Wherever you turn these days, Texas politicians are claiming that they are spending $51 billion on property tax relief. The problem is that the $51 billion figure has no connection to reality. For at least two reasons. First, if they…

“This week, I helped pass the most conservative Texas House budget in history.” Texas Republican Rep. Jared Patterson posted that message after the Republican-led Texas House recently passed its 2026–27 budget version CSSB 1. He and other Republicans also claimed…

In the early hours of Friday morning, the Texas House of Representatives passed SB 1, the proposed state budget for the 2026–27 biennium, after over 14 hours of debate that stretched from noon on April 10 into 3 a.m. on…

Taking a look at the budget and Texas’ $80 billion budget surplus Executive Summary Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s Biennial Revenue Estimate (BRE) biennium projects a budget surplus of $23.76 billion in state funds for the current 2024-25 fiscal biennium.  But…

Texas taxpayers have an urgent need for property tax relief, which should include a clear path to eliminating school district maintenance and operations (M&O) property taxes—the largest portion of Texans’ property tax bills. Despite claims of historic tax cuts, Texans…

Texans Will Get Less Than $4 Billion Out of the $24 Billion Budget Surplus Executive Summary Though it is difficult to discern from recent statements made by Texas’ legislative leaders, the Texas Senate has budgeted only $3 billion for new…

AUSTIN, TX – On Wednesday, the Texas House and Texas Senate both introduced their proposed appropriation bills for the 2026-2027 biennium.  The House version, HB 1, was introduced by State Rep. Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood), while the Senate version, SB 1,…

The News Comes Despite Promises of Tax Relief New data released by the Texas Comptroller’s office shows that property taxes increased for the second straight year, despite recent claims of property tax relief from politicians. Figure 1 shows the total…

The latest Biennial Property Tax Report from the Texas Comptroller confirms what many Texas homeowners and fiscal watchdogs, like TFR, already suspected: property taxes did, in fact, increase in 2023 by $650 Million despite promises of relief.  While this news…

States across the country are rethinking tax reform to stay competitive for residents and businesses. Many are exploring ways to phase out personal income, business franchise, and property taxes to attract workers, foster economic growth, and ensure property rights. But…

As Texas faces rising property taxes and record-high government spending, it’s time to reassess the path toward long-term prosperity. Recent data illustrates Texas’ strengths and challenges.  In August 2024, Texas maintained a 4.1% unemployment rate, while the state’s GDP grew…

The following piece is taken from Dr. Vance Ginn’s Testimony to the Texas House Select Committee on Sustainable Property Tax Relief: Over the last decade, the Texas Legislature has made some progress in providing property tax relief, but the housing…

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…

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…

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…