmental policy, health care, and criminal justice. In 2019, it hired former Indiana Republican Representative John Hostettler to lead state-based policy efforts. The organization has also participated in national conservative networks, including the advisory board of Project 2025, a policy project associated with the Heritage Foundation. TPPF has remained active in contentious social and regulatory debates. It supported legislative efforts in Texas to prohibit puberty blockers and hormone treatments for minors. Its climate and energy positions, including arguments against climate-change mitigation policies and in favor of fossil fuels, have likewise attracted criticism. The foundation's history therefore reflects both a durable Texas institutional base and an expanding national role in conservative policy development, advocacy, and litigation.

• 2019

  John Hostettler joined the foundation

  [1]Texas Public Policy Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Former U.S. Representative John Hostettler was hired to lead state-based policy efforts.

• 2018

  Washington, D.C., office opened

  [1]Texas Public Policy Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  TPPF announced a national office in Washington, D.C., to expand its federal policy activities.

• 2015

  New headquarters opened near the Texas Capitol

  [1]Texas Public Policy Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation moved into a new building located two blocks from the Texas Capitol.

• 2013

  The Texas Model published

  [1]Texas Public Policy Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  TPPF published The Texas Model: Prosperity in the Lone Star State and Lessons for America.

• 2010

  Funding relationships documented

  [1]Texas Public Policy Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material identified funding from Koch Industries and GEO Prison Group, a GEO Group company.

• 2003

  Headquarters moved to Austin

  [1]Texas Public Policy Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  TPPF relocated from San Antonio to Austin to be closer to the Texas state capitol and legislative process.

• 1989

  Foundation established

  [1]Texas Public Policy Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  James R. Leininger and Fritz S. Steiger co-founded the Texas Public Policy Foundation in San Antonio.

A conservative, free-market and limited-government policy institution focused on shaping Texas and national debates through research, advocacy, litigation, public events, and policy networks.

• Criminal-justice policy initiative

  Right on Crime

  A TPPF-sponsored initiative focused on criminal-justice reform. Its stated approach seeks to reduce crime, restore victims, improve public safety, and replace mass incarceration with more cost-effective and humane sentencing and punishment policies.

• Energy-policy initiative

  Fueling Freedom

  An initiative that argues for the economic and moral value of fossil fuels. It seeks to challenge narratives and policies that treat fossil-fuel use primarily as a social cost and presents energy abundance as a contributor to prosperity and human development.

• Federalism policy initiative

  States Trust

  A project promoting stronger state authority and a reduced federal role. Its areas of interest include energy regulation, health care, spending, and other policy fields in which TPPF argues that states should retain greater discretion.

• Policy journal

  Veritas

  TPPF's quarterly journal, used to present policy arguments, commentary, and analysis connected to the foundation's conservative and free-market agenda.

• Policy conference

  Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature

  An annual conference convened around the Texas legislative cycle. The event brings together policymakers, speakers, researchers, and advocates to discuss the foundation's priorities and proposed legislative approaches.

• 2018

  Controversy surrounding Kathleen Hartnett White's environmental views

  Kathleen Hartnett White, a TPPF fellow, was selected by the White House to lead the Council on Environmental Quality. Her statements disputing the existence or significance of climate change and defending fossil fuels generated controversy, and the White House later withdrew its intention to proceed with the nomination.

  Source

• Criticism over fossil-fuel funding and climate advocacy

  TPPF has faced criticism from public reporting and climate-policy opponents over funding linked to energy companies and its opposition to efforts intended to address climate change. Publicly identified donors or funders have included Chevron, ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, and other fossil-fuel interests.

  Source

Read more

• Right on Crime

  United States

  A criminal-justice reform campaign advocating policies intended to reduce unnecessary incarceration while maintaining public safety and emphasizing victims and cost effectiveness.

  Outcome. The initiative became one of TPPF's best-known projects and extended the foundation's criminal-justice policy work beyond Texas.

  Source
• Fueling Freedom

  United States

  A communications and policy campaign making a moral and economic case for fossil fuels and opposing policies that would restrict their use.

  Outcome. The campaign contributed to TPPF's national profile in energy and climate-policy debates.

  Source
• States Trust

  United States

  An initiative advocating states' rights and a reduced federal role in energy, health care, spending, and related policy areas.

  Outcome. The initiative became part of TPPF's national federalism and state-policy portfolio.

  Source
• Texas gender-affirming-care legislation advocacy

  Texas, United States

  TPPF lobbied for Texas legislation banning the prescription of puberty blockers and hormone treatments for minors.

  Outcome. The advocacy formed part of the foundation's participation in contentious Texas health-care and social-policy legislation.

  Source

• 2018

  Expand into Washington, D.C.Strategy

  Background

  TPPF aimed to increase its influence in federal debates over energy, environmental policy, health care, and criminal justice.

  Action taken

  The organization opened a Washington, D.C., office and planned to expand its federal-policy staff.

  Aftermath

  The foundation developed a more explicit national policy presence alongside its Texas operations.

  Source

• 2003

  Move headquarters to AustinStrategy

  Background

  The foundation sought closer proximity to Texas's legislature and executive policymaking institutions.

  Action taken

  TPPF relocated its headquarters from San Antonio to Austin.

  Aftermath

  The move strengthened the organization's Texas Capitol-centered operating model.

  Source

• Participate in Project 2025's advisory networkStrategy

  Background

  TPPF sought to contribute to a broader conservative policy program focused on reshaping the federal government.

  Action taken

  The foundation joined the advisory board of Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation-associated policy project.

  Aftermath

  The relationship connected TPPF's policy work with a national conservative transition-policy network.

  Source

1. 1Texas Public Policy Foundationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Texas Public Policy Foundation official websitetexaspolicy.com