Video: Patrick on Tax Relief
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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Film Incentive Program Fears Guilt by Association
With other state incentive programs under attack for favoritism and weak oversight, one that seems to be working famously might get caught in the crossfire. Film industry supporters hope it survives. Full Story
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![Richard Linklater says incentive funding is crucial to the Texas film industry, even if his film Boyhood didn't make the cut for incentives.]()
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Straus: $202 Billion Budget Plan Reflects Fiscal Discipline
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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![House Speaker Joe Straus is shown on Sept. 20, 2014, during an interview at The Texas Tribune Festival.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Extra Cash Should Go to Paying Debt, Otto Says
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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![State Rep. John Otto (right) proposes a constitutional amendment to use Rainy Day Fund money to pay off state debt during a news conference on Jan. 15, 2015. At left is state Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Musk: Texas a "Leading Candidate" to Host Hyperloop Test Track
Entrepreneur Elon Musk said Thursday that Texas is in the driver's seat for a test track for a transportation system known as the Hyperloop. He also said that a SpaceX facility wouldn't have been built in Texas without economic incentives. Full Story
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![Elon Musk, the CEO and of SpaceX and Tesla Motors, spoke at the Texas Transportation Forum in Austin on Jan. 15, 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Marc Veasey Sees a Future for Texas Democrats
Prospects for Democrats in Texas might seem grim at the moment, but from his Washington perch, U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey thinks things will turn his party's way. Eventually. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, a Forth Worth Democrat, in his D.C. office.]()
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Video: New House Members on the Budget
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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Hegar: Revenue Estimate "Based on Expectations of Moderate Expansion"
Announcing a two-year revenue estimate that reflects "uncertainties in oil prices and the possibilities of a slowing global economy," Comptroller Glenn Hegar said Monday that lawmakers will have $113 billion to divvy up in the next two-year budget. Full Story
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![Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced the state's biennial revenue estimate on Jan. 12, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Perry: Three Things I Would Do as President
Gov. Rick Perry joked about his "oops" moment when asked Friday for the first three things he would do as president to strengthen the U.S. economy. Full Story
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![Outgoing Gov. Rick Perry with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Policy Orientation conference on Jan. 9, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
"Deal Closer" Funds Draw Bipartisan Concerns
More than 100 firms have benefited from the Texas Enterprise Fund, the economic incentive program championed by Gov. Rick Perry to lure more jobs to Texas. Aman Batheja writes that Perry's office has nicknamed the fund “the deal closer,” but critics have a different name for it: slush fund. Full Story
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Analysis: Skill or Luck, It Has Worked for Perry
Thirty years is a lot to attribute to mere luck. Like Rick Perry or not, his considerable political skills have sustained him throughout his career in state politics. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry laughs at a question during the final keynote of 2014 TribFest.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Five — and a Half — Things We Won't Forget About Gov. Rick Perry
Boiling down Gov. Rick Perry’s legacy into a few bullet points isn’t easy. But reporters Reeve Hamilton and Jay Root look at some things people will surely remember years after Perry has left office. Their feature kicks off our 10-part series, The Perry Legacy. Full Story
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Analysis: Who Actually Owes State Sales Tax? Hint: It's Not Retailers
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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Credit: Steven Depolo -
Video: The Battle over the Budget in the 84th Session
Here's video of our 84th Legislature preview session on the budget debate. Panelists included state Sens. Judith Zaffirini and Kel Seliger and state Reps. Drew Darby and Donna Howard. Full Story
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Tighter Spending Cap Could Keep Billions Out of State's Next Budget
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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![Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (right) and House Speaker Joe Straus listened to testimony on the cost of the continuing border surge during the Legislative Budget Board hearing's on Dec.1, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Fracking a "Nuisance," Denton Tells Court
The first city in Texas to ban hydraulic fracturing tells a court it has every right to do so, calling the oil and gas extraction technique a “public nuisance” with "offensive results." Full Story
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Officials Adopt Spending Cap for Next Budget
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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Analysis: A Dry Number That Carries a Potent Political Charge
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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Politics of Climate Change in Texas Have Shifted
Texas leaders weren't always so skeptical about climate change. But the state's rightward shift, coupled with a booming oil and gas economy, have changed the tenor of the debate. This story was produced in collaboration with The World. Full Story
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![A view of the Houston Ship Channel from the back of the Sam Houston tour boat in Feb. 2014.]()
Credit: Illustration by Alana Rocha -
Series: Disdain for Regulation Sparked a "Miracle" Economy
Revisit The Texas Tribune's four-part Hurting for Work series, led by reporter Jay Root, on how the state's anti-regulatory climate fueled a "Texas miracle" economy — while tearing down protections for the workers who built it. Full Story
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Credit: Brandon Thibodeaux