With sine die on May 29th quickly approaching, the 85th Texas Legislature has much work to do to reduce the size and scope of government. Let us consider the status of the Conservative Texas Budget Coalition’s key legislative priorities in the waning days of session. Pass a 2018-19 Conservative Texas Budget (CTB): Senate Bill 1...
These data reinforce what everyone already knows — that Texas’ property tax system is broken and needs an overhaul lest more people lose their homes, businesses, and futures.
A little less than a month is left in the 85th Legislature and Texas legislators, among many other issues, will have to decide whether to support one more business incentive program or the creation of one more fund to generate "economic development," and how much to fund already existing ones. It is important to remember...
If the Senators are forced to approach health care defensively due to ad hominem attacks, constrained by party dicta, and consumed with tactical concerns over midterm elections, they will be unable to craft a bill that puts health care in its proper perspective: access to timely care first and foremost, with everything else secondary: cost, coverage, national spending, and lastly, politics.
HB 2766, SB 1130: “Granny Tax” Overview by Dr. Deane Waldman
Texas has spoken, and we encourage other states to join with us in saying that we are not going to settle for the status quo. After all, what we have is a republic … if we can keep it.
Ever since the Great Recession, my go-to means of making a living between jobs has been to drive “black cars” and limousines. I have over ten years of experience as a professional driver, including several years of full-time driving work. For most of this time period, I was working in another state. I moved to...
States outside California will also suffer because California is the largest single marketplace in the nation, and out-of-state firms seeking to continue doing business in the state will be required to comply with the strict emissions limitations.
Government is not instituted in order to guide customers’ purchasing decisions. Customers have many options to help them evaluate businesses, including companies like Yelp or Google Reviews, associations like the BBB, and traditional word of mouth.
Occupational licenses more broadly are not an area where the state often should be involved. A free market can sort out such bad actors without unnecessary government influence and intervention in the marketplace.
Austin Mayor Steve Adler reportedly doesn’t think that cities are contributing to Texas’ enormous property tax problem, according to the Texas Tribune’s Sanya Mansoor. Well, I beg to differ. Property taxes levied by city governments totaled $8.4 billion in in 2015, representing 16 percent of the total share ($52.2 billion). On a per capita basis,...
Raising the age would enhance public safety by lowering recidivism rates among youthful offenders. It is a common sense policy that takes advantage of the benefits the juvenile justice system has to offer, including greater family involvement and individualized treatment.