Budget Surplus
Proposed Property Tax Relief Falls Short in the 89th Texas Legislature
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…
TFR Statement On Current Texas Budget Proposals
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,…
Property Taxes Up Again in 2024
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…
Texas Property Taxes Rose in 2023 Despite Promises
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…
Sustainable Tax Relief: Why Surplus Triggers Are Better Than Revenue Triggers
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…
The Case for Prosperity: Less Government, More Growth in Texas
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 High and Rising Burden of Property Taxes.
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…
2026-27 Frozen Texas Budget: Reining in Unsustainable Spending
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…
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…
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…
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…
A Bold Vision for Texas: Eliminating Property Taxes for True Ownership
Texas should set the path forward for what is sound fiscal policy. Politicians have a clear mandate and a moral imperative to limit government spending better and abolish property taxes. The overwhelming support among Republican voters, with 78% backing the…
Abbott Once Again Says He Wants to Eliminate School Property Taxes
Yes, it is possible… And we have a plan to do it. Yesterday, at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Texas Policy Summit, Governor Greg Abbott took the stage to address those in attendance, discussing issues ranging from school choice to…
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…
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.