In 2009, Gov. Rick Perry rejected a $555 million offer from the Feds to cover unemployment insurance, then turned around and asked the Feds for a loan. Critics jumped, but that was likely the plan all along, and for the governor, it worked out fine.
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
Texas Scientists Regret Loss of Higgs Boson Quest
As European scientists reveal groundbreaking discoveries about the Higgs boson particle, Texas scientists reflect with regret about a machine that got partly built near Dallas. They say it would’ve accomplished the mission a decade earlier.
Posted inEconomy
Interactive: U.S. Census Data Reveals Texas Business Patterns
It’s not booming, but business in Texas has picked up. This interactive uses newly released U.S. Census Bureau data to show business patterns by county and Texas’ economic progress through the recession.
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Economy
Decision Frees Cable Companies to Pursue State-Issued Franchises
Cable companies can now break existing contracts with cities, negotiating instead for state-issued franchises, after the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear an appeal of a ruling that declared a 2005 Texas law unconstitutional.
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Economy
Mexico Invited to Join Trade Pact Talk
After being excluded from the initial dialogue over a Pacific free-trade partnership that includes the U.S., Mexico has officially been invited to join the discussion.
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Economy
Perry Confident Romney Can Win Hispanic Vote, Defends Endorsement
Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday discussed his support for Mitt Romney, his confidence that minorities will support Republicans and the state’s economic development.
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Economy
North Dakota Property Tax Debate Echoes in Texas
North Dakotans on Tuesday rejected a controversial measure that would have made their state the first in the nation to abolish property taxes. As Andy Uhler of KUT News reports, while some conservatives in Texas have suggested similar measures, officials have warned the state to proceed with caution.
Posted inEconomy
Interactive: Food Insecurity and the Impact of Food Stamps in Texas
Use these interactive maps to compare the level of food insecurity across Texas to the number of Texans who receive federal food stamps and the estimated economic impact of the food assistance funding.
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Economy
State Agencies Ordered to Propose Budget Cuts
The Legislative Budget Board — headed by House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst — is asking state agencies to assume they’ll have 10 percent less to spend in the next budget than they have now.
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Economy
State Grappling With Panama Canal Expansion
A massive expansion of the Panama Canal will double the capacity of its trade route by 2014. As Andy Uhler of KUT News reports, it will likely mean a significant increase in freight traffic for Texas, which is looking at how to accommodate the extra boats, trucks and trains set to travel through the state.