In this report, economists Stephen Moore, Arthur Laffer, and Donna Arduin describe the many factors that determine a state’s economic outlook. Fully a quarter of a state’s economic future is in the hands of its policymakers through their fiscal and regulatory policies. The authors rank Texas’ economic future according to their own State Competitive Environment Model and provide five policy recommendations that would boost Texas’ economic outlook from good to rosy.
Texas is About to Spend $100 Billion on Power Lines It Does Not Need
Our electric bills are about to go up. Most Texans have no idea why. Texas regulators approved $33 billion in new high-voltage power lines (the Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan, or STEP) without a single legislative vote. Factor in financing, maintenance, and taxes over the life of the projects, and the tab for ratepayers hits nearly...