Fiscal year 2023 has already seen over 1.9 million encounters at the southern border.
State
Sex Trafficking in Texas: The Suffering of the Enslaved
In the second installment of this series, Texas Scorecard examines the pain of those forced to sell themselves for sex.
First Week of Second Special Session Concludes, Senate Nears Finish Line
With just a handful of items remaining for the Senate to consider on Abbott’s agenda, they will potentially finish their work within days.
State Rep. Questions State Agency on Child Mutilation Amid Fight to Protect Children
“I think most Texans would be concerned if [the agency] decided that only ‘some’ genital mutilation was wrong while condoning other mutilation.”
Texas Senate Passes Election Reform a Third Time. Now What?
Election integrity advocates wait to see if the Legislature can finally pass their priority reforms and help restore confidence in Texas elections.
MOST RECENT
Andrea McWilliams: The $8 Million Lobbyist
Texas Scorecard examines Texas’ highest-paid lobbyists.
Patrick Announces Senate Committee Assignments
Only one of the chamber’s 17 committees will be chaired by a Democrat.
Norred: Law by Press Release
“I am appalled at this incredible failure to follow basic procedures and the almost whimsical approach to governance.”
Legislative Preview: Cut Spending Now
Texans for Fiscal Responsibility explains it is government, not taxpayers, who must make sacrifices.
Transparency Front and Center in House Rules Fight
The House approved rules for the 87th Legislative Session, though many reforms were soundly defeated.
House Kills Proposal to Prevent Democrat Committee Chairs
Freshman State Rep. Bryan Slaton led the effort to prevent conservative priorities from being killed by Democrat committee chairs. House Republicans voted it down.
Senate Adjusts Rules to Stop Democrats From Killing GOP Bills
State Sen. Bryan Hughes says the changing the “three-fifths” rule to the “five-ninths” rule strikes a balance between majority rule and protecting the minority.
Texas AG Demands Answers From Big Tech on Censorship
“The public deserves the truth about how these companies moderate and possibly eliminate speech they disagree with.”
State Reps. Sign Proclamation to Defend Texans’ Medical Freedom
Texans for Vaccine Choice and its supporters asked elected officials to state if they’re for or against Texans’ individual rights.
Texas Arrests ‘Ballot Chaser’ for Multiple Election Fraud Felonies
“This is a victory for election integrity and a strong signal that anyone who attempts to defraud the people of Texas … will be brought to justice.”
ARCHIVE
Frustrated Taxpayers
Sitting in the back of the Laredo auditorium on Wednesday night, I was struck by the level of frustration. These were hard-working folks I was listening to, most arrived in pick-ups and older cars; none belonged to a country club. The event was a free training seminar on how to protest property tax appraisals; I had been asked by the organizer to come and talk about the results of the legislative session.
Good Day Sunshine: Comptroller Posts State Expenditures Online
She's no lazy Susan. Comptroller Susan Combs has gotten a head start on implementing House Bill 3430 requiring all state agencies to post their expenditures online. The Comptroller's newly unveiled site reveals expenditures for nearly 200 agencies and institutions under broad categories such as salaries, travel and supplies.
Robin Armstrong
I had the pleasure of sharing a podium last night with Robin Armstrong, vice chairman of the Texas Republican Party. We were speaking at an event in Horseshoe Bay (Llano County).
A practicing physcian (and a fellow graduate of Texas A&M), Robin has risen quickly in GOP's inside politics. His comments were refreshingly strong, focusing on the need for our elected officials to return to the core principles of the conservative movement that excite the grassroots.
Pitt$ Fiscal Hypocrisy
State Rep. Jim Pitts should be ashamed of his bald-faced hypocrisy. Jim Pitts is saying tonight that he is voting against the budget on the grounds that it represents an irresponsible jump in state spending, and criticizes it for being laden with pork.
This begs a response. The proposed budget increases the size of government about 9 percent, while the budget Jim Pitts shepherded through the process, when he chaired House Appropriations, increased state spending 18.7 percent.
That porky smell emanating from the Capitol arises from many quarters, but Mr. Pitts' office would surely have to be one the smelliest. He's never lifted a finger to reduce spending or cut the size of government. He should be ashamed.
Who in the Fred Hill is being represented?
For Texas taxpayers, the record of State Rep. Fred Hill (R-Richardson) adds up to higher taxes. The Dallas Morning News is reporting in today’s edition that residents in Mr. Hill’s home county of Dallas had a “sharp increase†in property tax appraisals – some 20 percent on average. As a result, property owners there are paying an additional $18.4 million in taxes.
Rep. Hill has been the single greatest obstacle to property tax relief and appraisal reform in the Texas House.
Senate Passes Spending Transparency Legislation
Late last night the Texas Senate unanimously passed House Bill 3430, which gives Texas' taxpayers the ability to monitor spending and ensure tax dollars are being well-spent. This legislation marks a great milestone for fiscal accountability in Texas and across the country.
State Rep. Mark Strama and his colleagues in the House, and State Sen. Glenn Hegar and the other members of the Senate, along with both Speaker Tom Craddick and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, are to be congratulated for opening the state's expenditures, grants and contracts to healthy scrutiny and important sunlight. Having this transparency in spending is good for all Texans.
Thousands of Texans directed letters and phone calls to their legislators this Session, asking for this legislation to be enacted. Those efforts have paid off in moving the legislation unanimously through both chambers; now we wait for a conference committee to finalize the legislation before it is adopted by the governor.
Senate (Finally) Passes TIF Tax Repeal
The Senate this evening finally passed House Bill 735, legislation that represents one of the largest tax cuts in Texas history. The House version had the tax cut going into effect immediately, but the Senate opted to keep taking the tax for one more year. This is a tax, by the way, which was supposed to have gone away years ago; it had completed its statutory purpose but lawmakers decided they liked getting the money and refused to follow through on the promise to abolish it.
No Tax Reform, But An Industry Blooms
Remember the campaign promises for property tax relief? Seen your latest property tax bill? The rates are going down (a little, because of the 2006 tax swap), but the bills are going up (a lot, thanks to appraisal creep).Â
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Six days remain in the legislative session, and despite record-breaking budget surpluses lawmakers haven’t delivered on the desperately needed additional property tax relief.
That ticking sound from Austin
With just 10 days left in the legislative session, time is running out. On the one hand, that is a good thing – less time for bad things to get done. On the other, it’s less time for good things to be accomplished. Either way, the clock is ticking. Here are some important items pending in the Senate…
Texas House turns tax cut into spending increase
I've never seen anything quite like it. The Texas House today turned a $2.5 billion tax cut (H.B. 2785) into a $4.4 billion spending increase!