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,…

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…

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…

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. …

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…

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…

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…

When the Texas House and Texas Senate vote on whether to approve the final versions of House Bill 500 and Senate Bill 1, Figure 1 shows that they will be voting on whether to approve more than $53 billion in…

Since 2019, including what is proposed this session, the Texas Legislature has increased spending on public schools by about $23 billion in the name of property tax relief. It has done little to help Texans; during that period, Figure 1…

On April 11, 26 Texas House members voted against the budget bill, Senate Bill 1 (SB 1). That was the most no votes against a Texas budget since 29 members voted against the budget in 2013. Nineteen of the no…

“This week, I helped pass the most conservative Texas House budget in history.” Texas Republican Rep. Jared Patterson posted that message after the Republican-led Texas House recently passed its 2026–27 budget version CSSB 1. He and other Republicans also claimed…

Introduction The 2026–27 Texas proposed biennial budget should be rejected this week when brought to the House floor on Thursday, April 10th. This budget, and many before it over the last two decades since Republicans gained a trifecta in 2003,…

Taking a look at the budget and Texas’ $80 billion budget surplus Executive Summary Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s Biennial Revenue Estimate (BRE) biennium projects a budget surplus of $23.76 billion in state funds for the current 2024-25 fiscal biennium.  But…

Like most Texans, I am fed up with the rapidly growing Texas budget filled with waste, corporate cronyism, and funding for leftwing causes like DEI. Unlike most Texans, I am able to go to the Texas Capitol and testify against…

Texans to Receive Only $6 Billion in Property Tax Relief New Spending Reduces Potential Tax Cuts Now and in the Future When the Texas Senate meets this week to debate and adopt the 2026-27 budget for the state of Texas,…