The latest economy news from The Texas Tribune.
The market value of agricultural products sold in Texas has increased in recent years, but production has declined steeply, according to the latest figures from the federal Census of Agriculture released Friday. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry often touts the state's "smart regulations" to businesses from California. While entrepreneurs in Texas often find fewer regulatory obstacles, some argue the Texas approach has hidden costs that aren’t worth the sacrifice. Full Story
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Lawmakers have a hard job when money is tight and they're writing state budgets. It's even harder when they have all the money they need. Full Story
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A new memo from the Texas Department of Banking says that the state will not treat Bitcoin as money but that some companies dealing in Bitcoin transactions will fall under the state's banking regulations. Full Story
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International negotiations that have lifted a longtime ban on tequila in China will have big implications for Mexico — and are likely to benefit fledgling producers and distributors in Texas, too. Full Story
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Facing an interim charge to review a bill regulating property tax loans in Texas, lawmakers are taking a closer look at the controversial industry. Full Story
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Texas ranks highly when it comes to letting taxpayers know how state government spends its money, according to a new report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. Full Story
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With expectations that state lawmakers will have a budget surplus of several billion dollars, lawmakers, activists and business groups are already discussing what to do with the money. Full Story
The 2013 legislative session was viewed by many observers as a watershed moment for craft brewers in Texas. But at a Thursday hearing, the House Economic Development Committee was encouraged to do more for the industry. Full Story
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UPDATED: A radioactive waste site in West Texas has received its first truckload of transuranic waste from the federal government’s nuclear weapons program, following wildfires and a radiation leak in New Mexico. Full Story
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Neither Greg Abbott nor Wendy Davis has spent much time talking about the energy industry and regulations. But Texans should have little trouble distinguishing their positions. Full Story
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The former Houston mayor and past Democratic candidate for governor on his new book, a history of federal debt spending and the future of the Democratic Party in Texas. Full Story
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At dozens of Texas state agencies, male workers are better compensated than female workers, on average. Use our interactive to compare compensation by gender at state agencies with at least 100 employees, excluding universities. Full Story
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Advocates for more pedestrian-friendly urban cores and communities say interest in making Texas cities more walkable is on the rise — a shift spurred in part by changing demographics and the state’s growing population. Full Story
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Across wide swaths of state government, male employees make more on average than their female colleagues. But a closer look at the payrolls of individual agencies and offices presents a more complicated picture. Full Story
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Luling, a tapped-out oil town once known as Texas' "toughest," has found a unique way to celebrate its heritage: decorating its aging pump jacks with a full cast of characters. Full Story
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AAt our 2/27 symposium on demographic change at the University of Texas at El Paso, former state demographer and U.S. Census Bureau directdor Steve Murdock discussed how population shifts will affect public policy. Full Story
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Texans are almost twice as positive about the direction of the state than about the direction of the country, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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Nearly half of registered Texas voters support legalization of marijuana for any use in some quantities, and nearly three in 10 would legalize it for medicinal use only, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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While customs officers on the border have their hands full searching for heroin, marijuana and other drugs, at least once a year they face another foe with the potential to wreak havoc on the country's economy: flowers. Full Story
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