News
Yet Another Somber Debt Milestone
$31 trillion. Written another way, $31,000,000,000,000. Sadly, milestones like these seem to have become all too regular. They are almost as certain as the political theatre performed by the U.S. Congress every few months over whether or not to raise…
In Debate, Abbott Says He Will Eliminate School Property Taxes
Last Friday, Texas taxpayers had a chance to watch the one and only debate between former U.S. Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D) and incumbent Governor Greg Abbott (R) before the November general election. The two addressed several issues important to Texans,…
Political Theatre on Fiscal Prudence in Texas House of Representatives
During the 86th legislative session in 2019, state lawmakers passed legislation related to strategic fiscal reviews of state agencies and programs, seemingly an attempt at fiscal prudence relating to the allocation of tax dollars at the state level for some…
Fort Worth Slaps Taxpayers in the Face, Raises Taxes
It happened again: yet another deceptive tax increase by a major city. Last night, Fort Worth officially adopted its new tax rate of 71.25. This comes despite opposition from the public and two city council members dissenting to the tax…
Abbott Refuses to Relinquish Power, Extends COVID Emergency Again
Yesterday, Abbott renewed his COVID disaster declaration for another 30 days. Texas is now lagging behind the rest of the nation as one of only 12 states that have refused to lay down their unconstitutional executive power. This marks the…
Explainer: What Is the World Economic Forum?
For the last few years, it’s been hard to go to a grassroots gathering without at least a mention of the World Economic Forum or a quote from the infamous Klaus Schwab. If you haven’t heard of the World Economic…
Senate Committee on Local Government Meets on Important Taxpayer Items
This week, the Senate Committee on Local Government met to deal with a list of issues and charges, some of which involved property taxes, taxpayer-funded lobbying, and appraisal reform. In many ways, this was the Senate version of the charges…
House Committees Met on Issues Important to Texas Taxpayers
On Thursday, both the Texas House Appropriations and Ways and Means Committees held interim public hearings in preparation for the upcoming legislative session set to begin in January of 2023. Texans for Fiscal Responsibility was there in person to help…
Opportunities Grow for Texas Taxpayers Concerned About Property Taxes
As state lawmakers prepare for the 2023 legislative session in the coming weeks, Texas taxpayers have multiple opportunities to address state lawmakers on issues like their ever-increasing property tax burdens. Texas Senate Local Government Committee The Texas Senate Local…
Eliminate Property Tax: By the Numbers
Recently, the 22,000-member Facebook group Eliminate the Property Tax featured a write-up by group admin Russell Bennett that supports House Bill 3742 (from the 83rd legislative session) and explains why their group is still in support of the bill, which they…
City of Deer Park Proposes Increase in Property Taxes
As we have begun to report on local jurisdictions adopting new tax rates for the next fiscal year, it has become apparent that many around the state are failing to adopt the “no-new-revenue” tax rate. This has caused several concerned…
Abbott Draws Line in the Sand on Budget Surplus Use for Property Tax Relief
On Wednesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott reportedly opined on the projected budget surplus and its partial use for the purposes of providing a property tax cut. “Texas is sitting on a record budget surplus of $27 billion… Because this…
Deceptive Duncanville: Status Quo for Local Politics
As we have begun to report on cities adopting new tax rates and many failing to adopt the no-new-revenue rate, a number of folks have reached out to us at Texans for Fiscal Responsibility about the deceptive practices reducing transparency…
Polling Suggests Most Texans Want True Property Tax Relief
This week, the Defend Texas Liberty PAC released polling that suggested a majority of Texans, from both major political parties, support using a majority of the projected budget surplus to lower their property tax burdens. Polling Results Among several…
Higher Education Escapes Culpability in Student Loan Debt Forgiveness Debate
Last week, the Biden administration announced plans to eliminate a portion of student loan debt for Americans who qualify under a certain income threshold. To be clear, the plan collectivizes the debt incurred by individuals and further burdens U.S. taxpayers….