News and Commentary

News

The Ginn Economic Brief: Texas Economic Situation – January 2024

While the Texas economy continues to be one of the best in the country, the state must not rest on its laurels. This is because other states are becoming more competitive, and recent efforts by the Texas Legislature have headed…

Commentary

Texas Can Have More Tax Relief if the Legislature Stops its Out-of-Control Spending

This commentary was originally published at The Center Square here. It is being republished with permission from the author. In 2023, Texas led the U.S. on many fronts: job growth, economic expansion, energy production, and a record surplus of $33 billion. This…

Commentary

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 struggling under the…

Commentary

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…

Commentary

Year-in-Review: Texas Mired in Fiscal (Ir)Responsibility

Explore a pivotal year in Texas politics, featuring a historic budget surplus, the largest spending increase, complex property tax cuts, corporate welfare debates, and the unresolved school choice saga. This comprehensive review sheds light on the major legislative decisions and their implications for the future of Texas.

News

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…

Commentary

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,…

News

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…

Commentary

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…

News88th TXLege

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 failed to…

News

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. Free-market capitalism is the best path to let people prosper, as it…

Commentary

Counting our Blessings this Thanksgiving

It is that time of year again; the Holiday season is  upon us.  As we observe Thanksgiving this week, Americans across the country will travel and come together, with family and friends, to celebrate.  As we gather around the Thanksgiving…

Commentary

The Ginn Economic Brief: U.S. Economic Situation—November 2023

Highlights Figure 1: Real Average Weekly Earnings Declined Year-Over-Year for 26 Months Before Being Up in Four but Fell Again Last Month and Remain Down 5% Since January 2021 Overview Labor Market The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released its…

Commentary

Texas Bond Propositions: The Rising Tide of Property Tax Burdens and Voter Paradox

One of the perhaps most underreported outcomes of last week’s election is the overwhelming success of local bond propositions, especially those that will further increase the already rapidly growing property tax burden on Texas taxpayers. Collectively, Texas voters considered nearly…

News

Texas Candidate Filing Begins

Filing to be on the primary ballot in March is open for a thirty-day window. As anticipation for the March primary elections rise, candidate filing to be on the ballot in either party officially began on Saturday, November 11th.  Candidates…