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 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…

The Problem with Previous Texas School Choice Proposals K-12 education in Texas today comes in two forms, public and the private. For the most part in Texas, these two systems operate separately. Unlike many other states, Texas doesn’t have a…

State needs a similar effort to Musk’s federal crusade. This commentary was originally published at The Dallas Morning News here. It is being republished with permission from the author. One of the most amazing political phenomena Americans have seen in ages is…

Texans know that economic freedom is the foundation of prosperity. Yet, despite Republican control of the Governor’s Office and Legislature since 2003, state and local government spending has grown far too much, burdening taxpayers and stifling even greater economic growth….

Texas ranks 7th in the 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index, benefiting from its lack of an individual income tax and a competitive unemployment insurance tax system. However, high property taxes, a complex corporate tax system, and excessive government spending, all…

Property taxes are a financial burden that Texans can no longer afford to endure. Over the past 26 years, Figure 1 illustrates how property taxes have increased by an unsustainable 330%, far outpacing population and inflation growth of 136%. Figure…

What it means for conservative-fiscal policy On Saturday, the Texas House Republican Caucus convened in the capitol building to cast their votes for a new Speaker, following Dade Phelan’s withdrawal from the contentious race the day before. As reported by…

This morning, the sitting Speaker of the Texas House, Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) released a statement announcing that he was withdrawing his candidacy to remain Speaker in the 89th Legislative Session.  Phelan’s statement announcing his decision said, in part, “Out of…

Just one week after the 2024 election in which the Republican Party further expanded their majorities in both chambers of the Texas Legislature, pre-filing of bills for the 2025 legislative session has started.  Thanks to the widespread victories of anti-establishment…

Overview Introduction ​Recently, the Texas Legislative Budget Board released the Fiscal Size-Up 2024-25 Biennium report with the latest estimated or budgeted amounts in the prior 2022-23 budget and the appropriated 2024-25 budget. The results from the 88th Texas Legislature’s efforts…

The Republican Party of Texas (RPT) has released the Legislative Priorities for the 2025-2026 cycle and the 89th Legislative session.  The RPT legislative priorities include the top eight tasks that the party expects republican members of the Texas Legislature to…