| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Negative | Neutral |
Current statute prohibits the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Oversight
Committee (CPRIT) after August 31, 2022. HB 39 would repeal that expiration date and effectively allow CPRIT to continue granting public dollars to institutions of higher education for cancer
research in perpetuity.
Texas Action opposes HB 39 on the grounds that it violates the principle of limited government. When CPRIT was first authorized, it was designed to be a temporary program. Rather than continue its functions as a public entity CPRIT should be allowed to sunset as scheduled. This organization is long on spending, short on results, and performs a function that is better left to faith-based and private philanthropic organizations.
Between the federal government and the vast amount of nonprofit organizations in Texas and throughout the United States, funding for cancer research is at an all-time high. A redundancy in this area at the expense of the taxpayer, many of whom voluntarily fund cancer research themselves, is inefficient and unnecessary. Instead the state should encourage the growth of more nonprofit cancer funding by reducing the overall tax burden upon our economy. We do not oppose the mission or goals of CPRIT, but rather prefer for the organization to be entirely funded by private dollars and operate entirely apart from state involvement.