In what seems like a perpetual election cycle, Texans find themselves yet again about to go to the polls to vote in the Runoff Election for the Republican and Democrat primaries, which took place in early March. Given the political disposition and history of many districts around the state, the winner of several of these…
Author: Jeramy Kitchen
Conflicting Messages Across the State for Local Bond Propositions
Saturday marked election day across the state for a whole host of ballot propositions, including over 200 bond proposals from various local governmental jurisdictions. A total of $18.5 billion of proposed spending was considered by Texas voters and after reviewing the results, it appears that many Texas taxpayers might find themselves confused over what many…
Majority of Highest Paid State Employees Work for Teacher Retirement System
Last week, the Midland Reporter-Telegram reported on the 15 highest-paid Texas state employees. They used data collected by The Texas Tribune as a part of their ‘Salaries Explorer’ obtained through information requests from the Texas State Comptroller. Curiously, 11 of the top 15 highest-paid state employees, are employed through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas…
Biden Administration Floats Federal Student Loan Forgiveness
On Monday, President Biden met with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, where among other issues he mentioned that his administration is looking into options to forgive a substantial but unspecified amount of federal student loan debt. Earlier this month, the Biden Administration extended the moratorium on federal student loan payments through the end of…
Fiscal Conservatives Start From Wrong Premise on State Spending
Ask yourself, do you believe the government is too big already? More often than not the answer we get at Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR) as we travel around the state, visiting with Texas taxpayers, is a resounding yes! Despite this, for years now, the Texas Legislature has appropriated more money to fund state government…
Texans Prepare to Protest Property Appraisals
If you are a Texas property ‘owner’ it is likely you have already received your property appraisal this week from your county’s appraisal district. Many Texans are reporting higher than expected appraisals, which almost assuredly translates to an increased property tax burden. Though it is not entirely the reason, Texas has been the recipient of…
Texas Senate Interim Charges Released – Includes Some Priorities, Lacks Others
Monday, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (R), released his list of interim charges to all Senate committees. Every legislative cycle, the leaders of each respective legislative chamber issue interim charges for each committee to study in preparation for the next legislative session. Every lawmaker has the ability to request specific charges to be included on…
Has the Juice Been Worth Squeezing on State Border Security Funding?
One year into Operation Lone Star and many Texans are asking questions about the overall efficacy of the state’s current strategy in addressing the ongoing border security crisis. Ultimately, the federal government has the responsibility of enforcing immigration laws. Texas shares a nearly 1,200-mile border with Mexico and recently, took unprecedented steps to bolster the…
Creighton to Chair Consolidated Senate Education Committee
Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced his intention to make the current Senate Committee on Higher Education a sub-committee of the Senate Committee on Education in the upcoming 88th legislative session. In preparation for such a thing and in response to current members of the State Senate not seeking reelection, Patrick appointed State Sen. Brandon…
Republican Primary Voters Overwhelmingly Support Eliminating the Property Tax
Tuesday, among a litany of other issues included on the Republican Primary Election ballot, were ten propositions for Republican voters to consider related to specific policy positions. One of those, Proposition 2, was specific to the collection of the property tax in the state of Texas, and based on the results, over three-quarters of all…
Party Conventions – Part Three: Building Blocks of the Platform
Those who choose to participate in their respective party convention processes as delegates will have the ability to help craft their party’s platforms among other responsibilities. That process begins at the precinct level with suggestions on changes to the existing platform which normally take the form of general policy statements in support or opposition of…
Abbott Sets Special Election for Property Tax Trinket Propositions
On Wednesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation declaring Saturday, May 7, 2022 as a special election day for two proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution that resulted from the saga surrounding the issue of property tax relief in the recent special legislative sessions that took place last year. Notably, these proposed constitutional amendments…
Party Conventions – Part Two: It All Begins at the Precinct Level
Primary Election Day is March 1st, but it also marks the first step in the state party convention process, attending your individual precinct conventions. The majority of these precinct conventions take place after the polls close, although some larger county party delegations have historically held precinct conventions on different dates. The partisan convention processes are…
Explainer: What are the Alternatives to the Property Tax?
Property taxes have been levied by governments in Texas since before its independence from Mexico. How the tax has been levied however has changed over time. In the last few decades, the burden of property taxes has exponentially increased as a portion of the overall taxes paid by Texans. The Tax Foundation reported in 2021…
Potential Resurrection of Additional Corporate Welfare in the Works
On Wednesday, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) took to Twitter to talk about a speech he gave at the annual Ad Valorem Tax Conference hosted by the Texas Oil and Gas Association in San Antonio. Among the issues he indicated he discussed was his support for replacing the Chapter 313 tax abatement program, to…
A Somber Milestone Also Marks Bleak Outlook for the Prosperity of Future Generations
$30 trillion. Written another way, $30,000,000,000,000. It is a number that is generally unfathomable and difficult to truly understand or conceptualize by everyday Americans. It also represents the money owed by the United States Government or more importantly the taxpayer to themselves (i.e. future generations), businesses, pension funds, liabilities that one portion of the government…
In Their Own Words – Part Three – Republican Gubernatorial Candidates on Cutting Government Spending
On January 13, the True Texas Project hosted a Gubernatorial Forum for Republican Candidates for Governor. Among the attendees were former Republican State Sen. Don Huffines, former Florida Republican Congressman and former Republican Party of Texas Chairman Allen West, and conservative humorist Chad Prather. The incumbent Governor, Greg Abbott was not in attendance. Several questions…
In Their Own Words – Part Two – Republican Gubernatorial Candidates on a Ban on Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
On January 13, the True Texas Project hosted a Gubernatorial Forum for Republican Candidates for Governor. Among the attendees were former Republican State Sen. Don Huffines, former Florida Republican Congressman and former Republican Party of Texas Chairman Allen West, and conservative humorist Chad Prather. The incumbent Governor, Greg Abbott was not in attendance. Several questions…
In Their Own Words – Part One – Republican Gubernatorial Candidates on Property Taxes
On January 13, the True Texas Project hosted a Gubernatorial Forum for Republican Candidates for Governor. Among the attendees were former Republican State Sen. Don Huffines, former Florida Republican Congressman and former Republican Party of Texas Chairman Allen West, and conservative humorist Chad Prather. The incumbent Governor, Greg Abbott was not in attendance. Several questions…
Huffman Named Chairman of Senate Finance
Tuesday, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced that he was naming Republican State Sen. Joan Huffman (Houston) as the new Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, replacing outgoing Republican State Sen. Jane Nelson (Flower Mound) who has chaired the committee since 2013. Huffman has served in the Texas State Senate since 2008 and currently…