Reform of the Texas homeowners’ insurance market in 2003 called for a file-and-use regulatory system. However, in 2009, the Sunset Review Commission’s Staff Report on the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) rightly concluded that the “Legislature cannot judge the success of the shift to file-and-use rate regulation because the system has not been fully implemented.” Conditions have little improved since the report was issued.
Just the Facts: Local Government Spending
Despite billions in property tax relief provided by recent state legislatures, Texans’ property tax bills continue to increase due to unrestricted spending at the local level. Key points: City and county government spending continues to outstrip increases in both population and inflation. While the state government has constitutional and statutory spending limits, local governments do...