State news in Texas
Statewide Texas News
Citizens Call On Lawmakers To Protect Texas Land From Hostile Foreign Nations
The proposed law is a priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
House Lawmaker Seeks to Codify Ban on Race-based Scholarships
State Rep. Tony Tinderholt believes the bill is the next step in eliminating identity politics from higher education.
House Committee Weighs Education Spending Bill as School Choice Fight Looms
Both teacher pay raises and school choice have been deemed emergency items by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Abbott on Texas Lottery: Investigation Will Determine Next Steps
The Lottery Commission is currently under investigation by the Texas Rangers and the Attorney General.
State Archive
TPPF Commentary – Schools Can’t Break Addiction to Higher Taxes
Remember the big school property tax cut you were supposed to get? Your local school district might be about to take it away. Last year, the Legislature passed a plan that used the state’s new business tax and part of the state’s $14 billion budget surplus to buy...
Constitutional Propositions
My friends at the Plano-based Free Market Foundation have produced a fantastic summary of the statewide constitutional ballot, with "pro" and "con" arguments for each. (You can view their work here.) Remember, your local ballot will probably have additional questions...
Republicans In Name
House Speaker Tom Craddick put voice this week to what conservative voters have been depressed about for several years: there are some Republican legislators who work against the conservative agenda. Here's what Speaker Craddick said in the Midland Reporter-Telegram:...
Running Right
While in Temple this week to guest-host a radio show, I had the opportunity to meet Michael Pearce. Hopefully you'll get to know him, too. A Marine veteran and former classroom teacher, Pearce is running for the open House District 55 seat in the Texas Legislature....
Is Lege’s School Rate Cut Driving Higher School Taxes?
It's an inconvenient truth, but not only did the legislature's effort to buy-down school property tax rates not result in lower tax bills (because they left the appraisal process untouched), but it has lead to higher school taxes. At least one elected official is...
Proposition 2 Shows the Problems with Higher Education Finance
In 2003, the State Legislature passed the tuition deregulation plan which gave university systems the ability to raise their own tuition rates. Previously, the tuition rates for state universities were controlled by the State Legislature. We were assured by university...
Subprime Crisis Solution – Reduce Runaway Texas Foreclosures by Reducing Property Taxes
With increasing warnings of an economic meltdown due to the subprime crisis, the best thing Texas government entities could do is provide property tax relief, especially since Texas has the 5th highest foreclosure rate in the nation, which is increasing at a...
Merry Christmas
Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is under fire from environmental groups because of his decision to sell the so-called “Christmas Mountains†which abut Big Bend National Park in far west Texas. Patterson rightly believes that the land will be better...