Shannon Halbrook is the director of our Invest in Texas team, overseeing our fiscal policy research and advocacy. He joined Every Texan in March 2023. Previously, he worked for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and the Department of Information Resources as a policy researcher and data analyst, where he gained unique insight into how we can more effectively advocate for state budget and tax policy that invests in the future of every Texan. A Texas native, Shannon lived in Boston for a number of years, where he worked for the National Consumer Law Center. He holds a master’s degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT Austin.
Policy areas: State Budget, Workforce Development
Texas property owners pay the seventh-highest property taxes in the country. Largely because the state does not have an income tax, property taxes are essential for the services provided by our
SB 1, the state budget for the 2026-27 biennium, took effect on Sept. 1, 2025. It represents $338 billion in all funds and $149 billion in general revenue spending (the
The income groups paying the highest tax rates in Texas are disproportionately Hispanic and Black, whereas the lowest-taxed group (the wealthiest 5%) is predominantly white. Sustainable tax revenue provides the
For the first time since 2019, the federal government has shut down. This on the heels of the July 4 passage of H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”,
Every Texan supports investments in our state that are likely to benefit all Texans – especially low-income Texans. Every Texan believes in a fair tax system and generally opposes across-the-board
View this testimony as a PDF. Every Texan is an independent research organization that, for 40 years, has advocated for public policy for better access to quality health care, food
View this testimony as a PDF. Every Texan is an independent research organization that, for 40 years, has advocated for public policy for better access to quality health care, food
View this testimony as a PDF. Every Texan is an independent research organization that, for 40 years, has advocated for public policy for better access to quality health care, food
View this testimony as a PDF. Every Texan is an independent research organization that, for 40 years, has advocated for public policy for better access to quality health care, food
The supplemental appropriations bill, passed every legislative session, adjusts funding in the current budget and settles up shortfalls. This session’s supplemental bill, HB 500, changes some appropriations made last session
