The Latest
McKinney Tables Vote on Extending Term Limits After Citizens Object
Longer term limits will not be on the May ballot, but the council may consider putting the issue to voters in November.
University of Houston to Display Pro-Abortion Idol
The 18-foot tall statute is currently scheduled for display from February 28 to October 31.
Texas Education Board Sets New Guidelines for Reviewing and Approving Instructional Materials
Board members adopted multiple items for the new process to ensure “high-quality instructional materials for Texas students.”
Decision Texas, Houston, Local
Harris County GOP Chair Race Heats Up
The primary election will determine which candidate leads the Republican Party in the state’s largest county.
The Archive
Tax Issue Hot? You Betcha
The Austin American-Statesman is reporting the obvious today: Texas voters want substantive reform to our tax system. Political consultant Todd Smith sums it up pretty well: "I never heard anybody say, 'I just got the right amount of property tax relief,' " he said....
Houston Chronicle Reports on Need for More Property Tax Relief
The Chronicle story "Homeowners still waiting for tax relief from Perry" reports most of the $2,000 promised property tax relief is evaporating due to appraisal increases, and in some school districts, rate increases. But the obstacle last session to more...
UPDATE: Threat Against TFR
Late Friday afternoon the Austin emergency response teams and federal agencies declared the substance mailed to TFR to be mostly harmless. The TFR staff and others in their section of the building were released, after being sequestered until the powder was identified....
Statement on TFR Death Threat
The president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Michael Quinn Sullivan, offered the following statement on the death threat and powdery substance he received in the mail today. In response, the building has been evacuated but the TFR staff has been asked to remain...
“Streamlining” The Taxpayers
Task Force Considers Elimination of the School Property Tax
The Legislature must begin to explore ways to phase out and ultimately eliminate the Maintenance & Operations (M&O) property tax. Toward that end, the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute launched a Property Tax Task Force three months ago to...
Eliminate School Property Taxes? Yes!
We all know the time is long overdue to rip the poisonous weed of property taxes out of the state's economic garden. We might actually get the chance if State Rep. Phil King of Weatherford gets his way. King is making waves today, calling for the elimination of the...
Not the Legislature’s Business
Most Texans are worried about how they are going to pay next year's property taxes, or are concerned about how the new business income tax is going to affect their job. The Legislature? Well, their taking time next week to listen to Dallas Cowboy's owner Jerry Jones...
Should Texas and Local Governments Use Tax Dollars to Subsidize Housing?
The Texas Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs may spend $30.9 million in public funds on renovating apartment complexes in Northwest Houston to serve as low income housing. Meanwhile, Austin approved $55 million in bonds for so-called affordable housing, but should...