Texas taxpayers have an opportunity to voice their concerns on how lawmakers intend to spend their money over the next two fiscal years as a part of the state budget. The Texas Senate Finance Committee has scheduled a series of…

On Monday, Texas’ lieutenant governor announced the committee assignments for the ongoing 88th Legislative Session. Ultimately, there was very little change from the last legislative session with regard to those appointed to be chairman of each Senate committee. Senate Finance…

Shortly after the 88th Legislative Session began, Republican State Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park) filed legislation seeking to put Texas on a path to eliminating the property tax. Cain has been a Taxpayer Champion in every session he has served,…

On Thursday, Texas Republican State Rep. Brian Harrison (Waxahachie) filed legislation seeking to limit the salary paid to officers and employees of this state, as well as political subdivisions in the state, to no more than that of the governor…

For years, fiscal watchdog organizations, including ours, worked to secure an additional spending limit or guardrail on the state appropriations process to prevent lawmakers from continuing the trend of expanding government at a rate faster than the population growth it…

On Wednesday, Day 2 of the 88th Legislative Session, the Texas House of Representatives considered House Resolution 4, or the proposed rules that will guide their efforts over the remainder of the legislative session and interim period. Lawmakers made several…

Election of Speaker The 88th Legislative Session officially convened Tuesday, and in the Texas House of Representatives, the first order of business after being sworn in was to elect a House speaker. Two candidates were nominated. The incumbent speaker, Republican…

In a recent interview with Spectrum News 1, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick discussed a myriad of topics ahead of the upcoming 88th Legislative Session, including his thoughts on the prospects for property tax relief. The takeaway? He seemingly supports…

When the Clock Strikes Midnight As the clock strikes midnight on Saturday, it will mark the end of Texas’ most extensive and expensive corporate welfare program, the Chapter 313 tax abatement program. It also represents an end to a huge…

As 2022 comes to a close and we ramp up our efforts in preparation for all that 2023 brings, which includes the Texas 88th Legislative Session, we thought it might be prudent to summarize our top five pieces of written…

While much of the nation is currently engulfed in severe winter weather in the week leading up to Christmas, one that is also likely already marked by much more expensive family gatherings, food, and gifts all due to historic inflation,…

What is Festivus? Finding its origins in the hit ’90s sitcom Seinfeld from an episode entitled “The Strike”, the character George Costanza’s family celebrates a holiday called Festivus as an alternative to Christmas, and a tongue-in-cheek protest to the commercialism surrounding…

With the 88th Legislative Session set to gavel in just a few short weeks from now, lawmakers are continuing to get pressure from Texas taxpayers on the need to prioritize actual property tax relief. Recently, Defend Texas Liberty PAC released…

Among the hundreds of pieces of legislation filed ahead of the upcoming 88th Legislative Session, some Texas state lawmakers are attempting to prohibit a phenomenon that has grown over the last few decades, instituted by a combination of government and…

On Thursday, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan addressed the Transportation Advocacy Group in Houston, speaking on transportation and infrastructure issues, among other items. In the course of his address, he indicated he has other plans for the projected nearly $27…