The latest budget news from The Texas Tribune.
Senate budget writers on Tuesday described the state's growing contracting scandal as "embarrassing" and "out of control" while the head of an agency at the center of the scandal defended its procurement policies. Full Story
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While state lawmakers have expressed interest in a widespread curtailing of the state’s economic incentive program, Gov. Greg Abbott is requesting $95 million for the state's film incentive program in the next budget. Full Story
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Nearly two weeks after the House's base budget was released, Senate Finance Chairwoman Jane Nelson presented the Senate's plan, which she said sets aside $3 billion for "meaningful" property tax relief for Texas homeowners. Full Story
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At our 1/27 conversation, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick talked about the possibility of tax relief as a component of the budget that will be passed by the 84th Legislature. Full Story
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House Speaker Joe Straus said the House's base budget plan, released Thursday, holds "spending in check while addressing some very important challenges related to our rapid growth." The Senate's base budget is expected to come out next week. Full Story
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State Rep. John Otto wants a constitutional amendment requiring that excess cash in the state's Rainy Day Fund be used to pay off state debt early. Full Story
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At our 1/14 conversation, new state Reps. Celia Israel, D-Austin, Linda Koop, R-Dallas, and Matt Rinaldi, R-Irving, talked about the comptroller's revenue estimate and how they'll approach the task of passing a budget. Full Story
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Here's video of Comptroller Glenn Hegar speaking Monday about the Biennial Revenue Estimate, the amount of revenue available for the Legislature to spend in the 2016-17 state budget. Full Story
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On this week's edition of WFAA-TV's Inside Texas Politics, host Jason Whitely, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy and Tribune Executive Editor Ross Ramsey focus on the 84th Texas Legislature, which starts Tuesday. Full Story
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For this week's playlist of the news, we’re using our reporters' own predictions for 2015. Kicking things off: “The Best Is Yet To Come,” by Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, backed up by the Count Basie Orchestra. Full Story
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When an out-of-state retailer doesn't add Texas sales and use taxes to your bill, it's not because no taxes are owed — and it's not because the retailer is doing something illegal. Texas consumers fail to pay almost $1.8 billion annually. Full Story
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Lawmakers on Thursday chose $7 billion as an appropriate minimum balance for the Rainy Day Fund in a meeting that took just a few minutes but will have far-reaching consequences. Full Story
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Congress has proposed a national standard for sales taxes on the internet, an idea backed by trade groups for so-called brick-and-mortar retailers. But U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is a loud opponent of the legislation. Full Story
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Depending on your political leanings, the spending cap state lawmakers set this week was either too low, too high or just right. Regardless, the arcane measure could effectively block lawmakers from accessing billions of dollars in state revenue. Full Story
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State leaders including Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus have voted to set the state growth rate for the next two years at 11.68 percent, a move that will impact the budget lawmakers write in next year's session. Full Story
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Lawmakers this week will choose a number — a projected growth limit for the state government — that will frame their budget battles throughout the coming legislative session. Full Story
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With the support of 80 percent of Texas voters, Proposition 1 is expected to add billions to the state highway fund without raising taxes or fees. For lawmakers, state officials and local stakeholders, now the real work begins. Full Story
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Full video of my 10/23 TribLive conversation with state Rep. Travis Clardy, R-Nacogdoches, and state Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University. Full Story
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The open government track at the 2014 Texas Tribune Festival featured panel discussions on what legislators should disclose, open records, state budget transparency and "dark money" vs. donor privacy. Full Story
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The comptroller's office recently researched the accuracy of its two-year revenue estimates going back 40 years and five comptrollers. Comptroller Susan Combs' 2011 forecast has become an issue in this year's race to replace her. Full Story
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