Policy Area: State Budget

Blog

A Smart Approach to Closing a Costly Loophole

Senator Rodney Ellis proposed new legislation Tuesday to close a state loophole that allows commercial property owners to skirt their responsibility and significantly reduce their property tax bills below the

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Big Week for Pre-K in the Texas House

Pre-Kindergarten in Texas could get a big boost this legislative session, and it’s encouraging that there are several legislative proposals on the table. The Center for Public Policy Priorities just

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Big Week for Texas’ Ability to Invest

This week is a tipping point for the 84th Texas Legislature. Lawmakers will weigh some game-changing bills that would affect our state’s ability to invest in our future. Budget and

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Lower Revenue Cap = Fewer Local Services

We’re continuing our week-long march through tax policy proposals, and today we look at a proposal to lower the cap on local government property tax revenue. SB 182, authored by

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Don’t Prioritize Roads Over Other Needs

UPDATE: Senator Robert Nichols (R – Jacksonville) announced a change to the proposal. The new proposal, which requires a constitutional amendment, would dedicate 50 percent of the revenue from the

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Analysis in Brief: DFPS Budget Proposals

This week, I testified in front of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Article II on their respective starting-point budget proposals for DFPS. This testimony comes

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Analysis in Brief: DARS Budget Proposals

On January 27, Senate Finance Chair Jane Nelson (R – Flower Mound) introduced SB 2, the Senate’s starting-point 2016-17 Texas budget. Two weeks earlier, the Speaker of the House of

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Let Local Leaders Raise Minimum Wage

Imagine looking at your paycheck and knowing it’s not enough money to pay the rent on time or buy groceries for your family. Unfortunately, too many hard-working Texans face this

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Senate Public Education Investment Falls Short

Today the Senate Finance Committee heard testimony on the importance of investing in public education. When District Court Judge John Dietz found Texas’ school finance system to be unconstitutional last year,

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