The fight over property tax rates is really about state leaders telling local officials how much their revenues can grow before voters get to step in.
Ben Hasson
Ben Hasson was an art director at The Texas Tribune. He previously worked at RMM Online Advertising and interned at the media company Super!Alright! He has also worked as a freelance designer for print and the web, mostly for the Austin independent music and film scene. He grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and graduated from the University of Texas with a bachelor's degree in design.
Posted in
Graphics and data reporting
How do Texas governments calculate your property taxes? Here’s a primer.
Several government entities — from appraisal districts to city councils — play independent roles that collectively determine how much money Texas landowners owe local governments each year.
Posted inState Government
Check what happened to this regular session’s most high-profile bills
After 140 days, what did Texas lawmakers actually accomplish? Here’s our guide to what happened with the regular session’s most high-profile measures.
Posted in
Unholstered
A Look at When and Why Police in Texas Unholster Their Weapons
The Texas Tribune spent nearly a year collecting data from the state’s largest cities on every incident in which police officers pulled the trigger between 2010 and 2015. Here’s a look at what we found.
Posted inEconomy, Energy, Environment, Politics
Take In a View of the New Texas Space Race
SpaceX recently achieved a milestone when it successfully landed an unmanned rocket on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean. Revisit our interactive project on the plans for commercial space flight in Texas, including SpaceX’s controversial facility in the southernmost part of the state.
Posted in
Politics
Is Your Governor Running for President in 2020?
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has a book coming out next month. Surely that doesn’t mean he’s planning…
Posted inHigher Education
Ballpark Figures: Dive Into the Finances of Texas College Athletics
Use our “Ballpark Figures” app to look at revenues and expenses for the eight public Texas universities that play in the Football Bowl Subdivision. You can also compare schools to see how they stack up against one another.
Posted inPolitics
Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton Lead in Support from Texas Legislature
If the Texas Legislature reflects the sentiment of Texas voters, Republican Ted Cruz and Democrat Hillary Clinton should do very well in their respective primaries Tuesday.
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Revisit Starstruck, a Project on Texas’ Newest Space Race
SpaceX and Blue Origin have big — and sometimes secretive — plans for commercial space flight from South and West Texas. While some of the companies’ new neighbors are hopeful, others fear the effects on wildlife and small-town life.
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Starstruck: The Fights and Flights Behind Texas’ Commercial Space Race
A half-century after NASA began pursuing spaceflight from Houston, Texas has again become the center of an emerging space industry. SpaceX and Blue Origin plan to launch commercial rockets from Texas sites. But they haven’t won over their neighbors.