A lesser-known handout from taxpayers to private entities are local Hotel Occupancy Taxes, which are collected and allocated for the promotion of “tourism and the convention and hotel industry.” Cities may levy up to a seven percent tax on hotel bills, but not exceeding 15% in combination with state and county HOT rates, with the revenue…
Month: March 2021
Dr. Peter McCullough Blasts Texas COVID Response, Points to Herd Immunity
Dr. Peter McCullough gave a groundbreaking testimony before the Texas Senate last Wednesday which was so powerful it made mainstream news nationwide. In his testimony he had blistering rebuke of the government’s response and directions regarding the Chinese Coronavirus, Here are the highlights of the testimony that can be viewed above: Out of 50,000 peer-reviewed…
Implement Zero-Based Budgeting
As conservatives know, government is an inherently greedy beast. It seizes every opportunity to grow and, in the words of Democrat Rahm Emanuel, it “never lets a good crisis go to waste.” However, in combating the natural trend of bureaucracy to expand, conservatives have a powerful tool in their arsenal: zero-based budgeting. Traditionally, appropriators in the…
House State Affairs Questions Legality of HB 3
Perhaps the most hotly debated bill of the session thus far is House Bill 3, a proposal by State Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) to expand the executive authority of the governor during a pandemic. In a hearing over the legislation in the House Committee on State Affairs, Burrows faced some tough questions from State Rep….
Hughes Grills Big Tech on Censorship
On Monday, State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), laid out Senate Bill 12 before the Senate State Affairs Committee which he chairs. Authored by Hughes and several other Senate Republicans, SB 12 seeks to prevent tech from censoring conservatives in Texas. Hughes gave a powerful example of this censorship based on a pro-life ad that was…
Repeal the Business Personal Property Tax
State lawmakers should repeal the property tax levied on business personal property and inventory. Only eleven states other than Texas levy such a tax. Texas’ onerous property tax system requires that businesses pay taxes on both the land it occupies and its assets—including the inventory it uses to generate revenue. Business “tangible” personal property is defined as: “[A]ll tangible personal property…
TFR Subscribers Say They Won’t Support Businesses With Mask Mandates
Following Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement that he would be ending his statewide mandatory mask order next week, we at Texans for Fiscal Responsibility asked our subscribers and supporters how they would react to businesses requiring masks. Over a thousand Texans responded and an overwhelming majority said they would not support businesses that require masks. Question:…
Repeal the Franchise Tax
Over a decade ago, liberal lawmakers in the Texas Legislature from both parties came together and imposed an onerous tax on Texas’ businesses: the state’s franchise tax also known as the gross margins tax. Since its inception, this tedious tax has imposed an unnecessary burden on Texas businesses and undermined our competitive edge. While the…