The latest economy news from The Texas Tribune.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill Thursday that eliminates a controversial startup investment fund long touted by his predecessor, Rick Perry. The legislation directs much of the fund's money to a new researcher recruitment effort. Full Story
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Frustrated Denton residents flooded a city council meeting Tuesday for a conversation about fracking that stretched late into the night. Now that state lawmakers have slapped down the city's fracking ban, residents wonder what else they can do. Full Story
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Seven months after a rag-tag group of local activists scored a surprising victory over the state’s powerful oil and gas industry when Denton voted to ban hydraulic fracturing, a natural gas company Monday resumed operations under a state law passed to overturn Denton's ban. Full Story
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The state’s constitutional spending cap will remain untouched this session, and House and Senate leaders are blaming each other for the lack of action on the arcane but politically important measure. Full Story
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The Texas House sent the last part of a $3.8 billion tax cut deal to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk Friday. Senate Bill 1 will increase the homestead exemption from $15,000 to $25,000 if voters approve an amendment to the state Constitution. Full Story
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Texas has officially asked Congress to lift its 40-year-old ban on crude oil exports. Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday signed a resolution that calls the federal ban a “relic from an era of scarcity and flawed price control policies.” Full Story
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Texas lawmakers in both chambers on Friday overwhelmingly approved a $209.4 billion two-year budget, a 3.6 percent increase over the current one. It now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. Full Story
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Defusing Gov. Greg Abbott’s first public veto threat, lawmakers sent a bill cutting the business franchise tax to his desk Thursday. The House also sent Abbott a bill plugging holes in the 2014-15 budget. Full Story
A measure to ban the trade of shark fins in Texas is headed to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk after clearing the Texas Senate on Wednesday. The fins are collected by a brutal fishing process: cutting off a live shark's fin and leaving the shark to die. Full Story
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The incentive fund for attracting film and video game companies to Texas is about to take a major budget hit. Advocates for both industries are licking their wounds, and blaming each other for failing to present a united front. Full Story
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House and Senate leaders have come to an agreement on a deal to significantly boost the Texas Department of Transportation’s funding. Full Story
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The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, the often-tapped insurer of last resort for Gulf Coast property owners, looks poised to get a major overhaul. Full Story
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In a 136-1 vote, the House favored Senate Bill 1, which would raise the homestead exemption from $15,000 to $25,000 if voters approve an amendment to the state Constitution in November. Full Story
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An unexpected end-of-session skirmish over payroll deductions for union dues pits Republicans against Democrats, business against labor, and presents lawmakers with one of those votes that might be important in next year's elections. Full Story
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UPDATED: Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus announced late Thursday the terms of a $3.8 billion tax relief package — a move that followed weeks of testy negotiations. Full Story
At our 5/21 conversation, state Reps. Sarah Davis, R-West University Place; Jeff Leach, R-Plano; and Poncho Nevárez, D-Eagle Pass talked about the prospect of a deal on tax cuts. Full Story
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At our 5/21 conversation, state Reps. Sarah Davis, R-West University Place; Jeff Leach, R-Plano; and Poncho Nevárez, D-Eagle Pass talked about the coming budget deal between the House and the Senate. Full Story
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The House and Senate stepped closer to a final deal on a two-year budget Wednesday evening, settling dozens of differences between the two chambers including funding for public education and border security. Full Story
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After a Dallas hair braider's decades-long battle with the state to practice and teach African hair braiding in Texas, lawmakers passed a measure Wednesday to drop industry restrictions and sent the bill to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott. Full Story
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The state's 50 community college systems are one of the few areas targeted for cuts in state funding over the next two years. As a final budget is hashed out in the Legislature, school leaders are hoping to reverse their fiscal fortune. Full Story
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