Articles tagged: tax breaks
The Unlikely Demise of Texas’ Biggest Corporate Tax Break
After 20 years, the state’s most lucrative corporate welfare program comes to an end.
In 2001, state lawmakers and business leaders warned that the state’s high property tax rates were discouraging corporations from locating big projects in...Read More
The Cost of Carve-Outs
Lawmakers passed an omnibus school finance and property tax reform bill this session, but didn’t include a way to pay for it past 2021. One place to look: corporate tax breaks.
Just before Memorial Day weekend, lawmakers inked an $11.6 billion school finance and property tax reform package. The passage of House Bill 3, which includes a...Read More
The $9 Billion School Finance Problem in Speaker Bonnen’s Backyard
While legislators focused on school finance and property taxes, a silent culprit continued to metastasize. If Chapter 313, a corporate welfare program, is left unaddressed, it could undermine any progress made this session, critics warn.
There’s a $9 billion (and growing) problem looming in the backyard of House Speaker Dennis Bonnen. That problem is formally known as Chapter 313. As Texas’ ...Read More
Loon Star: Thanks for the Little People
And their sales taxes.
Ben Sargent To see more political cartoons from Ben Sargent, visit our Loon Star State section, or find Observer political reporting here....Read More
Lawmaker on State Tax Committee Also Works for Texas’ Corporate Welfare King
State Representative Drew Springer started working for corporate tax firm Ryan, LLC in March. He doesn't recall any conflicts of interest from a session spent overseeing Texas tax law.
State Representative Drew Springer started working for corporate tax firm Ryan, LLC in March. He doesn't recall any conflicts of interest from a session spent o...Read More
Rationale for Texas’ Largest Corporate Welfare Program was a ‘Typographical Error’
What if Texas blew billions of dollars because someone misread an obscure business report 15 years ago? In March, the Observer took a close look at the state’...Read More
Once Again, School District Shuts Down Tax Break for Gas Exporter
For the second straight year, the Point Isabel ISD board rejected a tax break for a company hoping to ship liquefied natural gas from Brownsville....Read More
Free Lunch
Forget about the governor’s slush funds. Texas’ biggest corporate welfare program is one you’ve probably never heard of — and it’s growing every year.
Texas' largest corporate welfare program lets school districts give away unlimited tax breaks — more than $7 billion so far — with only loose state oversigh...Read More
Greg Abbott’s Business-Friendly Cup Overfloweth
Greg Abbott accepted the Governor's Cup business award, but neglected to mention the corporate handouts that made Texas a frontrunner for the honor....Read More