Texas has a big problem: regular folks can’t afford regular homes anymore. The main culprits? Local rules and red tape that make building new houses harder, slower, and way more expensive than it needs to be. So, the 89th Texas Legislature stepped in and passed a batch of reforms to help fix it. Here’s the...
As the government shutdown continues, Democrats insist they won’t reopen the government until Republicans agree to extend the enhanced Obamacare subsidies. Reminder: these aren’t subsidies that started with the original program but, rather, a temporary pandemic-era spending program that subsidizes insurance companies instead of providing medical care. Worse, Democrats’ justification for this shutdown is built...
What are we teaching the teachers? “During my time in the master’s program at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, we were taught to teach children,” writes my colleague Kate Bierly, “But first, we were taught to dismantle ‘harmful’ stereotypes and to teach our students to see the world through the lens of the ‘oppressed.’” “Every...
Austin is just one of a handful of cities across Texas trying to raise taxes on already overburdened taxpayers, but it represents perhaps the most egregious example of a city that doesn’t deserve it. The property tax increase included in its $6.3 billion budget for 2026 is so high that it requires voter approval this...
Why and how is Highland Park ISD hiding information about an employee-run kick-back scheme that could have bilked the district for over $1 million? The answer could have far-reaching consequences for government transparency throughout Texas. In 2020, a former employee of the district’s tennis center alleged that some other employees had been skimming cash that...
This week President Trump promised to “lead a movement to get rid of mail-in ballots.” After initially declaring he would issue an executive order to end it, Trump’s press secretary signaled that they would also be working across the legislative branch, saying “I’m sure there will be many discussions with our friends on Capitol Hill,...
By 2050, total electricity demand in the U.S. is expected to grow by more than 50% and perhaps double according to Paul Tice, author of a new report published by the National Center for Energy Analytics. Sorry, Al Gore, we can’t rely solely on wind and solar to keep the lights on. “There is no...
Now that the House Democrats have fled to highly gerrymandered states to – checks notes – protest gerrymandering, here’s what’s not getting done during the special session: Catastrophic flood response: Proposals that would provide funding relief for the hill country areas affected by the flooding, improve emergency communications and warning, and address natural disaster preparation and...
Texas cities are reaping a windfall of property tax revenue even though they haven’t grown much in the last decade. One might rightly question why they need all the new money if they are serving roughly the same number of people. My colleague James Quintero recently compiled an analysis of property tax levies, property valuations,...
According to the Bond Review Board’s most recent data, Texas’ local governments have accumulated an eyepopping $500 billion in debt, which is an increase of almost $40 billion from the prior year. That’s almost $16,000 owed for every man, woman, and child in the Lone Star State. Most of this debt comes from school districts,...
The legislative special session begins next week and there are several important issues on the Governor’s call, like property tax reform, bail reform and, of course, responding to the recent flooding tragedy. One issue that shouldn’t go overlooked is banning taxpayer funded lobbying. When the issue first popped up years ago many Texans believed it...
Monday was National Social Media Day. This is one of those random days you’re supposed to celebrate like National Hamburger Day (May 28) or National Dog Day (August 26). That might have been the case 15 years ago when National Social Media Day was created by online tech news outlet Mashable, but today you rarely...