Tim Hardin
Did Lawmakers Vote Themselves Pension Raises?
On Tuesday, the Texas House finally passed House Bill 438, legislation that Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR) claimed raised the pensions of lawmakers since those pensions are tied to district judge salaries. Many lawmakers, especially the legislation’s author, took issue…
Legislation to Prevent ‘Climate Justice’ Leftist Policies Gets a Hearing
Recently in the City of El Paso, a group of climate change activists called Sunrise El Paso wrote a “climate charter” calling for the city to “use all available resources and authority” to limit its use of fossil fuels. According to…
Texas House Pushes to Revive Corporate Welfare Program Despite Bipartisan Opposition
In a year when taxpayers are barely hanging on and dealing with record-high inflation, rising energy costs, and historically high property taxes, the Legislature has opted to act decisively. They have wasted no time pushing for multinational, billion-dollar corporations to…
Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates: FOMC Meeting Analysis
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) met today to discuss the state of the U.S. economy and monetary policy. According to recent indicators, the U.S. economy is experiencing modest growth in spending and production, while job gains have picked up…
Appraisal Caps Overwhelmingly Rejected in HB 2 House Hearing
On Monday, the House Ways and Means Committee laid out House Bill 2, the House leadership’s property tax relief package. The legislation is authored by the chairman of the committee State Rep. Morgan Meyer (R-Dallas/Career Fiscal Index “F”). The legislation…
Despite Promised Relief, Property Taxes Jumped 12.2% in 2022
Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR) recently published a new report revealing the abysmal numbers related to property tax levies released by the Texas comptroller’s office. The major takeaway? The Texas Legislature continues to trumpet their “historic tax reform” package from…
Lawmakers Seek to Steal From Taxpayers for More Corporate Welfare
It’s no secret that leadership in the Texas Legislature has been heavily focusing on property tax relief packages in recent weeks. The Texas House and Senate have both filed their proposals, and both seek to provide minimal relief for homeowners….
Are Lawmakers Going to Give Us ‘The Biggest Property Tax Cut in Texas History’?
If you have been paying attention to all of the noise surrounding property tax relief this session, you have probably heard the phrase, “We are going to give Texans the biggest property tax cut in history!” This was most recently…
State Rep. Harrison Files Landmark Property Tax Bills
“Texans can never own their homes and are being taxed out of them. Property taxes are unethical and should be eliminated.” Can you ask for a better quote from an elected lawmaker on property tax reform? This quote is how…
Texas Freedom Caucus Releases Legislative Priorities
In a press conference in the Texas Capitol on Wednesday, the Texas Freedom Caucus released its legislative priorities for the 88th Legislative Session. For readers who might not know, the Texas Freedom Caucus is a group of conservative lawmakers (in…
The Fed Raises Rates Again
Today, the Federal Open Market Committee released the minutes from their most recent meeting. The most significant news was that they hiked the interest rate by 25 basis points to give us a total federal rate of 4.5% (up from…
Why Property Taxes Are Immoral: Examining the Impact on Private Property
Property taxes are a contentious issue for many people, with some (mostly local government officials) arguing that they are an important source of funding for government services. In contrast, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR) and many Texas taxpayers argue that…
Is There Really an Appetite for School Choice in Texas?
It is National School Choice Week, and if you have been paying attention at all over the last few years, you are probably aware that a massive wave of school choice legislation is being implemented across the country. Much of…
Are We Really Getting $15 Billion in Property Tax Relief?
Recently, the House and Senate released their versions of the appropriation bill. House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 1 respectively lay out the biennial budget for the 2024-2025 biennium. Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has already highlighted that $15 billion in…
TFR Statement on Appropriation Bills
Today, both the Texas House and Senate have released their budgets. Both the House and Senate appropriation bills provide $15B for property tax relief, with $12B to compress Maintenance & Operations rates by 7.75% and $3B to increase the homestead…