A sentiment making its way around the Texas Legislature is that providing tax relief for property owners is “too big of a commitment.” An element of this sentiment was expressed several times in a recent Senate Finance Committee hearing where…

A Step Toward Fiscal Reform, But More Is Needed Governor Greg Abbott’s recent “State of the State” address highlighted several important priorities for Texas. While Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR) commends the Governor’s efforts to address property tax relief and…

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has issued the following vote notice for February 4th, 2025  Texas House of Representatives None Texas Senate Subject: Senate Bill 2 (SB 2) –  School Choice Reminder: Vote Notices are provided to both Texas state lawmakers and…

Texans Will Get Less Than $4 Billion Out of the $24 Billion Budget Surplus Executive Summary Though it is difficult to discern from recent statements made by Texas’ legislative leaders, the Texas Senate has budgeted only $3 billion for new…

Texas House Leadership’s Push to Raise Budgets Without a Vote is a Direct Assault on Fiscal Responsibility and Democracy The Texas House of Representatives is currently embroiled in a troubling move that raises serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and fiscal…

Since President Donald J. Trump was sworn into office on January 20th, he’s been working non-stop to undo the disastrous policies of the Biden Administration and fulfill his campaign promises. As of Friday, Trump has signed dozens of executive orders,…

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has issued the following vote notice for January 23, 2025  Texas House of Representatives Subject: HR 4 –  House Rules Resolution Subject: HR 4 –  House Rules Resolution – Specific Amendments Texas Senate None Reminder: Vote Notices…

AUSTIN, TX – On Wednesday, the Texas House and Texas Senate both introduced their proposed appropriation bills for the 2026-2027 biennium.  The House version, HB 1, was introduced by State Rep. Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood), while the Senate version, SB 1,…

The News Comes Despite Promises of Tax Relief New data released by the Texas Comptroller’s office shows that property taxes increased for the second straight year, despite recent claims of property tax relief from politicians. Figure 1 shows the total…

Democrat Majority Defeats Republican Nominee David Cook On Tuesday, the long-awaited and highly contentious race for Speaker of the Texas House came to a disappointing conclusion for advocates of small government and fiscal responsibility. A majority of Democrat House members were…

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has issued the following vote notice for January 16, 2025  (Day 3 of the 89th Legislative Session): Texas House of Representatives Subject: HR 3 –  Housekeeping Resolution Subject: HR 3 –  Housekeeping Resolution – Specific Amendments…

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has issued the following vote notice for January 14, 2025  (Day 1 of the 89th Legislative Session): Texas House of Representatives Subject: Speaker of the House Texas Senate None Reminder: Vote Notices are provided to both Texas state…

Today, on the first day of the 89th Legislative Session, TFR sent the following message to members of the Texas Legislature congratulating them on their election and informing them about the Fiscal Responsibility Index: Dear State Senator or State Representative, …

The latest Biennial Property Tax Report from the Texas Comptroller confirms what many Texas homeowners and fiscal watchdogs, like TFR, already suspected: property taxes did, in fact, increase in 2023 by $650 Million despite promises of relief.  While this news…

The 2025 Texas legislative session is set to begin on January 14th, and with it comes an opportunity to enact meaningful reforms to benefit Texans. For taxpayers, it is crucial to understand the legislative process, key dates, and mechanisms that…