Articles tagged: budget
The Lege This Week: Stimmy for Schools?
The Texas Senate passes its budget bill without addressing billions of dollars in unspent federal relief. Now, public education advocates are demanding that lawmakers open up the spigot for local school districts.
Welcome to the 87th Legislative Session. Since the last session came to a close in June 2019, Texas has been hit by an unrestrained pandemic and a crippling eco...Read More
Texas Has Plenty of Money, But Will Lawmakers Use it to Fix Their Years of Negligence?
State Comptroller Glenn Hegar released his revenue estimate for the 2020-2021 biennium. The upshot is: There’s money to spend, if the Legislature is willing.
Things appear to be going swimmingly for those hoping that Texas legislators will finally address two of the state’s most intractable, intertwined problems: a...Read More
Lawmaker Hopes Bill Will Encourage Legislature to End Shady Accounting Practice
Representative Joe Pickett wants to stop collecting fees from Texans to improve air quality and spend the $1.27 billion sitting unused in the TERP fund.
Texas collects millions of dollars every year from residents to improve air quality, but almost never spends it all. Instead, the Legislature hoards the money t...Read More
Texas Collects Fees from Residents to Clean Up the Air. Why Won’t Lawmakers Use It?
The Legislature uses an accounting trick to hoard money in the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan fund rather than appropriating it for clean air projects.
The Legislature uses an accounting trick to hoard money in the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan fund rather than appropriating it for clean air projects. ...Read More
Why Did Texas Democrats Support a Measure that would Erase Billions from State Budget?
Senators Hinojosa, Lucio, Uresti and West don’t jump at the opportunity to explain why they voted for SB 17.
Senators Hinojosa, Lucio, Uresti and West don’t jump at the opportunity to explain why they voted for SB 17. ...Read More
In House Budget Debate, Lawmakers Fret Over Petty Issues While Sucker-Punching the Poor
Much of the debate centered on tiny programs that cost a few million dollars each, or on symbolic gestures involving social issues.
Much of the debate centered on tiny programs that cost a few million dollars each, or on symbolic gestures involving social issues....Read More
The House Tea Party Caucus is Mad as Hell, Weaker Than Ever
The most colorful members of the House Freedom Caucus are against puppies and hospice care — and for cigarettes and hogs.
The most colorful members of the House Freedom Caucus are against puppies and hospice care — and for cigarettes and hogs....Read More
‘An Incredibly Conservative Budget’: A Guide to the Texas House Proposal
Though they’re having trouble finding money for child welfare, Medicaid and schools, lawmakers found $653 million to fund a state border security plan.
Though they’re having trouble finding money for child welfare, Medicaid and schools, lawmakers found $653 million to fund a state border security plan....Read More
Quixotic Plan to Amend U.S. Constitution Passes Texas House
While many economist and critics decry the idea, the Texas House passed a resolution requesting that Congress convene a convention of states to consider amendin...Read More