James Quintero is the policy director for the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Government for the People campaign. Since joining the Foundation in 2008, Quintero has focused extensively on: state & local government spending, taxes, debt, public pension reform, annexation, and local regulations.
Although there have been many strides taken at the state level to reduce the property tax burden, local governments’ incessant and reckless spending continues to drive up the bill. Key points: In May 2026, Texas voters considered 439 bonds. Of those, 233 were approved. The passage rate for bond propositions for the May 2026 cycle...
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he now has the votes—76 in the Texas House—to pass a universal school choice bill, a goal of Lone Star State governors since Rick Perry. The Senate has already passed one. Why did it take so long to get this far? It should be no surprise that Friday night lights...
Governing Blind: The Fiscal and Operational Impact of Immigration on Texas Public Systems Written by Selene Rodriguez Download the full paper here. Key Points Texas operates at the intersection of federal immigration policy and the day-to-day realities of sustaining its public systems, bearing substantial costs driven by national mandates. This is very evident in education...