The Texas Senate passed budget that would shift $1.8 billion in public education costs to local taxpayers.
budget
Posted in
State Government
Analysis: Don’t fret — it’s too early to say Texas lawmakers will blow this
The denizens of the Texas Capitol are already talking about the possibility of a special session if lawmakers haven’t finished the budget and other bills by Memorial Day. They might be worried, but you shouldn’t be.
Posted in
Public Education
Analysis: Is this Texas state budget trick constitutional?
The Texas Senate is proposing a new accounting trick to balance its 2018-19 budget. The contrivance would work, mathematically speaking, but it raises constitutional questions and faces derision from the House.
Posted in
Demographics
Texas poised to maintain most of its border funding for Trump’s first years
Despite the Trump administration’s early moves to ramp up detentions and deportations and build a border wall, Texas budget writers don’t appear likely to significantly dial back funding for state-based border security operations this year.
Posted inState Government
Texas Senate accounting maneuver finds $2.5B in budget; Straus calls it “cooking the books”
By delaying a diversion of sales tax money for transportation projects, Texas Senate leaders said they had an additional $2.5 billion to spend on needs such as health care and schools.
Posted in
State Government
Analysis: Cutting the Texas budget, even with money on hand
If Texas legislators cut the state budget this year, it won’t be because they didn’t have the money. It’ll be because they didn’t want to spend the money they have.
Posted in
Demographics
Analysis: State boosts local accountability while eroding local control
At about the same time this week, one set of Texas lawmakers was working on ways to limit the growth of property taxes that fund local governments while another was considering legislation that could cost local governments a lot of money.
Posted in
Higher Education
Universities face funding cuts of 6 percent to 10 percent in Senate plan
In an attempt to make major changes in how higher education is funded, the Senate Finance Committee is proposing major cuts to each state university.
Posted in
Politics
Texas bullet train firm calls provision added to budget a “job killer”
Officials with Texas Central Partners, the private firm developing the Houston-Dallas high-speed rail line, said the rider added to the state senate’s proposed budget Wednesday would put their project at risk.
Posted in
Economy
House proposal could claw back billions Texas voters approved for roads
The Texas House’s chief budget writer filed legislation Friday that would pave the way for lawmakers to claw back billions of dollars that voters approved for state highways, freeing them up for other budget needs.
