News and Commentary

News

New Staff, New Goals, New Candidates

The shakeup in the world of the Texas House has continued over the last few weeks, as Speaker Phelan hires a new Chief of Staff, the Speaker’s race has now expanded to three challengers, and more.  New Staff  With Dade…

Commentary

It’s Time to Relieve Texas Families 

Texas families are facing an affordability crisis that is being exacerbated by property taxes: a never-ending tax that, fundamentally, serves as a form of perpetual rent to the government.  While the Legislature has taken steps recently to address the rising…

News

Austin ISD Seeking to Raise Property Taxes Even Further

Last month, the City of Austin proposed a massive city budget of $5.9 billion, an increase by over $400 million from the previous year. As reported here at Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, implementation of this radically careless budget would cost…

Commentary

Foreign Land Ownership and the American Dream 

The American Dream Land ownership has always been deeply intertwined with the American identity. From the earliest days of settlement, land was seen as foundational to liberty, independence, self-determination, and economic opportunity.  Colonists and immigrants from all over the world…

News

Harris County Resurrects UpliftHarris, Program Will Cost Taxpayers Over 17 Million

The controversial and fiscally irresponsible guaranteed income program proposed by Harris County leadership, UpliftHarris, has been resurrected by the county’s Commissioner Court.  Originally introduced in January 2024, the program aimed to supply a monthly income of $500 to a select…

Research

The Real Size of Texas Government

Executive Summary The only thing the Texas Legislature must do when they meet every two years is adopt a budget. Not surprisingly, with years of practice they have gotten pretty good at spending taxpayers’ money. For instance, the Legislature appropriated…

News

Houston ISD Places Largest Bond in Texas History on November Ballot

This November, Houston voters will face a crucial decision regarding a historic $4.4 billion bond proposal for the Houston Independent School District (HISD).  This bond, the largest in Texas history, has garnered unanimous support from bureaucrats at the district’s state-appointed…

Commentary

Cecilia Castellano: A Threat to Texas Taxpayers

As the race for Texas State House District 80 heats up to South Texas temperatures, voters face an important decision that could have long-lasting implications for their wallets, their children’s education, and the future of Texas’s economy.  After HD-80 incumbent…

Research

Why Does Texas Need Universal School Choice?

This commentary was originally published at VanceGinn.com here. It is being republished with permission from the author. Overview Despite increases in public education expenditures with taxpayer money in Texas, student performance is flat or declining. Texas is falling behind thriving states…

News

The Texas Fiscal Size-Up: What You Need to Know

Introduction The Texas Legislative Budget Board (LBB) publishes the “Fiscal Size-Up” report after every session to comprehensively review the state’s budget and fiscal actions for the biennium. The latest report, covering the 2024-25 budget period, offers crucial insights into how…

News

New Federal Regulations, How Will Small Businesses Be Affected?

Thousands of Texas business owners will be faced with unjust fines from the federal government for failure to complete newly implemented Beneficial Ownership Information reports. In compliance with the Corporate Transparency Act, which was passed by Congress in 2021, companies…

Commentary

Red States, Blue States: A Tale of Two Economies

This commentary was originally published at the American Institute for Economic Research here. It is being republished with permission from the author. The latest employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for June 2024 offers a compelling snapshot of the divergent economic…

Research

Let Americans Prosper Project: Ensuring Fiscal Sustainability for America’s Future

This commentary was originally published at VanceGinn.com here. It is being republished with permission from the author. Executive Summary The United States faces a critical fiscal crisis due to the lack of robust economic growth and excessive government spending. This leads…

Commentary

The Threat of Hostile Foreign Organizations and the Texas House

Texas belongs to Texans. Not the Chinese Communist Party. The House Select Committee on Securing Texas from Hostile Foreign Organizations was formed to investigate and mitigate the threat of Texas land being bought, owned or controlled by individuals and organizations…

Commentary

Comptroller Announces Budget Surplus, Lawmakers Yearn to Spend More of Your Money

On July 17th, in a letter to Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dade Phelan, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar reported that general revenue-related collections for the 2024 fiscal year have been tracking with the 2024-2025 Certification…