Politics
Four Things To Watch For In The 2019 Texas Legislature
Posted on · State lawmakers must pass a budget, but they’re also under heavy pressure to reform school finance, rein in property tax growth, and fund long-awaited Harvey relief.
Tag: state budget
Texas
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar Gives Lawmakers Cautiously Optimistic Revenue Estimate For 2019 Session
Posted on · Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced Monday that the state will have $119.1 billion for lawmakers to use in putting together the state's 2020-21 budget.
News
Hegar Seeks To Move More of State’s Rainy Day Fund From Cash To Stocks and Bonds
Posted on · Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar says the fund now holds nearly $12.5 billion. He wants to invest more of it as a hedge against inflation.
Houston Matters
Report: Methods Used To Balance The Texas Budget Will Lead To Bigger Challenges In 2019
Posted on · A new report from the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association says state lawmakers are digging themselves an $8 billion financial hole they’ll have to dig their way out of in the next regular session in 2019.
Texas
State Colleges Stave Off Threatened Budget Cuts, Tuition Freeze
Posted on · The Texas House of Representatives blocked Senate proposals that could have bled the finances of public universities.
Texas
Texas Legislature Passes $217 Billion Budget
Posted on · The two-year package includes extra funding for foster care and mental health, but shifts more of public school costs onto local taxpayers.
Texas
Texas House, Senate Budgets Remain Far Apart On Public Education Funding
Posted on · The House’s budget would boost state spending on K-12 education by drawing on the Rainy Day Fund. The Senate’s would force local property taxpayers to pick up more of the tab.
Texas
House of Representatives Grinds Through Debate Over State Budget
Posted on · The House is considering more than 400 amendments to general appropriations bill.
Texas
House Budget Bill Heads To Floor, Freighted With Divisive Amendments
Posted on · The riders include measures that have already passed the Senate, such as the “bathroom bill,” which Speaker Joe Straus is not inclined to bring up for votes.
Houston Matters
Political Roundup: Flynn Resigns and the NFL Weighs in on the ‘Bathroom Bill’
Posted on · On our weekly political roundup, we discuss the latest happenings at the Texas Legislature and talk about what’s happening in politics on the national level that could impact Houston. Some topics we’ll address include: President Trump’s news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu The resignation of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn Potential points of debate […]
News
Texas Lawmakers Could Trim Funding for Pre-K, Despite New Research
Posted on · Advocates hope to see strong support from Governor Greg Abbot soon. He made early education a top priority last session.
Houston Matters
Drop In Oil Tax Revenue ‘Not Going To Be Pretty’ For Texas Budget
Posted on · The falling price of oil doesn’t just mean less money for energy companies. It means millions of dollars less for the State of Texas — tax money that pays for everything from roads to education. How bad is it? And how bad could it get? We get some answers from News 88.7 energy and environment […]
Full Show
Planned Parenthood Video Stingers Indicted: Tuesday’s Show (January 26, 2016)
Posted on · In a surprising turn of events, a Harris County grand jury — convened to investigate whether Houston-based Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast sold fetal tissue — declined Monday to take any action against the women’s health service provider. Instead it indicted the undercover videographers behind those allegations. On this edition of Houston Matters, we talk with News […]
Full Show
Property Tax Cuts, Parks, and ‘Once’ on Stage: Tuesday’s Show (March 10, 2015)
Posted on · Tyler Republican State Sen. Kevin Eltife is working to build support for a combination of bills he believes will provide both a property tax cut and set a path to spend money on deferred road maintenance and paying off some pension liabilities, among other state needs. Eltife argues that while the state is unusually […]
Houston Matters
What Are the Big Issues at the Legislature in Education, Healthcare, Transportation and the Environment?
Posted on · The 84th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature enters its fourth week today. Over the last week, Houston Public Media News 88.7 reporters have been examining some of the key issues lawmakers may consider this session. On this edition of Houston Matters, we present reports from a few of them, examining proposed bills involving education, health […]