economy

Costco Joins Wal-Mart, Kroger in Liquor Push

By Ryan McCrimmon March 18, 2015

Wholesale giant Costco has joined Wal-Mart, Kroger and other retailers in the fight to loosen restrictions on the state liquor market and let public corporations sell hard alcohol in Texas. Full Story
Abbott Discusses Trade Relations With Irish Prime Minister

By Bobby Blanchard March 15, 2015

Gov. Greg Abbott met with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny on Sunday morning to discuss trade and economic relations. It was Abbott's first meeting with a foreign prime minister since becoming governor. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
House Budget Plan Sets Stage for Transportation Funding Debate

By Aman Batheja March 12, 2015

Texas House budget writers put the final touches Thursday on a two-year budget that offers a different approach to boosting funding for transportation from the Senate. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
Video: Price and Rawlings on Property Taxes

By Evan Smith March 12, 2015

At our 3/12 conversation, Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings reacted to the possibility of the Legislature engineering a cut in property taxes. Full Story
Budgetline: A TribCast Series on the Texas Budget

By Ross Ramsey, Aman Batheja, Todd Wiseman and Reeve Hamilton March 12, 2015

In the first episode of Budgetline, an occasional TribCast series on the Texas budget, Ross and Aman start where state officials started — with the revenue estimate. It sounds simple, but it's a complicated stew of economics, politics and risky forecasting. Full Story
Analysis: A Distinctive Push for Business Tax Repeal

By Ross Ramsey March 11, 2015

As lawmakers debate what kinds of tax cuts they like best, and voters point at property taxes as their favorite, a national conservative group is starting a grassroots campaign to promote repeal of the state's business margins tax. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Patrick, Hancock Propose Spending Cap Changes

By Ryan McCrimmon March 10, 2015

Senate leaders on Tuesday rolled out more legislation that would change how the state sets its limit on spending for each budget biennium, and let lawmakers pass tax cuts that don't count toward the cap. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Film Groups Want Separate Funding for Video Games

By Ryan McCrimmon March 9, 2015

Texas film heavyweights are asking lawmakers to create a separate funding strategy for video game incentives instead of continuing shared funding with film and television incentives. The video game lobby isn't ready for a split. Full Story

Credit: Callie Richmond
Paddie's Lyft-for-Hire Bill Runs Uber Cities

By Aman Batheja March 6, 2015

With various Texas cities imposing different rules on vehicle-for-hire apps Uber and Lyft, state Rep. Chris Paddie, R-Marshall, is pushing a bill to let the state take over regulation of the services. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Rising Local Debt Draws Attention of Legislature

By Aman Batheja March 5, 2015

State coffers are flush with cash, but local governments are continuing to borrow heavily to provide services. State legislators have filed more than a dozen bills aimed at how cities, counties and school districts can borrow money. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Senate Tax Cut Plan Draws Several Critics at Hearing

By Aman Batheja March 4, 2015

There's a lot of ways you can spend $4.6 billion in tax cuts, and the Senate Finance Committee learned Wednesday that a wide range of special interest groups think the current proposal could use some work. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
House: Dripping Springs the "Wedding Capital of Texas"

By Ryan McCrimmon March 4, 2015

The Texas House said “I do” to a proposal Wednesday by Republican Jason Isaac to designate Dripping Springs as the state wedding capital. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
Senate Approves Funneling Car Sales Tax to Highways

By Terri Langford March 4, 2015

If voters approve, some of the taxes collected on car sales would be dedicated to building and fixing highways under the first two pieces of legislation to clear the Senate this session. Teachers might also see a pay boost under the measures. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
Senators Show Interest in Ditching Margins Tax

By Aman Batheja March 3, 2015

As a key Senate committee prepares to hear public testimony on tax cut proposals Wednesday, senators expressed strong interest in repealing the state's unpopular margins tax on businesses, which has raised $4.7 billion annually. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Paul Hudson
UT/TT Poll: In Texas, Walker Catches Cruz

By Ross Ramsey Feb. 23, 2015

Ted Cruz's wide lead over other contenders for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination in Texas has disappeared; he is now in a virtual tie with the surging Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Kindred Spirits: Wal-Mart, Kroger Align in Booze Bid

By Ryan McCrimmon Feb. 18, 2015

Wal-Mart is ginning up a full-bore liquor war and bringing it to the Capitol. Last week it sued the state for the right to sell spirits, and Wednesday it joined Kroger in forming a new nonprofit to promote freedom in the booze marketplace. Full Story

Credit: Thomas Hawk
Wal-Mart Sues Texas for Right to Sell Liquor

By Ryan McCrimmon Feb. 12, 2015

Wal-Mart is allowed to sell beer and wine at 546 Texas stores, but state law keeps it from selling hard liquor. On Thursday, the company filed a federal lawsuit challenging that rule in the interest of a "fair and level playing field." Full Story

Credit: Michael Connell
Video: Otto on Tax Relief

By Evan Smith Feb. 12, 2015

At our 2/12 conversation, state Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, talked about the prospect of property and business tax relief. Full Story
Video: Otto on Public Ed Funding

By Evan Smith Feb. 12, 2015

At our 2/12 conversation, state Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, talked about the need to fix the state's method of school finance. Full Story
Video: Otto on Border Security Funding

By Evan Smith Feb. 12, 2015

At our 2/12 conversation, state Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, explained why the House's lower proposed allocation for border security funding is more conservative than the Senate's. Full Story