The latest budget news from The Texas Tribune.
School openings, government hearings, going to bars, voting, shopping, even the doings at the Texas Capitol hinge on the same issues: whether it’s safe to gather, and how to go about it. Full Story
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The Legislature starts its next regular session in January and can meet for up to 140 days. That gives lawmakers time to consider more than 6,000 bills. During a pandemic, they might want to do a lot less. Full Story
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Local governments in Texas finish their spending plans and set their tax rates in August, an annual exercise that includes some hot topics in this pandemic year, like police spending, public schools and property taxes. Full Story
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The dire financial forecast from the Texas comptroller says a lot about the pandemic's harsh impact on the economy. It's based on uncertain assumptions about what will happen next — and could easily change again. Full Story
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On this week's TribCast, Alexa talks to Matthew, Cassi and Ross about the Texas GOP's convention chaos and how the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the state budget. Full Story
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Now that the first official estimate of the coronavirus' effect on the Texas economy is out, the hard work starts. Legislators have to figure out which parts of the state budget to cut and which parts to keep. Full Story
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City leaders are asking for more spending flexibility to address the financial shortfalls caused by the pandemic. Full Story
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We sat down for an interview with Hegar to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on Texas' economy and the challenges the Legislature will face when setting the two-year budget. Full Story
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The coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices are driving down projected general revenue in the state's current budget by more than $11 billion. Full Story
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The Texas Tribune is excited to launch a new and revamped version of our Government Salaries Explorer. Full Story
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The Texas Tribune's database of compensation for Texas state employees has been revamped. It includes detailed data for all of the 113 agencies in state government and every position at each of those agencies. Full Story
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The pandemic has devastated the Texas economy. The state comptroller says that will mean billions of dollars less than expected for the current budget. But state agencies haven't received any orders to cut their spending. Full Story
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Lawmakers widely agree that the Legislature will tap into the Economic Stabilization Fund next session. But under the weight of a crippled economy, many Texans want relief now. Full Story
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This week's drop in crude oil prices signals trouble for state and local government budgets. Energy isn't the biggest source of tax money in Texas, but the big one — the sales tax — is already falling. Full Story
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The pandemic's impact on the Texas economy is a full-on recession, state Comptroller Glenn Hegar said Tuesday. And hard financial decisions will mark the next session of the Texas Legislature. Full Story
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We sat down for a live virtual event with Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar to discuss the COVID-19 outbreak and its effect on the state budget, economy and workforce. Full Story
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Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar told House members that it's too soon to make detailed forecasts, but both the state budget and Economic Stabilization Fund could be drastically revised down. Full Story
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A dramatic drop in oil prices over the weekend could harm Texas' oil and gas industry and economy, but experts say it all depends on how long they remain low — and how the COVID-19 epidemic plays out. Full Story
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McGinty, the CFO of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, will lead an embattled agency of nonpartisan budget analysts who have been without an executive director since October 2018. Full Story
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When government officials want to spin a story about state finance, it helps to have control of the numbers — and to do the math properly. Full Story
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