The Honorable Ernest Angelo's "Testimony: More Government Transparency Needed" includes Angelo's written testimony on local debt in support of House Bill 1399.
Citing a 2011 earthquake with a 5.6 magnitude, the USGS researchers point at fracking as the cause of the largest quake in Oklahoma’s history. What they fail to mention is that the 2011 quake is the largest by .1 – and the next to largest occurred in 1952.
While finding common ground between the Left and Right is becoming more and more difficult to do in today’s hyper-politicized environment, it’s heartening to see that there are still some areas that we, as Texans, can all agree—like the need for transparency and accountability in government, especially as it relates to economic development deals.
The people of Texas deserve more openness in government. This principle unites all of us – whether on the left or right – and serves all Texans.
Ultimately, it’s in Texans’ best interests if state and local policymakers look to liberty, not local control, as their guiding principle.
By creating net nonfarm jobs to the tune of 369,400 in 2014, Texas has continued to add jobs faster than those entering the labor force.
Texans believe in government transparency and accountability. For this reason, we have some of the most advanced open-government initiatives in the nation. Yet one policy area remains outside the view of the general public: economic development.
While the Senate’s version of local pension control takes a slightly different tack than the House version, HB 2608, both measures promise to break down bureaucratic barriers to local control and, in many instances, give community stakeholders a seat at the table.
The Honorable Talmadge Heflin testified before the State Finance Committee in support of Senate Joint Resolution 2 and Senate Bill 9.
The Foundation’s research shows that Texas’ tax and expenditure limit doesn’t effectively restrain the total budget over time and calls for fundamental reform to support more opportunity for Texans to prosper.
Yes, the number of earthquakes in Texas and globally has increased. Yes, the numbers of fracking wells and wastewater injection wells being used in Texas has increased. Are the two related? Frankly, no one knows and those who say definitely one way or the other are being disingenuous or deceptive.
If SB 1254 passes, the Texas Open Meetings Act and the Public Information Act will once again matter to an entire realm of government policy that spends millions upon millions of our tax dollars. There is no reason why Texans should be kept in the dark about something so important.