Tag Archives: txlege
Texas’ Legislative Leaders Push Sales Tax Increase To Lower Property Taxes
Ben Philpott, KUT The Republican leadership in the Texas Legislature announced an agreement Wednesday to swap a sales tax increase with property tax cuts. Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen said in a press … Continue reading
Texas Teacher Pay Emerges As A Sticking Point Between House And Senate
By Aliyya Swaby, Texas Tribune With Texas House lawmakers unveiling their long-awaited school finance proposal Tuesday and the Senate’s version likely close behind, teacher pay appears to be emerging as one of the biggest sticking points between the two chambers.
Texas Is One Of Only 14 States That Haven’t Expanded Medicaid – Despite Strong Public Support
By Ashley Lopez, KUT Almost two-thirds of Texans think state lawmakers should expand Medicaid to cover more low-income uninsured people, according to a survey funded by the Episcopal Health Foundation. SSRS, an independent research company contracted by the group, surveyed 1,210 Texans … Continue reading
Here’s What You Need To Know About Texas School Finance
By Laura Isensee, Houston Public Media For decades, Texas has struggled with education funding. Usually lawsuits trigger change, but this legislative session could be different. Right after the 2019 Texas Legislature kicked off, the state’s “Big Three” — all Republican … Continue reading
Texas Senate panel advances $5,000 teacher pay raise proposal
By Aliyya Swaby, Texas Tribune After a contentious three-hour public hearing Monday, the Senate Finance Committee unanimously passed a bill that would provide annual $5,000 pay raises for all full-time classroom teachers in the state. One of Republican Lt. Gov. Dan … Continue reading
New Push For Eminent Domain Reform Expected At Texas Legislature
By Travis Bubenik, Houston Public Media If you want to cook up a battle over private property rights in Texas, here’s the recipe: Take a handful of sprawling cities and growing populations that are expanding into once-rural areas, add a … Continue reading
The Confederate Plaque In The Texas Capitol Could Be Removed With A State Board Decision.
By Andrew Weber, KUT A plaque honoring the Confederate States of America in the Texas Capitol could come down Friday with a decision from the Texas State Preservation Board. The board is meeting at 10:30 a.m. to discuss removing the … Continue reading
Texas House Names Dennis Bonnen New Speaker On Celebratory Opening Day
By Cassandra Pollock, Edgar Walters, and Alex Samuels A gray fog descended on Austin Tuesday morning, but the scene inside the Texas Capitol was one of colorful festivities to mark the first day of the 86th biennial legislative session. And … Continue reading
A Beginner’s Guide To The Texas Legislature
By Ben Philpott, KUT The Texas Legislature heads back to work today. While you may know the body’s main objective is to pass laws – especially the next state budget – you might not know much else. That’s not a … Continue reading
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar Gives Lawmakers Cautiously Optimistic Revenue Estimate For 2019 Session
By Edgar Walters, Texas Tribune At a time when legislators are vowing to spend more money on public schools and slow the growth of Texans’ property tax bills, the state should have enough money at its disposal to do just … Continue reading