AUSTIN, Texas — The Office of the Governor and the Legislative Budget Board have requested state agencies to submit budget proposals that reduce spending by 10 percent. The chief economist at the Texas Public Policy Foundation says this is good news for taxpayers. "Governor Perry and the LBB are putting fast-growing government on a diet....
Press Release June 7, 2006AUSTIN, Texas – With members of the Texas House poised to begin work on the tax bills today, the president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation urged them to make use of the state’s structural surplus – current and future. “The most prudent, fiscally sound policy lawmakers can pursue is to dedicate current and future...
Press Release April 24, 2006AUSTIN, Texas -The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts today announced the estimated surplus for the state has grown to $8.2 billion – up from previous surplus estimates of $4.3 billion. The president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Brooke Rollins, said the funds should be used exclusively for tax relief. "The Foundation has long urged...
Press Release April 17, 2006AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Animal Health Commission today announced their decision to postpone consideration of mandatory premises registration until 2007. This was welcome news for Marc Levin, director of the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Levin offered the following statement: “We applaud the Texas Animal Health Commission’s decision to...
Press Release April 4, 2006AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Public Policy Foundation will this week launch a new service for the state, Texas PolicyCast. This weekly audio program will focus on policy issues facing the state. “It’s our hope that this convenient tool will give busy Texans an opportunity to learn more about the important issues facing the Lone...
Press Release March 16, 2006AUSTIN, Texas – While some would like to see the debate over whether taxes are regressive or progressive take center stage in the tax policy debate, it is arguable that there are far more important issues at stake. Tax incidence – the identification of who is truly impacted by a tax – has been the...
Press Release March 13, 2006AUSTIN, Texas – Consolidation has dramatically reduced the number of school districts in Texas and other states during the past century. However, research has furnished little evidence that consolidation controls costs or improves academic achievement as well as a system of shared service agreements. In a recent ruling on West Orange-Cove, the Texas Supreme Court...
Press Release March 3, 2006AUSTIN, Texas – Texas is loaded up on telecom taxes. Although a national leader in telecom deregulation, through measures like the statewide video franchise, Texas is also a national leader in telecommunications taxes. Texas consumers pay an average tax of over 29% on their monthly phone bills – local governments take about 11.32%, the state...
Press Release February 23, 2006AUSTIN, Texas – Public school accreditation is a bargain that involves public trust and government assurance. People allow government to compel enrollment in, as well as exact financial support for, public schools; in return the state legislature assures educational quality. “For many Texans, this trade is based on the presumption that state law sets a...
Press Release February 13, 2006AUSTIN, Texas – Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn today announced $4.3 billion in estimated surplus. This money should be used to buy down the state’s property tax rate according to the Texas Public Policy Foundation president. “Lawmakers can provide taxpayers up to 39 cents in meaningful property tax cuts, and do so without hurting anyone. Everyone...
Press Release February 8, 2006AUSTIN, Texas – In the first of a series of reports examining the state budget, the former House Appropriations chairman says the state must develop a strong accountability system to be able to track future expenditures. The series by Talmadge Heflin, a visiting research fellow for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, will examine the state...
Press Release January 31, 2006AUSTIN, Texas – More than a dozen issues will be covered by leading lawmakers and recognized experts from across the political and ideological spectrum when the Fourth Annual Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature kicks off on Monday. Hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the event draws large crowds interested in discussing the pressing...
Press Release January 5, 2006