by Erin Anderson | Jun. 19, 2017 | Local
Denton’s school board voted this week to raise property taxes for the 2016-17 school year – an increase that voters will have to approve in a September election. At their June 13 board meeting, Denton Independent School District trustees unanimously approved a tax...
by Miriam Cepeda | Jun. 18, 2017 | Citizen Profiles, Local
“When someone wants to make sure the job gets done, they call me,” says Jim Barnes. Jim Barnes’ first impression of Texas was in 1965, but the weather is what kept him returning throughout the years. A physics graduate from Michigan State University, Barnes was...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Jun. 18, 2017 | Federal, Uncategorized
Our nation was rocked this week by the attempted assassination of a large group of Republican lawmakers and their staff. Zack Barth, a Texan who works as an aide to Texas’ Roger Williams, was wounded in the attack. The would-be assassin was a left-wing activist who...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Jun. 16, 2017 | Uncategorized
Fresh off winning the chairmanship of the Republican Party of Texas, James Dickey sent public letters to the leaders of the House and Senate with a simple message: the Republican grassroots are ready for the special session. “Many of the items included in Governor...
by Reagan Reed | Jun. 16, 2017 | Local
Local citizens are outraged after county officials approved a resolution supporting the SH 249 extension, also known as the “Aggie Toll Road.” Montgomery County Commissioners Court voted 3-2 in support of paying for the road with millions in revenue bonds backed by...
by Tony McDonald | Jun. 15, 2017 | State, Uncategorized
Texas House Speaker Joe Straus may be putting his own lieutenants at risk by violating an unwritten rule of Capitol politics. In a speech to the Texas Association of School Boards, Straus grabbed headlines when he bemoaned Gov. Abbott’s robust conservative agenda for...
by Cary Cheshire | Jun. 15, 2017 | State, Uncategorized
Speaking to a gaggle of educrats and lobbyists Wednesday, House Speaker Joe Straus showed his contempt for conservative reforms and Gov. Greg Abbott, calling the governor’s agenda for the upcoming special session “horse manure.” Earlier this month, Abbott announced he...
by Greg Harrison | Jun. 15, 2017 | Local
A city councilwoman is working to eliminate an absurd city policy that requires kids aspiring to operate lemonade stands to pay the city for a permit. Currently, aspiring young entrepreneurs are required to obtain a $35 permit in order to operate a lemonade stand....
by Charles Blain | Jun. 14, 2017 | Local
Houston’s November ballot is quickly taking shape, and a new PAC has emerged to push forward Mayor Sylvester Turner’s agenda ahead of the fall election. Lift Up Houston PAC’s website is welcoming and seemingly well-intentioned – except the proposals they are pushing...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Jun. 14, 2017 | State, Uncategorized
Most big-government Republicans try to hide their anti-taxpayer ways, so in that regard Hugh Shine’s ugly honesty might be commendable. Yet that will be little consolation for taxpayers suffering under one of the nation’s most oppressive property tax schemes. And the...
by Miriam Cepeda | Jun. 14, 2017 | Local
Elected officials at Weslaco Independent School District have awarded a large number of scholarships to their family members and others related to district staff. Parents and students who pay into a variety of student benefit programs – many of which are low-income...
by Greg Harrison | Jun. 13, 2017 | Local
A new mayor and several new councilmen take the reins in San Antonio after Saturday’s runoffs, which saw several incumbents ushered out. Without a doubt the biggest upset of the evening: incumbent Mayor Ivy Taylor was defeated by former Councilman Ron Nirenberg in...
by Lauren Melear | Jun. 13, 2017 | Local
The almost year-long rumor that a road bond could be on the horizon for the city of Midland was recently confirmed by Council Member J. Ross Lacy, who told the Midland Reporter Telegram he plans to place a $195 million bond on the November ballot – the largest in the...
by Charles Blain | Jun. 13, 2017 | Uncategorized
Property tax relief may have failed in Austin this legislative session, but Harris County is taking steps to ensure property owners can maintain some relief on the county level. The commissioners court unanimously voted to approve the extension of a 20-percent...
by Erin Anderson | Jun. 13, 2017 | Local
Results of Saturday’s local runoff elections across the Metroplex were mostly good news for conservative and reform-minded candidates – and a blow to Democrat-endorsed candidates. Four of five Texas Democrat Party-endorsed local candidates across the state lost their...
by Cary Cheshire | Jun. 12, 2017 | Uncategorized
On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he had signed the state budget passed by the Texas Legislature at the end of May, making only minor line-item vetoes. Despite having to contend with a relatively tight budget year, state lawmakers passed a relatively...
by Charles Blain | Jun. 12, 2017 | State
When it comes to ending the practice of government entities collecting and remitting union membership dues in Texas, often referred to as paycheck protection, unions breathlessly complain about the burden of having to do it themselves. A hot button issue during the...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Jun. 12, 2017 | State, Uncategorized
That sound you heard last week was establishment heads exploding in and around the Texas Capitol as Gov. Greg Abbott announced a robust reform agenda for legislators to tackle starting July 18. In calling the legislature back, Abbott is giving the obstructionist House...
by Greg Harrison | Jun. 11, 2017 | Citizen Profiles
Born into a politically active family, Michael Openshaw has always been very involved in the political arena – and he has no plans on slowing down, either. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Openshaw has been living in Plano, TX with his wife, Catherine for the past 18...
by Cary Cheshire | Jun. 9, 2017 | State
Despite Republicans controlling both chambers of the Texas Legislature, two major assaults on the free market made their way through this session. Now, Gov. Greg Abbott will have to decide if he will allow them to pass or use his veto pen to defend taxpayers. On...
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