State
How Texans’ Property Tax Increases Could Spike Despite Past ‘Reform’
A property tax reform provision lets local governments bank three years of “unused” tax hikes.
Texans Flood Capitol to Testify on Parental Rights, Committee Holds Parents Off
“Legislators are listening to administrators of various districts around the state patting themselves on the back and saying how money can be spent. They haven’t heard a word from a parent.”
Communist China in Texas: Confucius Institutes
“[T]o cultivate and prepare a group (or army) of people to make sure the CCP will be in power in the future… and increase our CCP influence around the world.”
Attempt to Censure GOP Lawmakers for Opposing Incumbents Fails
“Caucus leadership wanted to use this to send a message to incoming members like Carrie Isaac, Nate Schatzline and others that they need to stay in line. The attempt backfired.”
State Archive
Tax Equity
More than two dozen members of the Texas Legislature are calling on Congress to maintain the sales tax deduction for Texans on our federal income taxes. Unless Congress acts, we'll again lose this important protection. For many years, only people living in states...
Examining Agency Advocacy
State Sen. Dan Patrick and State Rep. Ken Paxton are wanting a formal review of the use of taxpayer money by the Texas Department of Transportation and other agencies on advertising. According to the Houston Chronicle, "the tally for advertising, publications and...
“School-ed” in Deception?
Isn't odd that the one area in which most politicians and taxpayers get weak-kneed is that same place that seems to practice the most deception; Education. To me education has become the new golden calf of American worship. I dare you to say in a public setting...
Not Taking The Government’s Medicine
The government-first crowd constantly tells us poor children need the tender-loving mercies only big-government can provide. Well, apparently those parents don't agree. The Dallas Morning News is reporting that a coalition of mostly tax-funded organizations is out...
State Auditor Blasts Bureaucrats for Sitting on Hurricane Relief Money from Feds
A eye-opening new report from the State Auditor flogs the Department of Housing and Community Affairs and Office of Rural Community Affairs for receiving $97 million in federal money in the springs of 2006 for Hurricane Rita relief and recovery, but having...
A Clear Vision For Texas
One of the worst Republicans in the Texas Legislature is Fort Worth’s Charlie Geren. He scored an abysmal 45% on the TFR Index. He consistently votes against taxpayers, and in opposition to conservative principles, every chance he gets. Taxpayers in House District...
Scouting Principles
Last night I attended a dinner benefiting the Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. As an Eagle Scout, I’ll be forever in scouting’s debt for the values, principles and skills they tried to instill me – how successfully it took is perhaps a...
Flag This Play
No issue is too small, apparently, for legislative intervention. That's about the only conclusion you can draw from lawmakers wanting to insert themselves' in the dust-up between the NFL and the cable industry. One thing's is for sure, if the Legislature does get...
Maybe We Can Just Walk To Work?
A friend of Empower Texans and TFR today passed along the "newsletter" that accompanies his water bill in the City of Taylor. The newsletter brags about a $574,000 grant from the Texas Transportation Commission to the Taylor Independent School District for the...