Public Service or Personal Gain?
2023 was a year of legislative disappointments: mediocre property tax relief, wasteful spending, and fiscal irresponsibility; however, there was another egregious example of legislative impropriety that may have flown under the radar for some. While you were...
Seasons Greetings: Thank You and Merry Christmas from TFR
As the year comes to an end and the Christmas Season is upon us, our hearts are filled with gratitude for the unwavering encouragement and assistance of our dedicated supporters, readers, and fellow taxpayer advocates. This Christmas, we extend our warmest...
Year-in-Review: Texas Mired in Fiscal (Ir)Responsibility
2023 marked a year that was comprised of Texas' 88th regular Legislative Session, four subsequent special legislative sessions, a failed impeachment trial of Texas' Attorney General, record irresponsible spending of taxpayer money, crony corporatism, and so much more....
Impeachment Price Tag: Texas House Spends Millions of Tax Dollars on Impeachment
After months of delay following Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's call for a financial audit of the effort to impeach and remove Attorney General (AG) Ken Paxton this year, new revelations about the actual cost to taxpayers surfaced last week. These revelations raised major...
Fact-Checking Biden
Social Media Shines a Spotlight on Joe Biden’s Economic Falsehoods In the nearly three years of his presidency, Joe Biden has left a trail of known failures and questionable (and often nonsensical) statements. That legacy continued recently when, not once, but twice...
The Surge in Texas Local Debt and Property Tax Implications
Texas' Local Debt Crisis: Unpacking the $461.3 Billion Burden In a startling revelation, the Texas Public Policy Foundation reported a significant surge in Texas' local debt, now towering at an unprecedented $461.3 billion as of the fiscal year 2023. This marks an 11%...
I Want School Choice in Texas, But Not Like This
This commentary was originally published at The Center Square here. It is being republished with permission from the author. A record number of states have passed universal school choice so far this year, but it seems Texas won't be among them. Given the...
Fourth Special Session Concludes With an Unresolved School Choice Saga
The Texas Legislature wrapped up the fourth special legislative session on Tuesday and one of the most contentious issues remained unresolved: school choice. Despite Governor Greg Abbott's push, the proposal to allow for Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) ultimately...
The Ginn Economic Brief: Texas Economic Situation – November 2023
Texas lost jobs in October and faces major headwinds with a weak U.S. economy and a poor performance by this year’s 88th Legislature. There is a better way. This included the largest spending increase, largest corporate welfare increase, largest amount passed in...