At a press conference on Monday that was supposed to center on Democrat messaging, one lawmaker let the cat out of the bag that their ultimate aim in pushing for “school finance reform” is a state income tax. Earlier in the day, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told attendees at...
Ostensibly aimed at combatting an increasing problem with the city’s homeless population, the Mayor is suggesting an increase in Austin’s Hotel Occupancy Tax as well as reallocating property tax revenue for public improvement projects. On Sunday night, Austin Mayor...
Speaking to a crowd of supporters at the Texas Public Policy Foundation the day before the special session begins, Gov. Greg Abbott was direct and forceful about the agenda he’s asked lawmakers to address over the next 30 days. Shortly after the conclusion of the...
This morning members of the Houston Professional Firefighters Association stood on the steps of City Hall flanked by boxes of citizen signed petitions they say are more than enough to ensure ballot placement this fall for pay parity between their department and the...
Texas property owners in Collin County have won two important legal victories for private property rights, personal liberty, and limits on local government overreach that could impact how future disputes are resolved – or avoided. In both cases, the city of McKinney...
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has officially proclaimed that he will be bringing lawmakers back to Austin for a special session to address issues left undone during the regular, constitutionally proscribed session. Under the state’s constitution, the Texas Legislature meets...
Republican lawmakers heading into the special session called by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott are facing what should be an easy choice: side with obstructionist House Speaker Joe Straus, or advance the agenda of the state GOP and their party’s governor. Those same...
Unsurprisingly, government regularly interjects itself into the free market, often relying on the absurd notion that bureaucratic policy will enhance the lives of those it affects. One area where regulation is significantly limiting business growth is parking...
Earning the titles of wife, mother, entrepreneur, half-marathon runner, “karateka” (earning a red-belt), humanitarian, and political activist, Adrienne Peña Garza’s experiences and strong interpersonal skills have been instrumental in helping turn the tide in the Rio...
The term “virtue signaling” has only taken off in popularity as recently as 2015, when it first saw widespread use following an article by James Bartholomew in “The Spectator.” Essentially defined as advertising a position, or virtue, more for garnering approval than...
Speaking to a crowd of supporters in San Antonio on Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced his intention to run for re-election to Texas’ highest office. “To keep Texas the best very state in the United States, I am running for reelection as governor of the...
A little over a year after its implementation, and a staggering zero shooting deaths later, a lawsuit by a group of University of Texas professors against Texas’ campus carry law has been thrown out of court. Three staff members at UT-Austin, Jennifer Lynn Glass, Lisa...
Houston has had its share of public corruption cases, one of the most well-known being the recently disposed case of former Houston Independent School District trustee Larry Marshall. But in recent weeks it seems as though the problem-plagued city can’t get away from...
Tis the season for government budget sessions. Meaning Midland property owners will likely be looking at yet another tax increase for the next fiscal year. While additional budget sessions and public hearings are still looming, Midland city staff have proposed a...
Houston Community College Trustee Chris Oliver has been indicted and pleaded guilty to bribery in a high-profile public corruption case which is now being linked to a high-ranking Houston city official. Documents have come to light showing that Houston Public Works...
Dallas County’s ongoing criminal voter fraud investigation has netted its first indictment. A grand jury charged Miguel Hernandez with illegal voting, a second-degree felony, on Monday. Hernandez is accused of being part of an illegal mail ballot harvesting scheme...
Since January 2017, House Speaker Joe Straus has refused to meet with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick individually to discuss legislation despite repeated requests to do so. Patrick revealed the lack of personal meetings when he was asked by the media at a press conference...
Speaking to reporters Thursday morning, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick unveiled a bold school finance overhaul he plans to push during the special session that begins next week. If passed, Patrick’s plan would substantially increase teacher salaries by prioritizing them over...
Roughly a year after the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of the University of Texas’ race-based admissions policy, the architect for the case is back fighting for equal rights before the Texas Supreme Court. Edward Blum, director of the Project on Fair...
The end of June marked what is likely the temporary end to a much larger legal battle here in Texas over benefits to same-sex couples. In a unanimous decision, the Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of two Houston taxpayers, Jack Pidgeon and Larry Hicks, in Pidgeon...
