TFR Staff

News

TFR Endorses Candidates for Office

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has officially launched our 2024 Primary Election Endorsements. With early voting beginning in less than a week on Tuesday, February 20th, and election day just around the corner on March 5th, Texans should know who the…

Commentary

Governor Abbott Blasts Glenn Rogers Failing Fiscal Record

Last Friday, the town of Mineral Wells, Texas, welcomed Governor Greg Abbott for a well-attended campaign rally in support of Mike Olcott, a candidate endorsed by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR).  During the event, Governor Abbott articulated his rationale behind…

News

Harris County’s Guaranteed Basic Income Program Raises Legal and Fiscal Concerns

Harris County’s “Uplift Harris” guaranteed basic income program is facing criticism and legal scrutiny from State Senator Paul Bettencourt (R – Houston), who submitted a request for an opinion from the attorney general’s office on the constitutionality of the initiative….

Commentary

A Powerful Tool to Hold Lawmakers Accountable

As we enter election season, many voters across the State of Texas are looking to find information about candidates and the voting records of their sitting elected officials, in order to make informed decisions at the ballot box.  Thankfully, Texans…

Commentary

Public Service or Personal Gain?

2023 was a year of legislative disappointments: mediocre property tax relief, wasteful spending, and fiscal irresponsibility; however, there was another egregious example of legislative impropriety that may have flown under the radar for some.  While you were struggling under the…

Commentary

Year-in-Review: Texas Mired in Fiscal (Ir)Responsibility

Explore a pivotal year in Texas politics, featuring a historic budget surplus, the largest spending increase, complex property tax cuts, corporate welfare debates, and the unresolved school choice saga. This comprehensive review sheds light on the major legislative decisions and their implications for the future of Texas.

News

The Surge in Texas Local Debt and Property Tax Implications

Texas’ Local Debt Crisis: Unpacking the $461.3 Billion Burden In a startling revelation, the Texas Public Policy Foundation reported a significant surge in Texas’ local debt, now towering at an unprecedented $461.3 billion as of the fiscal year 2023. This…

News88th TXLege

Fourth Special Session Concludes With an Unresolved School Choice Saga

The Texas Legislature wrapped up the fourth special legislative session on Tuesday and one of the most contentious issues remained unresolved: school choice. Despite Governor Greg Abbott’s push, the proposal to allow for Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) ultimately failed to…

Commentary

Texas Bond Propositions: The Rising Tide of Property Tax Burdens and Voter Paradox

One of the perhaps most underreported outcomes of last week’s election is the overwhelming success of local bond propositions, especially those that will further increase the already rapidly growing property tax burden on Texas taxpayers. Collectively, Texas voters considered nearly…

Commentary

School Choice Stifled by Texas Legislature Once Again

As the third special legislative session reaches its forced conclusion, it does so with not much in the way to show for it, especially regarding efforts on school choice. In continuance of what seems to be a long-standing trend, efforts…

NewsFederal

Federal Budget Deficit Has Nearly Doubled Under President Biden

The federal budget deficit has doubled from one year to the next a few times before. Usually, those occurrences happen in conjunction with economic bad news, something the current administration consistently says does not exist. The Numbers Game First off,…

NewsState

Understanding Texas’ Financial Health: Takeaways from a 2023 State Report

Recently, Truth in Accounting (TIA), a fiscal watchdog organization, published a report titled “Financial State of the States 2023” shedding light on the perceived fiscal health of all 50 states in the United States based on key factors. According to…

Commentary

A Brief Examination of a Texas House Hopeful’s Record

The race to fill the vacant seat for Texas House District 2 is underway, with the special election now less than a month out.  One candidate, Jill Dutton, has thrown her hat into the ring, hoping that Voters in HD-2…

Commentary

School Choice for All… Some… Not That Many

What does it say about a state that has to pay off government schools and those within the government school system in order to potentially adopt a school choice system that benefits only some students? That scenario is exactly what…

News88th TXLege

Texas House Lawmakers Join the Call for Audit of Impeachment Investigation

Friday, three Texas House lawmakers called on both the Texas House Speaker, Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) and State Rep. Andrew Murr (R-Junction) to conduct a “complete audit and providing an itemized account of taxpayer funds spent on the impeachment investigation and…