According to a legislative report, of the 176,000 people who have begun applications for rental assistance, just over 1,000 have had their applications approved. And only 250 of payments have been sent.
Economy
Get the latest on jobs, business, growth, and policy shaping the state’s economy with in-depth reporting from The Texas Tribune.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Analysis: A Texas state budget — minus $38.6 billion in federal stimulus money
The state budget approved by the Texas Senate on Tuesday is just the start: Lawmakers still have to decide what to do with billions in federal COVID-19 relief money.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Texas Senate approves a $250 billion state budget — but questions remain about how federal aid will be used
The budget does not factor in over $35 billion in federal aid. Senators said they don’t yet know when that money will come in and what strings could be attached.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott bans state agencies and state-funded organizations from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination
This comes as vaccine credentials, often referred to as vaccine passports, are being developed around the world as a way to quickly prove someone’s vaccination status, particularly with private companies.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Gov. Greg Abbott publicly slammed Facebook. Privately, he’s courting the social media giant to build a second data center in Texas.
The effort comes as Abbott and some Texas legislators are pushing a proposal to punish social media companies for “canceling conservative speech.”
Posted in
A Year of COVID-19
It will take more than a pandemic to stop Tim League and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: “I’m going to fight like hell”
Although the iconic theater chain is facing bankruptcy, League is optimistic about the future of his Texas-born business. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast.
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Economy
President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion jobs and climate change plan would improve internet access, upgrade power grids and make road improvements
The proposal would be paid for, in part, by raising the corporate tax rate and global minimum tax. It calls for improving roads, increasing public transit spending and preparing for hurricanes, among other things.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Texas lawmakers want to prevent another power crisis. But the legislation doesn’t go far enough to do that, critics say.
Some say lawmakers should go further to ensure power plants can withstand increased weather due to climate change. And they worry that much of the legislation advancing will be up to the Public Utility Commission to enforce.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Sweeping legislation to overhaul state’s electricity market in response to winter storm heads to Texas House after Senate’s unanimous approval
Senate Bill 3 would require all power generators, transmission lines, natural gas facilities and pipelines to make upgrades for extreme weather. Its prospects are uncertain in the House, which is scheduled to take up a series of related, standalone bills on Tuesday.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Experts hopeful about state’s economic recovery, but jobless Texans still face problems filing for benefits
Some businesses are already seeing customers return. But the numbers of people seeking unemployment aid surged in recent weeks to levels not seen since July. Many of them still face problems getting through to the Texas Workforce Commission.