School finance

Texas Senate approves school finance reform bill but opts not to fund it with a sales tax hike

by Aliyya Swaby

The chambers will need to negotiate how to give teachers pay raises, whether to adjust how students take standardized tests and how to provide long-term property tax relief for Texans. Full Story 

Analysis: Betting a whole legislative session on one big issue

by Ross Ramsey

The pieces are in place. There's a month to go. And the three leaders who bet big on school finance, education and property taxes are in a familiar place, imploring reluctant legislators to take the kinds of high-stakes votes that make and break political careers. Full Story 

Gov. Greg Abbott, legislative leaders assert confidence as deadline to cut property taxes nears

by Aliyya Swaby and Cassandra Pollock

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen did not close the door on passing a sales tax swap with a simple majority instead of the current approach requiring two-thirds support of lawmakers and voter approval. Full Story 

Analysis: There’s more than one way to pass a tax bill in Texas

by Ross Ramsey

Texas legislators have two versions of their sales-tax-for-property-tax swap in motion, and if they run out of time, lawmakers have more tricks in their pocket. If they don't get the property tax cuts they want, it won't be because of end-of-session deadlines. Full Story 

After Texas Senate committee approves school finance bill, House panel advances sales tax increase to fund property tax relief

by Aliyya Swaby

The Senate Education Committee approved the school finance bill in a hurried meeting Wednesday. The full Senate is now expected to vote on the legislation Friday. Meanwhile, a House panel advanced a proposal to let voters decide whether a sales tax increase should fund property tax relief. Full Story 

Analysis: The Texas House is handcuffing property tax relief to education reforms

by Ross Ramsey

An amendment added to a Senate property tax bill ties it to school finance — a signal the Texas House doesn't want to leave the harder-to-pass education bill behind. Full Story 

Texas Sen. Larry Taylor unveils new school finance bill, adding $5,000 teacher pay raise

by Aliyya Swaby

The bill differs in significant ways from the version the House approved this month. Full Story 

Analysis: Teacher pay raises and Robin Hood stall Texas lawmakers

by Ross Ramsey

The end of the legislative session — deal-making time — is looming, and the priorities set out by the state's top leaders three months ago remain undone. In fact, those centerpiece school finance and property tax measures aren't even teed up for the final negotiations. Full Story 

Texas lawmakers promised to rein in school district property taxes. What do their plans actually do?

by Aliyya Swaby

Three quarters of the way into the legislative session, lawmakers are still juggling several proposals related to school district taxes, including some that would not provide any tax relief. Full Story 

Analysis: Making friends and influencing people in the Texas Legislature

by Ross Ramsey

It's hard to gather support for the state's most persistent problems when you're also pressing forward with issues that divide and anger Republicans and Democrats. It's also business as usual in the Texas Legislature. Full Story 

Can Texas’ top three Republicans muster enough support to pass a sales tax swap?

by Aliyya Swaby, Emma Platoff and Cassandra Pollock

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have already signaled opposition to the proposal from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen. Full Story 

A Texas sales tax increase would hit poor people the hardest

by Edgar Walters and Aliyya Swaby

Top Republican leaders have proposed raising the sales tax and using the money to lower local property tax rates. Wealthier Texans and businesses would likely benefit, while poorer Texans would likely pay more. Full Story 

Analysis: Can Texas Republicans raise the sales tax without suffering a backlash?

by Ross Ramsey

Lawmakers have proposed swapping higher sales taxes for lower property taxes — but leaving the final decision to voters. They don't have to do it that way, but it could move the blame from them — to the rest of us. Full Story 

Analysis: The Texas Legislature is stuck. Don’t worry about it.

by Ross Ramsey

The Texas Legislature is in its biennial spasm of drama, with big bills stuck and some state leaders saying it will take a special session to get property taxes, school finance and all of that done. But they have six weeks to go, and they often do their big work on deadline. Full Story 

Analysis: For the Texas Legislature right now, it’s bipartisan or bust

by Ross Ramsey

The state's top three leaders bet everything on public education and property taxes this year, but they can't get where they're going — especially if they want to cut property taxes — without bringing some Democrats to their side. Full Story 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, other top leaders propose raising the sales tax to provide property tax relief

by Aliyya Swaby

The state's "Big Three" unveiled the proposal in a joint statement. The idea would need approval from two-thirds of the House and Senate and a majority of Texas voters. Full Story 

Texas charter schools are facing more backlash this year, but they could also receive more cash

by Aliyya Swaby

School finance reform could bring the privately operated public schools a windfall. But traditional public school advocates are still fighting the charters' expansion. Full Story 

Here’s how different proposals at the Texas Capitol could change property tax bills

by Aliyya Swaby, Chris Essig and Shannon Najmabadi

How would lawmakers' proposals to provide property tax relief affect tax bills? It depends on where you live and what kind of home you own. Full Story 

After 20 years of agitating for property tax reform, can Paul Bettencourt pull it off?

by Emma Platoff

The "Tax Man," a Republican senator from Houston, has his best chance yet to shake up Texas' property tax system. But it's going to be an uphill battle. Full Story 

Texas House approves major school finance reform package, adds teacher raises to the bill

by Aliyya Swaby

The legislation would increase per-student funding, mandate across-the-board teacher pay raises and reduce "Robin Hood" payments made by wealthy districts. Full Story