The latest economy news from The Texas Tribune.
At a time of bitter partisanship and fierce political competition, Republican Gov. Rick Perry and Democratic Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper found rare common ground Friday at a meeting about economic development strategies. Full Story
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Writing the state budget might not be as difficult next year as it was two years ago, but things haven't improved enough to make it easy. Full Story
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In this edition of the Weekend Insider: The Texas state budget may not be as bad as expected, and a program to help migrant students attend college reaches a milestone. Full Story
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A one-for-one swap of sales taxes for property taxes would raise the state sales tax to 17.85 percent from 6.25 percent, or enough to add almost $3,500 to the price of an average car. Full Story
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A new study by the Center for American Progress says that in Texas alone, there would be a $14.5 billion annual loss in tax revenue if all illegal immigrants in the state were deported. Full Story
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As the state and its independent school districts head to court again in October to debate school financing, it's still possible that the issue of a statewide property tax could be revisited. Full Story
Instead of continuing to spend millions on problem-plagued secure facilities operated by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, juvenile justice reform advocates say legislators should invest more in local probation departments. Full Story
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For this week's nonscientific survey of government and political insiders, we asked what will dominate the next legislative session and about the odds for school vouchers, high-stakes testing and a Medicaid expansion. Full Story
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July marked a milestone in Texas employment: two straight years of continuous job growth. This updated interactive shows how employment has changed by industry since 2007, as well as current unemployment rates by county. Full Story
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The state economy, and the state's finances, look relatively good. Tax revenue is far higher than the comptroller had predicted. But don't get too confident — there are some tough decisions ahead. Full Story
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Texas may have reached a milestone in July, reporting two straight years of job growth. But the unemployment rate inched up again last month, from 7 percent to 7.2 percent, while economic growth remained relatively consistent. Full Story
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Property tax bills are big, but they have a couple of political advantages for legislators. For one thing, they don't take most of the blame over those levies. Full Story
Texas may miss out on the $65 million shoppers are expected to save during tax-free weekend, which starts today. But even as the state faces further budget shortfalls, the holiday, created in 1999, still draws bipartisan support. Full Story
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The state House Ways and Means Committee heard discussion Tuesday on a possible extra tax on small tobacco companies to equalize what the big tobacco companies call a competitive advantage because of pricing. Full Story
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When it makes sense, we shouldn’t act as if we will never consider tax cuts as an economic stimulant. In fact, if Democrats really want to shed our image as the taxing party, there’s a tremendous opportunity staring us in the face. Full Story
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This week on the Newsreel, check out our guide to upcoming Texas political races. And, with the runoffs out of the way, lawmakers start talking about the session ahead — and the state budget. Full Story
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The comptroller's office announced Friday in its latest financial update that while the state will have more money in its coffers than previously thought, uncertainty about global economic strains could hurt Texas' two main money makers: energy and exports. Full Story
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Though unemployment remains relatively high nationally, Texas faces a dearth of qualified truckers, spurred by high training costs and what some consider overly strict government regulations. And the state's economy is feeling the strain. Full Story
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Texas added 12,900 nonfarming jobs last month, keeping the unemployment rate virtually the same as it was in May, according to statistics released Friday by the Texas Workforce Commission. Full Story
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Texas House Speaker Joe Straus called on lawmakers Monday to start figuring out how to stop diverting billions of dollars in dedicated taxes and fees that are being used to balance state budgets. Full Story
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