The end of the year is when property owners have to pay their taxes — an increasingly large bill in Texas that’s a key part of the state’s rickety school finance system. Here’s a sampling of columns tracking that debate in 2017.
December 2017
Posted inCriminal Justice
How renting furniture in Texas can land you in jail
Reread this investigation by the Tribune and NerdWallet into the rent-to-own industry, which has a special tool in Texas law that lets it file criminal charges when customers don’t pay their debts — while other businesses have to use civil remedies.
Posted in
TribCast
The top Texas tales of 2017 (podcast)
On the final TribCast of 2017, Emily talks to Alexa, Neena, Jay and Edgar about some of the Trib’s biggest stories of the year: the bathroom bill, Hurricane Harvey, the TABC scandal and our series on child sex trafficking.
Posted in
In Harvey's Wake
What Texas learned in the wake of Hurricane Harvey
Two Tribune reporters who covered Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath discuss the historic storm’s financial impact, recovery efforts and what citizens and state officials have learned in the wake of the devastating storm.
Posted inState Government
In Harvey’s Wake: The Tribune’s complete coverage of Texas’ monster hurricane
Even before Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the Texas coast, Tribune reporters were there to cover the storm for our audience, and in the months since we’ve produced hundreds of stories, videos and visuals. You can find them here.
Posted inImmigration
The Taking: How the federal government abused its power to seize property for a border fence
Revisit our joint investigation with ProPublica that revealed how the federal government’s rushed, haphazard use of eminent domain led to unequal payments for border residents whose land was seized for a border fence.
Posted in
Graphics and data reporting
How Texas allows industrial facilities to spew unauthorized air pollution — with few consequences
Revisit our investigation of how thousands of “rogue releases” — when industrial polluters spew noxious chemicals into the air during malfunctions and other unplanned incidents, exceeding permit limits — occur in Texas each year.
Posted in
2017 Year in Review
In Texas’ urban areas, leaders wrestled property taxes and pension woes
As city officials sought help overhauling pension funds and fought off lawmakers’ attempts to legislate local matters, urban Texans continued having trouble finding affordable places to live.
Posted in
2017 Year in Review
18 days that shook the Texas congressional delegation in 2017
There has never been a year in Congress like 2017, and most there spent the last year adjusting to an erratic president and an even more volatile American public.
Posted in
2017 Year in Review
The top 10 Texas Tribune reads of 2017
Looking to catch up on your reading this holiday season? You’ve come to the right place. Here, in no particular order, are our curated picks: the top Texas Tribune storytelling of 2017.
