Category Archives: Budget ballyhoo

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (THHSC) has finally acknowledged the inevitable. Citing long wait times, inadequately trained staff and other problems, state officials announced Wednesday an indefinite delay in expanding privately run call centers statewide to screen applicants … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Given all the talk about whether or not the TTRC’s business tax plan constituted an income tax in some fashion, this was totally expected. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has been asked to determine whether a proposed business tax being … Continue reading → Continue reading →

With a title like The proposed alternative margins tax: entities that would and would not be taxed, you know what you’re getting into – tax policy from the perspective of someone who does this sort of thing for a living. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, yesterday: Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said Thursday that the Senate would prefer a different structure for a business tax from the one proposed a day earlier by Gov. Rick Perry. Dewhurst said senators would rate a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Earlier than expected, but here’s the analysis by the Center for Public Policy Priorities (PDF) of the Texas Tax Reform Commission’s finance plan. First, the proposal is a net tax cut. We had urged a plan that increased revenue; the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Hey, remember when the state of Texas was going full speed ahead on the privatization of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (THHSC) even though the federal government had official concerns about its ability to deliver the services it’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Texas Tax Reform Commission (TTRC) plan is set to be unveiled today, and it starts with a shot of good publicity thanks to a Legislative Budget Board analysis that paints it as a tax cut for all income levels. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I have to say, this does not sound like the Tom Craddick I’m used to hearing. Speaking to an audience of business and school leaders, Craddick said he thinks the state will end up paying for 60 percent to 65 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

And believe it or not, he’s saying the right things, at least for now. Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday solicited business support for an overhaul of state taxes and said it would be a mistake for legislators to simply use … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I agree completely with Eye on Williamson: This Statesman article on how school districts spend their money, doesn’t tell us anything we don’t already know. Different districts have different needs, and they’re in a better position to know what those … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I linked to this Chron article last week on the difficulties many eligible Texans have enrolling and staying enrolled in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Yesterday, I got an email from Jay Aiyer, who had a sensible suggestion for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Eye on Williamson brings the best quote I’ve heard this week, from the RSS feed for the subscription-only Texas Weekly: While former Comptroller John Sharp and the rest of Gov. Rick Perry’s tax reform commission works on proposed revisions to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

You heard it first yesterday, and now it’s official: The long-awaited, much-dreaded special session on school finance begins April 17. “This special session provides legislators of both parties a rare opportunity to significantly reduce property taxes, make substantial reforms to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

You knew this was going to happen, right? A number of the state’s major law firms are trying to scuttle a tax overhaul because they want property tax relief without paying their share of public school costs, former Comptroller John … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Texas Tax Reform Commission has held its last public meeting, and their current proposal for how to abide by the Supreme Court ruling on Robin Hood does not include increasing the sales tax as a component. [TTRC Chairman John] … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Tory has a piece by Otis White on property taxes and appraisal caps that’s quite interesting and not something I’d heard of before. Check it out. Continue reading →

Merit pay for teachers is on its way. Teachers at 100 Texas schools, nine in the San Antonio area, will earn extra cash this year as part of a merit pay plan created by Gov. Rick Perry last year. Teachers … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Time to check in on what the Texas Tax Reform Commission is up to as it continues its statewide tour. Eye on Williamson notes that there’s a lot of mixed signals out there. The commission has rejected charging the franchise … Continue reading → Continue reading →

In the last post I mentioned the state’s budget surplus, which now stands at $4.3 billion. Of that amount, $1.9 billion is earmarked for education and tax reform. The rest of it is “free money” that lawmakers can use as … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Rick Perry may think that the coming special session on school finance reform should ne about property taxes instead, but David Dewhurst begs to differ. “Why don’t we come together? Why don’t we agree on some reforms?” Dewhurst asked in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The headline Perry May Put School Reform On Back Burner pretty much says it all. Gov. Rick Perry wants the Legislature, in a special session this spring, to cut school property taxes by about one-third but postpone action on other … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Our Fiscally Responsible (and, of course, Fearless) Leader is having another go at getting the bills under control In his budget next week, President Bush will propose substantial savings in Medicare, stepping up his efforts to rein in the growing … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. When I blogged about the TTRC’s business tax proposal, I noted this quote: Byron Schlomach of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, which advocates for smaller government and lower taxes, said … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Get ready to gird your loins: the Texas Tax Reform Commission is gearing up to propose a new business tax to replace the state’s antiquated franchise tax. [Former state Comptroller John Sharp] said the Texas Tax Reform Commission is zeroing … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Eye on Williamson beat me to the analysis of this article on the pointless sixty–five percent rule, but there are a couple of things I’d like to add. Standard & Poor’s analyzed data in Texas and eight other states considering … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Eye on Williamson has been doing a great job following all the school finance news. Check out this post on what the upcoming special session won’t fix, and this one on the first meeting of the Senate Select Committee on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Eye on Williamson brings a first-person account of the Texas Tax Reform Commission‘s Monday meeting in El Paso. The one worthwhile regular media account that I can find is here. Next on the schedule is January 18 in Temple. Continue reading →

How much less should you be paying in property taxes? John Sharp says thirty-three percent less, but there’s a catch. Sharp said it would be a mistake for the Legislature to impose a permanent, lower cap on school taxes because … Continue reading → Continue reading →

You remember the Texas Tax Reform Commission, right? They’ve been going around the state holding meetings to get public input on how we should do taxes in this state. Eye on Williamson has been following their progress. Haven’t seen much … Continue reading → Continue reading →

After I posted a roundup of reactions to the Texas Supreme Court’s ruling in the school finance lawsuit appeal (also known as Neeley et al. v. West Orange-Cove et al., No. 04-144), I received an email from one of the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Now that the Texas Supreme Court has ruled that the state’s current tax system is unconstitutional but the level of funding to achieve “adequacy” in schools is okay for now, what’s next? Since nobody expects Governor Perry to call another … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The long-awaited Tax Reform Commission, appointed by Governor Perry and chaired by John Sharp, is finally getting down to business, and already they’re making me question why they’re bothering. At its first meeting Monday, the governor told the commission to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

As Greg says, you know the state’s plan to privatize the Texas Health and Human Services Commission is way out there when the federal government is publicly questioning its ability to deliver services to those who need them. Until this … Continue reading → Continue reading →

In regard to the long-awaited school finance reform committee, State Rep. Garnet Coleman has a few observations. The following is from a press release: State Representative Garnet Coleman (D-Houston) today said Governor Perry and Tax Commission Chairman John Sharp should … Continue reading → Continue reading →