News and Commentary

News

The Longshoreman Strike and Its Impact

The ongoing strike of longshoremen at major U.S. ports is a disruption with widespread consequences for American industries, businesses, and, most importantly, taxpayers and families. As the backbone of international trade, American ports handle an immense volume of imports and…

News

What the Fed’s Interest Rate Cut Could Mean

The recent decision by the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates by half a percentage point has sent ripples through the economic landscape, raising crucial questions for fiscal conservatives. While some may tout this move as a necessary step to…

Commentary

The High and Rising Burden of Property Taxes.

The following piece is taken from Dr. Vance Ginn’s Testimony to the Texas House Select Committee on Sustainable Property Tax Relief: Over the last decade, the Texas Legislature has made some progress in providing property tax relief, but the housing…

Research

2026-27 Frozen Texas Budget: Reining in Unsustainable Spending

Overview Introduction ​Recently, the Texas Legislative Budget Board released the Fiscal Size-Up 2024-25 Biennium report with the latest estimated or budgeted amounts in the prior 2022-23 budget and the appropriated 2024-25 budget. The results from the 88th Texas Legislature’s efforts…

News

The Trump Tax Cuts Are Set to Expire in 2025

Here’s How You’ll Be Affected Contrary to the popular mantra from the Left that President Donald Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 was a “tax cut for the rich,” Americans of almost every tax bracket experienced a…

Commentary

Commentary: Texas Is Overfunding Public Education

The State of Texas is pouring unprecedented amounts of taxpayer money into public education with little to show for it.  From the 2014-15 biennium, to the 2022-23 biennium, total education spending surged 53% to $92.4 billion, while per-student spending jumped…

Commentary

Why Laurel Jordan Swift Shouldn’t Be Trusted with Your Tax Dollars

As Laurel Jordan Swift campaigns for a seat in the State House for District 121, she’s positioning herself as a champion for taxpayers.  However, a closer look at Jordan Swift’s personal and financial history reveals a troubling pattern of fiscal…

Commentary

The Ginn Economic Brief: Texas Economic Situation – Summer 2024

Texas at the Crossroads: Sustaining Leadership Amid New Challenges Texas has long been at the forefront of job creation in the U.S., consistently outpacing other states, particularly since the COVID lockdowns. However, recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics…

News

New Staff, New Goals, New Candidates

The shakeup in the world of the Texas House has continued over the last few weeks, as Speaker Phelan hires a new Chief of Staff, the Speaker’s race has now expanded to three challengers, and more.  New Staff  With Dade…

Commentary

It’s Time to Relieve Texas Families 

Texas families are facing an affordability crisis that is being exacerbated by property taxes: a never-ending tax that, fundamentally, serves as a form of perpetual rent to the government.  While the Legislature has taken steps recently to address the rising…

News

Austin ISD Seeking to Raise Property Taxes Even Further

Last month, the City of Austin proposed a massive city budget of $5.9 billion, an increase by over $400 million from the previous year. As reported here at Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, implementation of this radically careless budget would cost…

Commentary

Foreign Land Ownership and the American Dream 

The American Dream Land ownership has always been deeply intertwined with the American identity. From the earliest days of settlement, land was seen as foundational to liberty, independence, self-determination, and economic opportunity.  Colonists and immigrants from all over the world…

News

Harris County Resurrects UpliftHarris, Program Will Cost Taxpayers Over 17 Million

The controversial and fiscally irresponsible guaranteed income program proposed by Harris County leadership, UpliftHarris, has been resurrected by the county’s Commissioner Court.  Originally introduced in January 2024, the program aimed to supply a monthly income of $500 to a select…

Research

The Real Size of Texas Government

Executive Summary The only thing the Texas Legislature must do when they meet every two years is adopt a budget. Not surprisingly, with years of practice they have gotten pretty good at spending taxpayers’ money. For instance, the Legislature appropriated…

News

Houston ISD Places Largest Bond in Texas History on November Ballot

This November, Houston voters will face a crucial decision regarding a historic $4.4 billion bond proposal for the Houston Independent School District (HISD).  This bond, the largest in Texas history, has garnered unanimous support from bureaucrats at the district’s state-appointed…