Texas local school bureaucrats are not graduating enough of our students ready for college or career. We need to wake up, and wake up now, to the deeper truth that it is time to stop blaming the messengers. It is time to fix the problem.
Economy
Get the latest on jobs, business, growth, and policy shaping the state’s economy with in-depth reporting from The Texas Tribune.
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Economy
Governors From Rival Parties and States Find Common Ground
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.
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Economy
Budget Outlook is Better, but Not Necessarily Good
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.
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Economy
Weekend Insider: Texas Budget, Assistance for Migrant Students
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.
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Economy
Which Pocket?
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.
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Economy
Report: Mass Deportation Could Cost Texas Billions
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.
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Economy
The Search for a Less Unpopular School Tax
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.
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Criminal Justice
Survey: Local Juvenile Programs Underfunded
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.
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Inside Intelligence
Inside Intelligence: About the Next Legislative Session…
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.
Posted inEconomy
Updated Interactive: Looking at Texas’ Economy by Industry
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.