State
Survey: Texans Support Historical Religious Stories in School Curriculum
Most respondents believe that religious texts can help students better understand Western civilization.
Illegal Alien Who Crossed Through Texas Arrested in Maryland on Rape Charges
The man originally entered the country as an accompanied minor.
Texas Obtains Expanded Injunction on Biden-Harris’ Redefinition of Title IX Protections
The ruling is the latest movement in a full-scale legal effort by Texas and other Republican states to contest the Biden-Harris administration’s proposed Title IX changes.
Concerns Raised Over Online Lottery Sales, Risks to Minors
A sunset review of the Texas Lottery Commission reveals a glaring problem.
State Archive
Plenty of Money for Property Tax Relief
A new report by the Rockefeller Institute finds that, while other states are sagging, Texas sales tax revenues are up 12 percent from last July through March and the Comptroller is predicting a $10.7 billion surplus. Thus, the national economic slowdown, which has...
Bark Up A Tree
Here is the perfect job for the outdoorsman who doesn’t like nature, and the wildlife nut who won’t sacrifice a vibrant nightlife: An Urban Forester! The Texas Forest Service (bet you didn’t know we had one of those, now did you?) is handing out your money to cities...
$5 Billion Property Tax Hike Proposed – It’s Called Sales Price Disclosure
At a Senate hearing yesterday, Dallas officials called for sales price disclosure. This would raise appraisal values, resulting in $4 billion in additional school property taxes plus billions more in other local property taxes. As the new Texas GOP platform declares,...
Margins Tax Strikes Sour Note for Kids Learning Instruments
One of the true taxpayer heroes in the Legislature, Rep. Ken Paxton (R-McKinney), reports in his newsletter today that the Music Conservatory of Texas, which taught over 33,000 music lessons in 2007, paid $6,200 of its $8,394 in profit to the state under the new...
Big John
Hanging in Sen. John Cornyn’s office is a guitar signed by rockers ZZ Top. Pretty cool. More cool is the way Cornyn has been rocking the U.S. Senate. He forced the hand of the liberals on their global warming scam, and has become a consistent champion of free markets...
More Affordable Fords Can Help Texas Counties Economize
Dallas County is facing a budget shortfall of $20 to $30 million, largely because they have gotten used to increasing spending at double-digit rates, but for the first time in years, appraisal increases didn't quite keep up. Commissioners are looking for savings, and...
The Gross Margins Tax Is… Gross
Earmark Accountability
Transparency is good for what ills us at all levels of government. Whether its local school checkbooks, state agency contracts, or federal earmarks, transparency is a powerful tool for meaningful reform. Chatting this week in Washington with two senior staffers in Kay...
New Texas Democratic Party Platform Silent on Taxes, Big on Spending
With the Texas GOP platform on deck this weekend, the Texas Democratic Party has posted their new platform. It does not address taxes except claiming that current state taxes favor big over small business, but includes items such as universal government health care...