Progress Texas is proud to announce a new campaign to increase revenue in our state so we can better invest in our future. The campaign is built around a simple idea: we need to create a process to FREE our tax dollars - Find, Review, and End Exemptions in our tax code that are no longer needed.Read More >>
On Thursday, 11 Democrats stood up to vote against a budget that fails to invest in the future of Texas. They - and a lone Republican who believed the budget spent too much money - were the only "NO" votes on a budget that left $13 billion in general revenue and RDF money unspent.Read More >>
In the first major vote, the Texas Senate passed the budget (SB1) and knowingly moved the bill forward even though it does not adequately fund public education or healthcare. Help us thank Senators Wendy Davis and Sylvia Garcia for voting against this draft of the budget and showing they believe we should invest in the future of our state.Read More >>
The Texas Senate is going to consider the first draft of the Texas budget - a terrible bill that fails to invest in the future of Texas. The budget barely restores 1/4 of the cuts to education made in 2011. Call your Senator IMMEDIATELY and tell them to vote against the budget.Read More >>
Earlier today, State Sen. Kirk Watson filed Senate Joint Resolution 24 (SJR 24) that calls for a constitutional amendment prohibiting the diversion of statutorily dedicated revenue. SJR 24 would end the state's deceptive, long-standing practice of diverting money away from the necessities it’s meant for and using it for other, less transparent purposes.Read More >>
Have you ever wondered where and how you can learn more about the issues in the Texas Legislature? Not just what the major ones are - but the details behind them, and how you can get involved? This post is a starting point - places you can dig deeper and learn more about the major issues facing Texas.Read More >>
Just when you think Texas Governor Rick Perry has sunk to new lows, he opens up his mouth again. This time, in an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Perry said that a chief purpose of the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas isn't just to cure cancer - but to create wealth. Read More >>
Following months of pressure from at least 5,225 Progress Texas members, the Texas School Land Board voted 2-1 today to release $300 million to Texas public schools. Today’s vote is a huge victory for Texas students, and for progressive activists in Texas!Read More >>
The CPRIT scandal continues to impact the state of Texas, as Governor Perry - who initially called those who challenged the integrity of the agency as "conspiracy theorists" - has now halted all grants issued by the organization. On December 20, it was the House Appropriations Committee's turn to look into what CPRIT has done.Read More >>
Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson told the Texas House Appropriations Committee yesterday that he will commit for the School Land Board to have a vote on moving $150 million to Texas public schools - following pressure put on by over 4,100 members of Progress Texas and intense questions from Texas lawmakers.Read More >>
The White House Press Office released a report today that breaks down the numbers on how increased taxes would affect the middle-class families of Texas if Congress is not willing to end the Bush-era tax cuts for the top 2%.Read More >>
Yesterday, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs released a report about state and local debt. It's a good read for anyone who wants to learn how great of a burden Rick Perry and the Republican-controlled Legislature have put on local governments to pay for necessary services through their thousand budget cuts...Read More >>
Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is hoarding $300 million from Texas schools that voters already approved in the 2011 November constitutional amendment election. He responded to our action with a derisive letter full of lies. We have drafted a memo setting the record straight.Read More >>
Texas Republican Jerry Patterson has aspirations for higher office and is playing political games with Texas children. As Chairman of the 3-person School Land Board, he's decided to keep $300 million in an account his office controls, ignoring the will of Texas voters who approved a Constitutional Amendment last November to send that money to our kids' classrooms.Read More >>
The following is an overview of the impact the Romney/Ryan budget would have in Texas, followed by specific figures that demonstrate the impact on jobs, health care, and education. Also of note: Paul Ryan didn’t say Mitt Romney’s name when he spoke at the Texas GOP convention.Read More >>
I guess bad budget proposals come in pairs. On the same day that Congressman Paul Ryan and his fellow House Republicans rolled out their disastrous budget proposal, the Texans for a Conservative Budget Coalition have released their own for Texas. Here is the statement by White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer...Read More >>
