News and Commentary

Bad Bill of the Week

Bad Bill of the Week – House Bill 71 – Digital I.D.

Legislation Referenced House Bill 71 – State Rep. Terry Canales (D-Edinburg) Texans for Fiscal Responsibility relies on the support of private donors across the Lone Star State in order to promote fiscal responsibility and pro-taxpayer government in Texas. Please consider…

Commentary

Are Lawmakers Going to Give Us ‘The Biggest Property Tax Cut in Texas History’?

If you have been paying attention to all of the noise surrounding property tax relief this session, you have probably heard the phrase, “We are going to give Texans the biggest property tax cut in history!” This was most recently…

News88th TXLege

Texas’ Largest Cities Continue to Burden Taxpayers With Debt

The fiscal watchdog organization Truth in Accounting (TIA) recently published its latest Financial State of the Cities Report for 2023. The report analyzed the financial health of the top 75 cities in America. β€œThe report found that 50 cities did…

Podcast - The Week Ahead

Episode 2: What Abbott’s State of the State Address Means for Taxpayers

Episode Description πŸ’° In our second episode of π—§π—›π—˜ π—ͺπ—˜π—˜π—ž π—”π—›π—˜π—”π——, we are joined by Vance Ginn, Ph.D. to discuss what the recent State of the State Address given by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott means for Texas taxpayers as well…

News88th TXLege

Gov. Abbott Flip-flops on Property Tax Elimination in State of the State

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday evening laid out his vision for the ongoing 88th Legislative Session and beyond, signaling to Texas state lawmakers what he wants them to prioritize. The speech is normally given in front of both chambers…

News88th TXLege

Corporate Welfare Revival Legislation Filed in Texas House

Late Thursday, Republican State Rep. J.M. Lozano (Kingsville) filed House Bill 2421 seeking to revive the largest corporate welfare program in Texas. The Chapter 313 tax abatement program, as a part of the Texas Economic Development Act, expired on December…

Podcast - Taxpayer Talks

Episode 6: Priorities Begin to Become More Clear

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 legislative priorities for Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, some pro-taxpayer legislation filed in the Texas House of Representatives, the upcoming State of the State address, and…

Bad Bill of the Week

Bad Bill of the Week – House Bill 22 – Undue Burden on Firearm Sellers

Legislation Referenced House Bill 22 – State Rep. Joe Moody (D-El Paso) Texans for Fiscal Responsibility relies on the support of private donors across the Lone Star State in order to promote fiscal responsibility and pro-taxpayer government in Texas. Please…

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…