State Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood) penned a letter this week urging the Texas Secretary of State Elections Division Office to rescind all waivers allowing counties and precincts to deviate from election law, arguing that doing so creates fertile ground for local...
No lie is more persuasive than the excuse “my vote doesn’t matter.” Tell that to the 13 people whose votes decided the match-up in an open-seat senatorial contest that involved more than 133,000 voters. In the east Texas senatorial contest, four...
Despite original assurances that the special sales tax would only be used to pay the debt on a sports complex, Midland taxpayers could face a property tax hike and increased fees if voters don’t reauthorize the tax later this year. That was the message Midland’s...
Just days before the extension expired on Houston’s recycling contract with Waste Management, Mayor Sylvester Turner brokered a deal with the corporation to continue service uninterrupted. The new contract, which will be presented to council next week, is a two-year...
Update: Since the writing of this article, the cost of installing the facility has ballooned beyond original projections to around $191,000. Following in their trend to find new, creative ways to flush money down the toilet, San Antonio City Council voted last...
By a wide margin, Texans are still strongly backing Ted Cruz as he heads into this week’s round of primary contests. But three Texas Republican lawmakers are still opposing his candidacy. We asked our subscribers a simple question: Nearly 60 percent of those...
Who is your pick of the final four in the race for the GOP nomination? [poll id=”11″] Survey was live from 10:30pm on Saturday, March 12, until 11:59pm on Sunday, March 13.
Unless a deal more favorable to taxpayers is brokered in the coming days, Houston’s recycling program will end on March 16. The increased cost of contracting with the massive corporation coupled with the serious fiscal restraints of the city make the future of...
Texas taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pick up the tab for Austin lobbyists working against them, says a state senator who has banned tax-funded lobbyists from entering her office. State Sen. Konni Burton (R-Colleyville) has succinctly articulated the ethos behind...
Texas’ local debt epidemic continues to worsen at an alarming rate. In response, conservatives such as State Sen. Konni Burton (R-Colleyville) have pledged to push for debt-related reforms next legislative session. Texas has the second-highest per-capita local debt in...
As Houston ISD officials scramble to close their Robin Hood-induced budget gap, trustees are pushing a costly backbench issue to the forefront – the renaming of a number of district campuses. Despite vocal outrage, HISD trustees voted last month to rename seven...
Texas prides itself on its vibrant economy and pro-business climate, but often-overlooked local regulations are stifling innovative new businesses wildly popular among millions of Texans who benefit from increased job opportunities and travel services. Last month Uber...
As the dust has settled from Tuesday’s primary election, two groups lost big: the establishment donors who paid big into the protection racket, and the “second-rung” of legislative coalition sycophants. Many of those who spent the last several years helping to fill...
Tuesday’s results make it abundantly clear that Republican primary voters want something to be done about sanctuary cities; municipalities that offer safe harbor to illegal immigrants by refusing to enforce federal immigration laws. More than 2.6 million Texans voted...
On Monday, just before the primary election, the University of Texas Board of Regents voted to increase student tuition for the first time in several years. Now Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is fighting back in an effort to keep tuition affordable for Texas students. In a...
Nearly 70% of Republican primary voters said they want to replace property taxes with a consumption-based tax system, according to the results of the statewide proposition on the GOP ballot this cycle. Will legislators heed the call? Though non-binding, the results of...
Campaign consultants keep taking Gary Gates to the cleaners as he desperately seeks one office after another. His reckless spending seeking Tuesday’s Texas Railroad Commission race demonstrates that even a big pile of money cannot make a bad candidate more...
Resoundingly, Texas Republican primary voters sent the message that they want an end to government collection of union dues. Over two million Texans voted in favor of the non-binding ballot Proposition 3 yesterday leading to its roughly 83% to 17% passage. Despite a...
Establishment politicians spent big to protect their inner-circle, while conservatives continued making gains. House Speaker Joe Straus spent nearly $4 million on his own race, declaring an early victory, while his top committee chairmen retired fearing defeat, lost...
A proposed convention center may cost $42.3 million in city tax dollars, paid for with revenue produced from a tax levied on local hotel businesses, even as some members of the city council are questioning the expense. If constructed, it would hike the city debt to...
