Capitol Highlights: 7/21/23
Tax-relief plan headed to governor Proponents are calling it the “biggest property tax cut in Texas history.” Both chambers of the Texas Legislature passed an $18 billion package during the…
Capital Highlights 7-14-2023
House Democrats’ tax plan would help renters Texas House Democrats unveiled a $20.9 billion plan for property tax relief that drops tax rates, increases the homestead exemption, gives annual rebates…
Capital Highlights (5.26.23)
House defies Abbott A key House education committee adjourned last week without voting on a school voucher bill that is Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priority this session, the Houston Chronicle…
Capital Highlights 5.12.23
Clock ticking on moving bills The clock is ticking on getting bills out of the House and to the Texas Senate, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick warned last week in a…
Capital Highlights (5/5/23)
House OKs $4.5B for teacher pay raises The Texas House last Thursday passed two education-related bills, one that allocates $4.5 billion for teacher pay raises and another to increase the…
Capital Highlights (4/14/23)
House OKs $302 billion budget The Texas House approved a $302 billion budget last week that included an amendment prohibiting the use of state money on private school tuition —…
Capital Highlights (4/7/23)
Texas leads nation in jobs added The Lone Star State continues to lead the nation in jobs added with 58,200 new positions in February, bringing the state to nearly 14…
CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS 3/31/23
Senate passes tax cut package The Texas Senate last week unanimously approved a $16.5 billion package to lower property taxes and inject billions of dollars into public schools. As reported…
CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS (3/24/23)
Bill would require fentanyl education The death of a Leander High School graduate from a fentanyl overdose has prompted state Rep. Terry Wilson, R-Georgetown, to file a bill that would…
Capital Highlights
Street takeover spurs governor’s action Gov. Greg Abbott has created a statewide task force after several “street takeovers” recently took place in Austin in which motorists obstructed intersections, shot off…
Capital Highlights
Ice storm wreakshavoc in much of state Residents in Central and Northeast Texas are still cleaning up after a winter storm last week snapped power lines and tree limbs, causing…
Capital Highlights
Lawmakers push $15K teacher raises A group of House Democrats is proposing a $15,000 raise for the state’s teachers and a 25% raise for other state employees by using some…
Capital Highlights Jan 9-13
What to expect in legislative session The 2023 Texas legislative session opened Jan. 10, with property taxes, gun control and the power grid expected to be among the top issues…
Capital Highlights
Early voting begins Oct. 24 Early voting in the Nov. 8 general election begins Oct. 24 and runs through Nov. 4. Applications for voting by mail must be received by…
Capital Highlights
Hispanic Texans likely largest demographic group The U.S. Census Bureau released its latest estimate, which indicates Hispanic residents in Texas make up more of the state’s population than white residents.…
Capitol Highlights
Mail-in ballot applications rejected at high rate Mail-in ballot applications for the March 1 primary are being rejected by almost 40% — largely because of a missing ID number, which…
Capital Highlights
Dozens of school districts close due to COVID-19 outbreaks Several dozen school districts across the state were forced to close last week due to the omicron variant of COVID-19 sending…
Capital Highlights: Extreme Weather Could Still Threaten Grid
Note: Marion County is NOT part of the ERCOT power grid, but services like Natural Gas and Water COULD be affected. Last week, George Otstott told Jefferson City Council that…
Texas Workforce Announces Job Surge
Texas Press, Capital Highlights The Texas Workforce Commission released June employment figures that showed Texas employers added nearly 56,000 jobs in June, while the unemployment rate dropped to 6.5%.“The Texas…
Capital Highlights: State’s Jobless Rate Still Double Record Low
By Gary Borders, TPA The state’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.8% in January, down a tick from December’s 6.9% rate but double the record low of 3.4% in May 2019.…