Every two years, legislators must write a new state budget that best serves the people of Texas while also limiting the burden it places on them. In order to write such a budget, the Legislature has to maximize available tax dollars by balancing actual needs and available revenue. Remember, for every dollar the Legislature allocates to one area of the budget, it loses the ability to spend it in another.
Criminal Justice
Safer Communities Through Second Chances: The Case for Federal Expungement
When criminal records follow people forever, families struggle, employers lose workers, and communities lose productive citizens. Federal law offers almost no path to redemption, even though second chances strengthen public safety and the economy. Key Points The federal expungement system is effectively nonexistent. Permanent criminal records for non-violent federal offenses undermine work opportunities, family stability,...
September 15, 2026