As lawmakers consider ways to fund Texas government, some are advocating an expansion of state-run gambling to include video lottery terminals, or VLTs. With some projecting a $2 billion windfall, VLTs are an attractive source of income, but studies indicate the costs may outweigh the benefits. Two background papers are also available; one summarizes the economic impacts of gambling, the other provides the calculations used to identify the additional fiscal cost of VLTs.
Local Government
When Government Lobbies Itself: Why Texas Should Ban Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
Texas local governments use taxpayer dollars to hire lobbyists to influence state legislation—creating conflicts of interest, distorting democratic accountability, and undermining the interests of Texas taxpayers. Key points: Taxpayer-funded lobbying expenditures more than doubled from the 85th to the 89th Legislature, now reaching as high as $111.5 million. Taxpayer-funded lobbyists consistently opposed legislation involving property...
April 6, 2026