When a party wins everything, as the GOP has in Texas this year, it gets almost everything its way. It also has everything to lose.
Rainy Day Fund
Posted in
Criminal Justice
2010: The Wages of Sin
If the state needs money to balance its budget, it should look first to sin taxes on gambling, alcohol and marijuana.
Posted in
Economy
TribBlog: Dewhurst Predicts No Tax Hikes or Gaming
The state won’t need new taxes or expanded legal gambling to cover a budget shortfall next session, but higher fees and more budget cuts are a possibility, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said at this morning’s TribLive interview in Austin.
Posted in
Economy
TribBlog: $18 Billion Dollar Budget Hole
Texas lawmakers have been fishing for ideas on how to fill a looming budget deficit when they return to Austin in 2011. Based on new projections out today, they’re gonna need a bigger boat.
Posted inState Government
The Ditch: How We Got Into It
Even though we fared better than other states, lawmakers face a budget shortfall of $10 billion or more when they return to Austin in 2011. Ben Philpott — who covers politics and public policy for KUT News and the Tribune — looks at the shortfall and proposed solutions.
Posted in
Economy
What are the Odds?
Start with a shortfall and a Legislature that doesn’t want to raise taxes, then dangle budget-balancing money from “volunteers” — a.k.a., gamblers. With that strategy, promoters think they’ve got their best shot in years to legalize slot machines while adding $1 billion a year to state revenues.
Posted in
Economy
The Last Time Around
How will lawmakers deal with a budget shortfall of at least $11 billion — and maybe several billion more — in the next legislative session? In all likelihood, by doing what they did in 2003, when things were almost this bad.
Posted in
Economy
Cloudy with a Chance of Money
The Rainy Day Fund seems like weather word play waiting to happen. It can plug holes in the budget, defend against an economic perfect storm and keep the deficit clouds at bay. That’s certainly how some see it when looking at the next biennium’s projected shortfalls.
Posted in
Economy
Stymied by Stimulus?
The stimulus money increased funding for education last session. But can the state keep it up next session without more federal money?