Many Texas politicians are claiming the proposed 2026-27 Texas budget is conservative. But the facts tell a different story. Examples of poor fiscal discipline in the proposed 2026-27 Texas budget include more than $50 billion of new state funds spending,…

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has issued the following vote notice for May 19th, 2025 Texas House of Representatives Subject: Senate Bill 40 (SB 40) –  No taxpayer money for bail.  Subject: Senate Joint Resolution 1 (SJR 1) –  No bail for illegal aliens charged…

Texas is still growing—but it’s no longer growing right. In a state known for dynamism, this year’s budget feels more like a bureaucratic monument than a launchpad for prosperity. Despite historic surpluses, lawmakers have chosen spending sprees over structural reform…

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has issued the following vote notice for May 16th, 2025 Texas House of Representatives Subject: Senate Bill 984 (SB 984) – Expanded Right-to-try Subject: Senate Bill 2448 (SB 2448) – New rural workforce grant program Subject: Senate…

Spending in the proposed 2026-27 Texas budget is very Democrat friendly. Fifty-seven of the 62 Democrats in the Texas House voted for the budget; all 11 Democrats in the Texas Senate voted for it. And why shouldn’t they? In the…

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has issued the following vote notice for May 15th, 2025 Texas House of Representatives Subject: House Bill 4847 (HB 4847) – School recapture transparency Subject: House Bill 1449 (HB 1449) – Streamlines mobile food permitting Subject:…

Despite its conservative image, Texas is a haven for crony capitalism. Texans provide billions of dollars for big and small business and special interests groups through multiple channels, including property tax abatements for manufacturers and subsidies in the Texas budget. …

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has issued the following vote notice for May 14th, 2025 Texas House of Representatives Subject: House Joint Resolution 73 (HJR 73) – Expanded tax relief for elderly or disabled Subject: House Bill 982 (HB 982) –…

Texas should end the Texas Lottery and Lottery Commission, and stop exploiting struggling families to fund the government through gambling. The Texas Lottery Commission should not be continued this session—it should be abolished. There are several opportunities to accomplish this…

While Washington under Trump sought to “drain the swamp,” Texas lawmakers are filling it back up. The state’s latest budget is a glaring indictment of government excess, and it’s missing a critical weapon against waste: DOGE, the Delivery of Government…

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has issued the following vote notice for May 13th, 2025 Texas House of Representatives Subject: House Bill 2545 (HB 2545) – New State-run grant program Subject: House Bill 4120 (HB 4120) – Inmate pre-release welfare Subject:…

The Texas budget is put together using smoke and mirrors. Everything about the appropriations process is designed to hide the total cost and true size of the state government from Texas taxpayers. For instance, the Legislative Budget Board shows that…

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has issued the following vote notice for May 12th, 2025 Texas House of Representatives Subject: House Joint Resolution 35 (HJR 35) – Grant Program from ESF Subject: House Joint Resolution 47 (HJR 47) – New Grant…

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has issued the following vote notice for May 10th, 2025 Texas House of Representatives Subject: House Joint Resolution 218 (HJR 218) – Energy Fund Expansion Subject: House Bill 842 (HB 842) – Study at taxpayer expense…

Introduction The Texas Constitution contains two limits on state government spending. One of them is a balanced budget amendment, known as the Pay-As-You-Go Limit. Because of this, Texas cannot use deficit spending to support most state expenditures. While this is…