State news in Texas
Statewide Texas News
Budget Amendments Put Spotlight on Illegal Immigration’s Burden to Taxpayers
393 amendments have been pre-filed ahead of Thursday’s budget debate.
Texas House Committee Hears Parent-Driven Education Reforms
Lawmakers are considering more measures requiring Texas schools to protect students and respect parental rights.
Texas Teachers’ Retirement System Funded Chinese Firms
State agency hides how much it has indirectly invested in Chinese businesses.
Texas House Overwhelmingly Rejects Motion To Remove Speaker Burrows
The motion was tabled 141-2, with five members present but not voting, and two absent.
State Archive
Franchise Tax in Creighton’s Crosshairs
State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) presented his three bills to the Senate Finance Committee last week that aim to provide relief from the state's franchise tax, also known as the gross margins tax. In his testimony, Creighton observed how the free economic...
Strengthening the Spending Cap
At a press conference Tuesday, State Sen. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills) and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick unveiled new legislation that would dramatically improve Texas' constitutional spending cap. Under the Texas Constitution, the current cap constrains the...
Stickland Fighting for Constitutional Carry Hearing
Over a month ago, sophomore State Rep. Jonathan Stickland (R-Bedford) officially requested a hearing for his bill, HB 195. Also known as “Constitutional Carry,” the bill would allow for the unlicensed open carry of handguns in areas of the state where concealed carry...
Rushing on Regents
Despite senators just last week having expressed serious misgivings about nominees to the University of Texas Board of Regents, the Nominations Committee today forwarded those nominees to the full Senate with just one vote dissenting. Misgivings were offered by the...
Bills Filed To Eliminate Taxes
Legislators have filed bills seeking to repeal a slurry of petty and outdated taxes. For many of these taxes, administrative costs currently exceed revenue collections gained, making them highly inefficient. Others exist merely as burdensome relics of failed...
Sen. Schwertner: Freeze Tuition Increases
In recent years the cost of higher education has skyrocketed exponentially, pricing more and more Texans out of many college options as administrators rampantly raise tuition and fees. In an effort to control the issue, State Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) has...
Bettencourt Battles Property Taxes
It’s a common belief that property taxes are growing at rates that are simply astronomical, placing greater and greater strain on hardworking Texans. As a report by Americans for Prosperity - Texas indicates, the issue is front and center with Texans demanding relief...
Life in the Slow Lane
Under the procedures of the Texas House, the Speaker is commanded to refer “all proposed legislation … to an appropriate standing or select committee with jurisdiction.” But the rules are silent on how quickly the Speaker is expected to fulfill that duty. What is a...
Freshman State Rep. Files Pro-Transparency Legislation
Freshman State Rep. Mark Keough has filed legislation to force counties to be more transparent to taxpayers. HB 317 would require counties in Texas with populations higher than 45,000 to create and maintain an online searchable database of all county expenditures. “HB...