Texas’ Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF) acts as a rainy day fund to cover state government budget shortfalls during economic downturns or emergencies and is often used for other purposes. The ESF’s shortcomings include it being rather easily raided for purposes other than covering budget shortfalls and stockpiling of taxpayer dollars in the fund. Legislators should raise the threshold vote to use the ESF for nonemergency purposes to four-fifths of each chamber, and consider lowering the cap and allocating funds above the cap to return to taxpayers or pay state liabilities. Read the full policy perspective below.
Homelessness
Auditing the Homeless Industrial Complex
Texas cities are pouring unprecedented amounts of taxpayer money into homelessness services, yet the crisis on the streets continues to visibly worsen. From Dallas to Austin, budgets for housing initiatives expand every year, but the encampments remain. Taxpayers are justifiably wondering where exactly all their money is going. The answer, according to a new research...
September 10, 2026