With a number of tax structure modification alternatives are under consideration by policymakers in Texas, one alternative is to fund a property tax reduction with an increase in the sales tax. The size of the property tax reduction being discussed is about 50% of the current levy for school maintenance and operations, or $8.5 billion in 2005. The tax change is reviewed from the perspective of several recognized characteristics of good tax policy. This paper analyzes five alternative formulations (scenarios) of the tax shift according to various sales tax rate and sales tax base-broadening options.
Family
Womb & Board
Rising housing costs are delaying marriage and childbearing by preventing young adults from forming independent households, thereby making housing affordability a central driver of declining family formation and demographic stability. Key points: Housing affordability directly shapes whether young adults can form independent households, influencing marriage, fertility, and long-term family stability. Rising housing costs and limited...
April 2, 2026