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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

As the race for Texas State House District 80 heats up to South Texas temperatures, voters face an important decision that could have long-lasting implications for their wallets, their children’s education, and the future of Texas’s economy.  After HD-80 incumbent…

Introduction The Texas Legislative Budget Board (LBB) publishes the “Fiscal Size-Up” report after every session to comprehensively review the state’s budget and fiscal actions for the biennium. The latest report, covering the 2024-25 budget period, offers crucial insights into how…

On July 17th, in a letter to Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dade Phelan, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar reported that general revenue-related collections for the 2024 fiscal year have been tracking with the 2024-2025 Certification…

Austin has set forth its new proposal for the Fiscal Year 2025 city budget – and it is exactly what you would expect.  The new budget initially proposed by unelected bureaucrat T.C. Broadnax, the City Manager, contains an incredible $5.9…

When the COVID-19 Pandemic emerged at the height of a booming economy, the American people went into a near-nationwide shutdown. With the population locked in their homes, unemployment expectedly spiked to unprecedented levels. As the pandemic and accompanying lockdowns receded…

As we gather to celebrate Independence Day, we honor the principles of freedom, self-governance, and personal responsibility that our nation was founded upon. This is a time to reflect on the sacrifices made by our forefathers to secure these liberties…

Tarrant County has taken another step towards giving more money back to taxpayers by increasing the homestead exemption to the maximum allowed by state law. Following the implementation of a 10% homestead exemption last year, the Tarrant County Commissioners Court…

New York City, once the unrivaled hub of America’s financial services, is seeing its dominance wane. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), a cornerstone of U.S. commerce since 1792, now faces competition from emerging financial centers like Texas. The recent…

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility will be attending the Republican Party of Texas Convention in San Antonio.  Next week, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR) will pack its bags and hit the road for San Antonio. The Republican Party of Texas (RPT)…