State news in Texas
Statewide Texas News
Analysis: Report Exposes Rogue Texas Lottery Commission Leadership
A full criminal investigation of the Texas Lottery is needed.
Legislation Filed To Stop Out-of-state Gender Mutilation of Children
State Sen. Mayes Middleton’s measure would prohibit physicians and healthcare providers from referring children to out-of-state doctors for gender-related surgeries.
Former Russian Mercenary Arrested After Crossing Rio Grande River
Timur Praliev was reportedly carrying a Russian passport, a drone, and cash with him as he crossed the river.
Lawmaker Proposes Strict In-Person Attendance Rules for Higher Education Governing Boards
State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst’s proposal would require members to attend a minimum of 75 percent of board meetings.
State Archive
Conservative Leaders: Return the Surplus!
Leaders of seven conservative organizations today called on legislators to "return the certified surplus to Texas taxpayers." Earlier this week the state's new Comptroller, Susan Combs, certified for legislative use a $14.3 billion surplus. Signing the letters are the...
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...
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
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...
National Report Finds Texas Has Some of the Nation’s Highest Property Taxes
The Tax Foundation has released a new report with some bad news for Texas taxpayers that many probably already knew all too well. The report, which focuses on property taxes across the nation, found that Texas has the ninth highest property taxes of the 50 states as...