Whole Foods has led on plastics in the past, but the company recently got an "F" in a report by As You Sow for failing to tackle plastic pollution. Tell Whole Foods' CEO to get rid of single-use plastics in its stores.
Whole Foods has led on plastics in the past, but the company recently got an "F" in a report by As You Sow for failing to tackle plastic pollution. Tell Whole Foods' CEO to get rid of single-use plastics in its stores.
Transportation
Wasteful North Houston I-45 highway expansion halted
Texans need better transportation options — not a costly and inefficient road expansion. That's why we applaud the U.S. Department of Transportation's decision to call on the North Houston Highway Improvement Project (which PIRG identified as one of the most wasteful highway expansions in the country back in 2019) to stop development.
Health Care
Texas lawmakers act on health care in 2021 session
Much-needed health care reforms are coming to the Lone Star State. Two TexPIRG-backed bills to increase prescription drug affordablity and health care accessibility were bright spots in a legislative session where Texas lawmakers fell short on other public interest issues, such as modernizing our electrical grid and protecting consumers from marketplace threats.
Blocking Rooftop Solar
The companies, lobbyists and front groups undermining local clean energy
Transportation
New resolution could transform Texas transportation
A Texas House resolution would enable Texans to vote to expand what the state's Department of Transportation is allowed to do with gas tax revenues. Expanding the targets for this money to include public transit, walking and biking infrastructure, and other transportation options would dramatically reshape the state for cleaner and safer mobility.
We can't do it without you.
TexPIRG is your advocate for the public interest, speaking out for healthier, safer, more secure lives for all of us.
News & Research
Blog Post
President Biden's recent Executive Order on promoting competition in the economy includes several specific recommendations on improving competition in the financial sector. It proposes that the CFPB give consumers more choices by giving them control of their financial data. It proposes that regulators strengthen oversight of bank mergers, which for years have been routinely rubber-stamped. While it doesn't specifically address the payment system oligopoly that raises the prices everyone pays, lowering swipe fees is also a logical outcome of the EO.
Cover photo of the Marriner Eccles Federal Reserve Building, Washington, DC by Rafael Saldaña via Flickr, Some Rights Reserved.
News Release | U.S. PIRG
The Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act (VCFCA) was reintroduced in the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on Wednesday. This bill would limit interest rates on loans and go a long way toward protecting consumers, especially veterans, who are often victimized by predatory lenders.
Blog Post
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau celebrated its 10th birthday last Wednesday. It begins its second decade refocused on its mission of protecting you and me after a few years of, ironically, championing shady business practices over consumers. The agency’s first decade was full of success, setbacks, and promise.
News Release | TexPIRG Education Fund
As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) turns 10 years old, a new report from TexPIRG Ed Fund recaps how the agency has helped consumers over the past decade and the steps under way to refocus the CFPB on its mission after three years of retrograde decisions under the Trump Administration. The report also provides recommendations for CFPB action moving forward, especially on credit reporting.
The CFPB opened its doors on July 21, 2011, one year after President Barack Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Typically referred to as “Dodd-Frank” or “Wall Street Reform,” this law created the CFPB in the aftermath of the 2008 economic crash caused, in large part, by the financial industry’s malfeasance. The CFPB became the United States’ first federal agency dedicated to protecting consumers from financial shenanigans.
RESOURCE
Coronavirus update
In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, we’ve taken steps for all of our staff to work remotely for safety reasons. But rest assured, we’ll keep advocating for you as we work for a healthier, safer world.
Learn more about how we can work together to address the COVID-19 pandemic.