Pre-Filing Opens for 90th Session
Today, November 9, is the first day lawmakers can pre-file bills for the upcoming 90th Texas Legislature.1 These early filings will give a first look at the policies and ideas that will be on the table when the session starts in January, policies that could raise...
Taxpayers Reject Many Key Bond and Tax Increases
Texas taxpayers delivered a pretty clear message on November 3 beyond the partisan swing: enough with the tax increases and debt. Across the districts and local governments that TFR highlighted in the weeks before the election,1 voters rejected the large...
OPINION: Blessed Are Those Who Show Up
This opinion piece was originally published in the American Reformer HERE. It is being republished with permission of the author. Following this week’s election results, hopefully a few civic realities that have been lurking in the background have reemerged as the...
Democrats Sweep Statewide Races
The November General Election1 ushered in a sweeping shift, ending more than three decades of Republican control of statewide offices. In the U.S. Senate race, Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton by a margin of about 55% to 43%, marking the...
East Texas Bonds Would Put Taxpayers on the Hook for Millions
East Texans will face several school bond proposals on November 3, 2026. If approved, these measures would authorize tens of millions of dollars in new borrowing backed by property taxes, leaving taxpayers footing the bill for the debt and interest over time. Three...
Yarbrough on Predatory Gambling, Affordability, and When Government Picks Winners & Losers
On the final day of the 2026 Republican Party of Texas convention in Houston, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility’s Destin Sensky sat down with Jace Yarbrough,1 the Republican nominee for Congressional District 32 in North Texas. Their conversation ranged across the...
Houston-Area School Districts Ask Voters for Tax Hikes and New Debt
Houston-area taxpayers face a series1 of school funding propositions on the November 3 ballot, including proposed property tax increases across five school districts and billions of dollars in new debt through bond elections. Cy-Fair, Channelview, and Crosby ISDs are...
West Texas Taxpayers Asked to Approve Millions in New Debt
A debt-free school district wants $134 million, a district near the 50-cent cap wants a $30 million ballpark, and a Midland utility district is back 18 months after 76% of voters said no. Big-city bond packages get most of the headlines, but rural and small-city West...
Central Texas School Districts Want More Money From Taxpayers
As Texans continue to face financial pressure, several Central Texas school districts are asking taxpayers to approve higher property taxes or authorize millions of dollars in new debt. From an $81 million bond in the Waco area to a $400 million package in Manor,...