Mirroring laws passed by Florida, Georgia, New York, and others, House Bill 1076 criminalizes squatting in a model attempt to ensure that the private property rights of Texans are protected from bad actors (Salmonsen, 2024). In a time when Texas is one of the top three states in which squatters are occupying homes—with “an estimated 475 homes that had been occupied by squatters” concentrated in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (Rahman, 2024)—HB 1076, if passed, would be a major victory in the fight to protect the private property rights of Texans. The specificity of the bill ensures that there is no ambiguity in the law and closes any loopholes that bad actors have taken advantage of in the past. By doing so, HB 1076 aims to secure one of the most sacred of all rights: the right to property.
Taxes & Spending
Higher Taxes on the Horizon: Lovejoy ISD
Many city, county, and school district officials are in the early stages of deciding where to set their tax rates for the next fiscal year. In some cases, these local decisions will push property taxes higher, creating new challenges for family budgets and forcing tough personal choices. Given the very real prospect of tax hikes on the horizon, now is the time for Texans to learn what their local governments are up to and...
June 9, 2026