Firm Claims Train Will Have $36 Billion Impact
The private firm trying to build a bullet train between Dallas and Houston has released a study claiming it would pump more than $30 billion into the state economy over the next 25 years. Full Story
The latest economy news from The Texas Tribune.
The private firm trying to build a bullet train between Dallas and Houston has released a study claiming it would pump more than $30 billion into the state economy over the next 25 years. Full Story
Far more money is extracted from Texans in the form of state and local sales taxes, but property taxes are the source of more complaints. School taxes lead the list but account for a smaller share of the overall tax bill than 10 years ago. Full Story
Following a legislative session in which lawmakers debated whether to cut property taxes, business taxes, sales taxes or a combination of the three, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick signaled an interest Wednesday in continuing the conversation. Full Story
A federal appeals court has blocked a major Obama administration clean water rule, handing a victory to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other states trying to drown it in court. Full Story
A Texas A&M University study reveals just how closely petroleum activity appears to be linked to collisions on crowded, crumbling roads in rural South and West Texas. Full Story
Texas voters will probably give themselves a small dose of property tax relief when they vote on Proposition 1 in November. But if it passes, the state will be on the hook for $600 million a year to help school districts make up the lost revenue. Full Story
A $40 million state incentive package was one of many reasons Toyota agreed to move its headquarters to Plano, company CEO Jim Lentz said Thursday. Yet absent the subsidy, picking Texas would have been a "real tough sell." Full Story
Safety advocates staged a “thirst strike” on the steps of Dallas City Hall Tuesday, calling on city leaders to guarantee periodic rest breaks for construction workers who toil for hours in the city’s sweltering summers. Full Story
The number of people killed on the job in Texas increased in 2014, and the state retained its grim spot as the county’s leader in workplace deaths, according to preliminary federal data released Thursday. Full Story
After finding a Houston-based recycling company at fault when a temporary worker died of heat illness, federal regulators are issuing a fine of $13,800. Full Story
The Texas Railroad Commission looks poised to clear a second oilfield company of responsibility for a series of earthquakes that rattled two North Texas towns — despite research suggesting otherwise. Full Story
The state’s biggest electricity generator is adding solar power to its mix. In the latest sign that solar energy is fast gaining a foothold in Texas, Dallas-based Luminant has announced plans to tap 116 megawatts of West Texas solar power. Full Story
A Texas Democrat says he believes the U.S. House will pass legislation lifting the country’s 40-year-old ban on most crude oil exports — even amid a frenzy of activity in the upcoming session. Full Story
The Mexican peso is well below its exchange rate against the dollar compared to a year ago, and store owners on the border are bracing for a prolonged drought of Mexican shoppers. In some cities that could mean a loss of up to 45 percent of business. Full Story
After a setback in court Thursday, can the federal government enforce its controversial "Waters of the U.S." rule in Texas? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says yes. Texas says no. Full Story
In coming months, the Public Utility Commission is expected to weigh in on an unprecedented plan to help Texas' largest power company emerge from bankruptcy, with huge implications for the electric grid and Texas ratepayers. Along with the financial world, consumer advocates will be watching closely. Full Story
The city of Austin filed a lawsuit Monday against the state of Texas charging that the current property appraisal system is unconstitutional and creates “an imbalance in the tax burdens between residential and commercial property owners.” Full Story
A barrel of West Texas crude is selling for near $40 these days, a roughly 60 percent plunge from the roaring summer of 2014. Drilling communities are worried, but state officials aren't sweating. Full Story
The federal EPA on Tuesday proposed another set of rules aimed at battling climate change. These would slash oil and gas sector emissions of methane, which often leaks from well pads, compressor stations, processing plants and other equipment used in production. Full Story
Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday made this appeal to Texans: Curb your electricity use, if you can – for the grid’s sake. Full Story