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…

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…

Texas has been a leader in job creation. But Texas faces major headwinds as this year’s 88th Legislature has looked more like California than what Texans expect. There is a better way. Free-market capitalism is the best path to let…

Recently, Truth in Accounting (TIA), a fiscal watchdog organization, published a report titled “Financial State of the States 2023” shedding light on the perceived fiscal health of all 50 states in the United States based on key factors. According to…

What does it say about a state that has to pay off government schools and those within the government school system in order to potentially adopt a school choice system that benefits only some students? That scenario is exactly what…

After this exciting weekend, there is no doubt that you have heard that the Texas House Board of Managers’ attempt to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has failed. On Saturday Paxton was acquitted on all charges and able to…

This Friday, September 1st, 2023, marks the day nearly 800 new laws, passed by the 88th Legislature, go into effect. Of those, several will impact Texas taxpayers directly both immediately and into the future.  For Texas taxpayers, the 88th Legislative…

Texas is a leader in job creation over the last year and since February 2020. But Texas faces major headwinds as the recently ended 88th Legislature looked more like California than what is expected from the free-market bastion of hope…

After months of debate, political posturing, stalemate, and eventually a consensus deal between both chambers of the Texas Legislature, the long-awaited property tax relief package has finally been signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.  Governor Abbott officially signed…

As the smoke begins to clear after the conclusion of the regular 88th Legislative Session and two special sessions, Texans are beginning to examine the myriad of both progress and damage accomplished by the Texas Legislature.  In the damage category,…

Overview Texas Passes Largest Budget Increase in Texas History Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) recently signed the Texas budget (HB 1) passed by the 88th Texas Legislature with the largest spending increases, the largest corporate welfare increases, and the largest social safety net…

On Thursday, after months of stalemate, the Texas House finally took up for consideration a property tax plan intended to provide real relief to Texas taxpayers.  The House convened in the early afternoon to consider the proposed plan. Senate Bill…

Governor Greg Abbott has, on several recent occasions, opined that Texas possesses the “best business climate” and is “America’s premier economic destination.” While on the surface this seems true, the emphasis by the state and local governments over the last…

Executive Summary The Texas Legislature is in the midst of a 20-year spending spree. Since 2003, the appropriation of state funds per legislative session has increased from $76.2 billion to $233 billion. Remarkably, 44% of that growth happened in 2023…

Lost in all of the noise and chaos surrounding the 88th Legislative Session is the fact that Republican lawmakers, who have enjoyed a comfortable majority in the Texas Legislature for the last two decades, ushered in the biggest spending increase…