88th TXLege

Commentary

What Texas Taxpayers Should Expect Out of Abbott’s State of the State Address

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is set to give his State of the State address on Thursday evening and lay out his vision for the ongoing 88th Legislative Session and beyond. It is widely expected he will name specific policy issues…

News88th TXLege

State Rep. Harrison Files Landmark Property Tax Bills

“Texans can never own their homes and are being taxed out of them. Property taxes are unethical and should be eliminated.” Can you ask for a better quote from an elected lawmaker on property tax reform? This quote is how…

News88th TXLege

Taxpayer Champion Seeks to Impose a Spending Limit on Local Governments

On Monday, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility Taxpayer Champion State Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park) filed legislation seeking to impose a spending limit for city- and county-level local governments based on the rate of increase for both population and inflation. In…

News88th TXLege

Patrick Announces Legislative Priorities

On Monday, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced his legislative priorities for the ongoing 88th Legislative Session. Generally speaking, low bill numbers are reserved by leadership in both legislative chambers to reflect their prioritized legislation. As such, Patrick has indicated…

Podcast - The Week Ahead

Episode 1: What theΒ Texas Legislative Session Means for Taxpayers

Episode Description Β πŸ’° In this episode of π—§π—”π—«π—£π—”π—¬π—˜π—₯ π—§π—”π—Ÿπ—žπ—¦, we discuss the recently announced Texas House Committee assignments and their potential implications for Texas taxpayers. We also talk about the recently announced legislative priorities for the Texas Freedom Caucus, as…

Research

The Frozen Texas Budget Path to Eliminating Property Taxes

An Overview Texans for Fiscal Responsibility’s 3-Step Plan to Eliminate All Property Taxes While Texas has done a better job at keeping spending and taxes lower than many other states, thereby supporting a more robust business tax climate and more…

News88th TXLege

Texas Freedom Caucus Releases Legislative Priorities

In a press conference in the Texas Capitol on Wednesday, the Texas Freedom Caucus released its legislative priorities for the 88th Legislative Session. For readers who might not know, the Texas Freedom Caucus is a group of conservative lawmakers (in…

Podcast - Taxpayer Talks

Episode 5: Will They Get to Work on Behalf of Texas Taxpayers?

Episode Description πŸ’° In this episode of π—§π—”π—«π—£π—”π—¬π—˜π—₯ π—§π—”π—Ÿπ—žπ—¦, we discuss the recently announced Texas House Committee assignments and their potential implications for Texas taxpayers. We also talk about the recently announced legislative priorities for the Texas Freedom Caucus, as…

News88th TXLege

Phelan Announces House Committee Assignments

On Day 30 of the ongoing 140-day 88th Legislative Session, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan announced the committee assignments for all House state lawmakers. In comparison, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced the Senate’s committee assignments more than two weeks…

News88th TXLege

Amount Spent by Local Governments on Taxpayer-funded Lobbying Increasing

A recent report from the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) indicates that an increasing amount of taxpayer money is being spent by local governments for the purposes of hiring contract lobbyists to go to Austin. The report indicates that upwards…

Commentary

Why Property Taxes Are Immoral: Examining the Impact on Private Property

Property taxes are a contentious issue for many people, with some (mostly local government officials) arguing that they are an important source of funding for government services. In contrast, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR) and many Texas taxpayers argue that…

News88th TXLege

Polling Shows Support for School Choice Among Texans

On Monday, the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs released a report that seems to show a majority support for the policy of school choice. In the wake of government school reaction to the pandemic and in many…

News88th TXLege

Senate Finance Committee Schedules Hearings on State Budget

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…

Podcast - Taxpayer Talks

Episode 4: School Choice, Proposed State Budgets, & Property Tax Relief

Episode Description πŸ’° In this episode of π—§π—”π—«π—£π—”π—¬π—˜π—₯ π—§π—”π—Ÿπ—žπ—¦, we discuss the recent Texas Senate committee assignments, as well as Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick appearing to flip-flop over the details of school choice and how such legislation would affect…