In signing two pieces of legislation today, Texas Governor Rick Perry and the Legislature delivered on two elements of the sound fiscal agenda promoted by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and supported by thousands of voters and taxpayers. The governor today announced...
Just how did the legislative session go? We’ll be releasing a full legislative score card soon, but overall, this legislative session was a bust. The cumulative score of all members of the Texas House and Texas Senate, on fiscal issues, was an abysmal 52%. Meaning?...
It was 20 years ago today, on June 12, 1987, that Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate, in West Berlin, and uttered perhaps the most important words of the 20th Century. He said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! … Yes, across Europe, this wall...
On the website, in e-mails, and recent speeches, TFR hasn’t been bashful about calling out the Tax-and-Spenders infesting the Republican Party’s legislative delegation. By their actions (stopping additional tax relief, preventing tax reform, sponsoring tax hikes,...
Sitting in the back of the Laredo auditorium on Wednesday night, I was struck by the level of frustration. These were hard-working folks I was listening to, most arrived in pick-ups and older cars; none belonged to a country club. The event was a free training...
She’s no lazy Susan. Comptroller Susan Combs has gotten a head start on implementing House Bill 3430 requiring all state agencies to post their expenditures online. The Comptroller’s newly unveiled site reveals expenditures for nearly 200 agencies and...
I had the pleasure of sharing a podium last night with Robin Armstrong, vice chairman of the Texas Republican Party. We were speaking at an event in Horseshoe Bay (Llano County). A practicing physcian (and a fellow graduate of Texas A&M), Robin has risen quickly...
State Rep. Jim Pitts should be ashamed of his bald-faced hypocrisy. Jim Pitts is saying tonight that he is voting against the budget on the grounds that it represents an irresponsible jump in state spending, and criticizes it for being laden with pork. This begs a...
For Texas taxpayers, the record of State Rep. Fred Hill (R-Richardson) adds up to higher taxes. The Dallas Morning News is reporting in today’s edition that residents in Mr. Hill’s home county of Dallas had a “sharp increase†in property tax appraisals –...
Late last night the Texas Senate unanimously passed House Bill 3430, which gives Texas’ taxpayers the ability to monitor spending and ensure tax dollars are being well-spent. This legislation marks a great milestone for fiscal accountability in Texas and...
The Senate this evening finally passed House Bill 735, legislation that represents one of the largest tax cuts in Texas history. The House version had the tax cut going into effect immediately, but the Senate opted to keep taking the tax for one more year. This is a...
Remember the campaign promises for property tax relief? Seen your latest property tax bill? The rates are going down (a little, because of the 2006 tax swap), but the bills are going up (a lot, thanks to appraisal creep).  Six days remain in the legislative...
With just 10 days left in the legislative session, time is running out. On the one hand, that is a good thing – less time for bad things to get done. On the other, it’s less time for good things to be accomplished. Either way, the clock is ticking. Here are some...
I've never seen anything quite like it. The Texas House today turned a $2.5 billion tax cut (H.B. 2785) into a $4.4 billion spending increase! Texans now know that too many legislators – Republicans and Democrats – are more interested in growing the size of...
It’s hard to believe I’m even having to write this: but your only shot at getting even a little bit of honest property tax relief is on life support, and hours away from death. Please call your legislator today and ask them to demand that House Bill 2785...
When the moderate to liberal editorial board of the San Antonio Express-News blasts ostensibly conservative Republican Senate leaders for not getting rid of an outrageous tax, something is seriously wrong in Austin. That is what happened earlier this week. While the...
Real Spending Limits, Budget Transparency Highlighted In Letters AUSTIN, Texas – By the thousands, Texans are demanding that the legislature act now on significant budget reforms that will provide for a strong spending limit and real spending transparency. Thousands...
There was once a time when Republicans were known as the tax-cutters; people who – if nothing else – would work to make sure the taxpayers’ money stayed in the taxpayers’ wallet (as State Rep. Rob Eissler likes to say). That was then, this is now. State Rep....
While little has been accomplished this session for taxpayers so far, some good news came today when the House unanimously passed HB3490 which will prevent appraisal districts from suing property taxpayers when they win their appeal before the Appraisal Review Board...
