The $1.8 billion in tax relief that Gov. Rick Perry called for this week was short on details, but the few that are out there are already sparking questions.
Aman Batheja
Aman Batheja was a political reporter and editor for the Tribune from 2012 to 2019. Previously he worked for eight years at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, most of that time covering state and local politics. A native of Cedarhurst, New York, he has an undergraduate degree in journalism and psychology from New York University and a master's in economics from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Posted in
Transportation
TxDOT Considers Outsourcing IT
The Texas Department of Transportation is taking proposals for privatizing its information technology system, part of a larger movement by the agency toward outsourcing many of its functions.
Posted in
Public Education
Pitts and Williams Say School Funding Debate Can Wait
Ongoing school finance litigation will likely prevent the Legislature from discussing education funding issues this session, two Republican budget leaders said at a TribLive event Thursday.
Posted in
Energy
Lawmakers Seek Cash to Fix Roads Hit by Drilling
As lawmakers look for a way to fix infrastructure crumbling under the weight of a drilling boom, talk of reducing the tax money that feeds the state’s Rainy Day Fund is drawing attention.
Posted in
Energy
Perry Talks Water, Tax Relief in State of the State
In his seventh State of the State address, Gov. Rick Perry ignored controversial issues and urged state lawmakers to do the nitty gritty work of government: fund water projects, build more roads and improve education.
Posted inState Government
Lawmakers Hope to Tap Rainy Day Fund, Duck Spending Cap
The state’s top budget authority, the Legislative Budget Board, says lawmakers will have trouble accessing billions of dollars in the Rainy Day Fund without busting the state’s spending cap.
Posted inState Government
Senators Draw Lots to Determine Terms
The Texas Senate relied on chance Wednesday to determine which of them would serve for four years and which would serve for two years. For some legislators, the luck of the draw could have bigger political implications.
Posted in
State Government
Spending Limit Could Make State’s Rainy Day Fund Tougher to Tap
After years in which the state’s spending limit was irrelevant, it may play a key role in budget negotiations this session, and it could make it tougher for lawmakers to tap billions of dollars in the Rainy Day Fund.
Posted in
Economy
Lawmakers Considering Fees on Electric Cars
In search of new revenue for road construction and maintenance, Texas lawmakers are weighing whether to raise fees on electric cars, a move that is gaining ground in some other states.
Posted in
Economy
Budget Plans Target Incentives and Testing
The budget proposals released by lawmakers this week show an interest in revamping school testing and the state’s economic incentive programs.