State Pension System
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…
Understanding Texas’ Financial Health: Takeaways from a 2023 State Report
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…
Did Lawmakers Vote Themselves Pension Raises?
On Tuesday, the Texas House finally passed House Bill 438, legislation that Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR) claimed raised the pensions of lawmakers since those pensions are tied to district judge salaries. Many lawmakers, especially the legislation’s author, took issue…
Texas Given a ‘D’ Rating on Fiscal Health
Recently, Truth in Accounting released its 2022 Financial State of the States Report analyzing the financial health of all 50 states in the United States. They have released this annual report for the past 13 years. According to the report,…
Majority of Highest Paid State Employees Work for Teacher Retirement System
Last week, the Midland Reporter-Telegram reported on the 15 highest-paid Texas state employees. They used data collected by The Texas Tribune as a part of their ‘Salaries Explorer’ obtained through information requests from the Texas State Comptroller. Curiously, 11 of…