The Latest
Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner Wins Democrat Nomination for Open Congressional Seat
The seat is open due to the death of U.S. Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee.
Under Pressure, Texas Farm Bureau Says They ‘Won’t Oppose’ Ban on Land Sales to China
The organization received a flood of correspondence from members concerned that it was obstructing legislation aimed at protecting Texas farmland from foreign threats.
East Texas Teacher Sentenced to 60 Years for Sex Crimes Against Students
The Atlanta ISD teacher and coach used Snapchat to solicit nude pictures from boys and fondled them at school.
Harris County District Attorney Files Charges Against Election Official
Former Harris County employee Daryl Blackburn is facing six felony charges.
The Archive
Return Surplus To The Taxpayer
Texas Comptroller Susan Combs today officially certified the state's surplus at $14.3 billion. The president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Michael Quinn Sullivan, offered the following statement: "The surplus is not found money, but rather the overpayment by...
Remember the Taxpayer!
In responding to the official revenue estimate issued by Comptroller Susan Combs, Gov. Perry said, “This surplus should reinforce our commitment to the principles and policies that helped create it. State leaders must continue to be fiscally disciplined, we must...
Taxpayers vs. Spending Addicts in Abilene
The Abilene Reporter-News has a revealing piece today discussing how Abilene taxpayers support revenue and appraisal caps while local officials are frightened by the prospect. The most eye-opening quote is:Taylor County Commissioner Chuck Statler likened the...
That big pile of money..
That big pile of money belongs to Texas' taxpayers. That legislators aren't falling all over themselves leading into the session to return it completely to the taxpayers is more than a little disappointing. By spending the surplus, they will be taxing us again, and...
It’s Wait and See at the LBB – At Least Fix the Cap Before Busting It, If You Must
The Legislative Budget Board meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 4 has been postponed to Thursday, January 11, apparently to give legislative leaders more time to chat with members about the setting of the spending limitation pursuant to the Constitution. TFR...
Tax cuts ain’t spending!
State Senator Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock) got it right in today's Dallas Morning News when he said, "I don't think the spending cap was designed to prevent tax cuts." What spending cap? The so-loose-as-to-be-non-existent cap added to the state constitution back in 1978...
Texas Has 9th Highest Property Tax Burden
Texas Taxpayer Funded Lobbying & Blogging
The Galveston Daily News reported this month that the board of the Galveston Independent School District voted to pay the Austin consulting firm Moak, Casey & Associates up to $15,000 to lobby the Texas Education Agency (TEA) on their behalf. The specific...
Carole’s Campaign Cadre
The Beaumont Enterprise is reporting that outgoing-Comptroller Carole Keeten-Strayhorn has in her waning days in office hired on campaign staff and added employees. Cost to taxpayers? $40,000, for two months of work. For work that apparently wasn't needed while she...