In an official commemoration surrounded by Texas legislators, Governor Abbott ceremoniously signed and celebrated the second-largest property tax relief package in Texas history. Taking place in New Caney, Texas, and livestreamed online, Governor Abbott on Wednesday ceremoniously signed the new…

Will Texas ban the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying in the next legislative session? Taxpayer-funded lobbying, simply put, is the practice of local political subdivisions (school districts, cities, counties, etc.) hiring lobbyists in Austin to lobby lawmakers to increase the local…

After months of debate, political posturing, stalemate, and eventually a consensus deal between both chambers of the Texas Legislature, the long-awaited property tax relief package has finally been signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.  Governor Abbott officially signed…

As the smoke begins to clear after the conclusion of the regular 88th Legislative Session and two special sessions, Texans are beginning to examine the myriad of both progress and damage accomplished by the Texas Legislature.  In the damage category,…

Overview Texas Passes Largest Budget Increase in Texas History Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) recently signed the Texas budget (HB 1) passed by the 88th Texas Legislature with the largest spending increases, the largest corporate welfare increases, and the largest social safety net…

On Thursday, after months of stalemate, the Texas House finally took up for consideration a property tax plan intended to provide real relief to Texas taxpayers.  The House convened in the early afternoon to consider the proposed plan. Senate Bill…

An Overview The good news is that state officials in Texas have been debating how to provide one of the largest tax cuts in the state’s history and were even talking about eliminating school maintenance and operations (M&O) property taxes….

The House and Senate finally reached a property tax relief deal, but is it everything that they claim it to be? On Monday, leadership in the Texas Legislature finally reached a deal ending the months-long property tax relief stalemate that…

Governor Greg Abbott has, on several recent occasions, opined that Texas possesses the “best business climate” and is “America’s premier economic destination.” While on the surface this seems true, the emphasis by the state and local governments over the last…

Taxation has always been an integral part of a nation’s economic system, enabling governments to fund public services and fulfill their obligations. The Revolutionary War marked a turning point in American history, as colonists fought for independence from British rule….

In the third attempt this legislative cycle, Phelan and Patrick continue the battle over property tax relief and Abbott introduces a new(ish) topic to the debate. The clash between the east and west chambers of the Texas Capitol has officially…

Just three days after House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) formed a new Select Study Committee on Sustainable Property Tax Relief in the Texas House, Chairman Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) sent a letter to the committee’s chairman, Morgan Meyer (R-Dallas), proposing a…

Executive Summary The Texas Legislature is in the midst of a 20-year spending spree. Since 2003, the appropriation of state funds per legislative session has increased from $76.2 billion to $233 billion. Remarkably, 44% of that growth happened in 2023…

After Governor Abbott used the threat of his veto power to try and force the House and Senate to come to an agreement on property tax relief over the weekend (to no avail, despite having vetoed 76 bills), the battle…

Since 2007, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR) has attempted to provide Texas taxpayers with a tool to easily discern how their lawmakers perform on issues related to the size and role of government. The Fiscal Responsibility Index uses votes taken…