It’s an old and bittersweet story in Texas: Property values rise, local property tax revenue rises and the state government spends less on public education.
budget
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Analysis: A Texas state budget — minus $38.6 billion in federal stimulus money
The state budget approved by the Texas Senate on Tuesday is just the start: Lawmakers still have to decide what to do with billions in federal COVID-19 relief money.
Posted in
Police brutality in Texas
Austin officer charged with murder in Michael Ramos’ death as lawmakers file bills making it harder to withhold body camera footage
Almost a year after Michael Ramos, a Black and Hispanic man, was killed in Austin, Christopher Taylor, the officer who shot him, has been charged with murder.
Posted in
University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
Analysis: How Gov. Greg Abbott’s attack on “defunding the police” has divided Texas Democrats
The governor’s pivot from a focus on racism and policing after protests last summer to an emphasis on police funding and public safety, creates cross-pressures for Texans of color — particularly those who are Democrats, our pollsters write.
Posted in
University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
Most white Texas voters believe the deaths of Black people in police custody aren’t a systemic problem
Texas voters support the police and don’t want to cut their budgets. But they disagree on the reasons behind the deaths of Black people in encounters with law enforcement, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.
Posted in
University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
Pandemic response tops Texas voters’ legislative priorities, poll finds
Texas voters also think the state spends too little on mental health, and public education, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.
Posted in
Winter Storm 2021
Rural Texas communities face long recoveries and stretched budgets without federal aid
Debbie Gosnell, city manager of Cross Plains, said it could take months for her community to recover from the winter storm. Without approval for federal aid, Gosnell worries the town’s budget will not cover the numerous broken pipes and damaged buildings.
Posted in
Public Education
Watch: State Rep. Harold Dutton, chair of public education committee, discusses how Legislature should respond to pandemic, winter storm
Dutton joined The Texas Tribune on Thursday for a conversation moderated by Aliyya Swaby, the Tribune’s public education reporter.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Speaker Dade Phelan shakes up Texas House leadership with new chairs on key committees
With assignments out, legislation that has been filed can be referred to committees for potential hearings. The committees overseeing public education, budget writing and redistricting are among those with new chairs.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Analysis: Not every legislative day in Texas is a workday
During the first month of the Texas legislative session, the House and Senate will have met for less than a week, and most lawmakers will have been away from the Capitol for most of that time. It’s an early sign that this pandemic-shadowed session might be limited in scope.
