Data reveals that households in Conroe and Pearland spent around 5% of their annual incomes on property taxes

The Legislature approved $600 million for standalone improvements, but one advocate worried the increase in direct spending undermines the Texas Water Development Board’s process.

Patrick’s proposal would be in addition to a federal program that is set to give American babies $1,000 each to invest in the stock market.

At 13.3%, Houston has the worst rate of young adults who are neither working nor in in school of the largest metro areas in the country.

Laws include restricting transgender people’s access to public bathrooms, allowing lawsuits against abortion pill providers, and replacement of the STAAR test.

Increased costs in food and payroll at child care centers effectively wiped out the one-time investment state lawmakers approved earlier this year, a new report found.

Rural leaders who have worked years to improve broadband access said they were disappointed by the sharp decrease in federal dollars.

The project is at a scale of industrial development and investment unmatched in McLennan County’s history: acres of computer hardware, substations and a 1.2-gigawatt gas-fired plant capable of powering about 300,000 homes.

International students contribute more than $55 billion to the U.S. economy every year, but fewer are coming to study in American universities.

Hear conversations on the issues shaping Texas and the nation, including education, the economy, politics, public policy, the arts and more.

Residents in the southernmost part of Texas want to remind themselves — and the nation — that the region is more than a political battleground. It’s their home.

The heavily redacted emails reveal little of the two men’s relationship.

TABC intends to proceed with the adoption of permanent regulations on the hemp industry in Texas despite the potential ban.

The announcement by Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai is the latest multi-billion dollar investment in Texas by tech companies racing to build infrastructure that can support advanced artificial intelligence.

Rising tariffs on imported goods are driving up prices for Christmas trees, lights, and décor this season, leaving shoppers looking for ways to save and consider locally grown alternatives.

The issue roiled Texas politics earlier this year when Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a ban on THC products spearheaded by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Hundreds of families lost child care when certain programs weren’t funded earlier this month, and scores more may be affected if Congress doesn’t fund the government by Dec. 1.

Abbott framed his campaign as a means to keep Texas as a conservative bastion, touting efforts to lower property taxes, bolster education and strengthen public safety.

The bill is the latest effort from the Texas delegation that demands the U.S. get tougher with Mexico for failing to honor a 1944 treaty that in part governs Rio Grande water.

The Federal Aviation Administration will cut air traffic by 10% across 40 U.S. airports.

Even voters in Austin, one of the state’s most liberal cities, shot down a measure to raise property taxes.

Although the federal government has said it will deposit half of November benefits, Texans are still unsure when money will land in their accounts.

Tuesday’s vote is part of a push by Texas lawmakers to rein in the state’s high property taxes.

In the self-proclaimed “Pumpkin Capital of the U.S.,” Floydada farmers are exporting pumpkins across Texas and the nation.

The Texas Tribune’s database of state employees’ compensation has been updated to represent salaries as of Oct. 1.

The ongoing government shutdown means more than $600 million per month won’t go to millions of Texas SNAP beneficiaries who pump that money into the state economy.

Many federal workers missed their first full paycheck this weekend as the shutdown nears the one-month mark.

The Flying Saucer Pie Company, a longtime Houston favorite for pies and other baked goods, is asking for community help this holiday season.

The state’s citrus industry is at risk, farmers say, after Mexico failed to deliver water it owes Texas as part of a 1944 treaty.

Wall Street closed the week with record highs on Friday as the S&P 500 topped 6,800 for the first time in history.

The new data center will work directly with a nearby windfarm to use energy the windfarm can’t send to the state’s electricity grid.

The U.S. doesn’t produce the minerals and metals needed for renewable energy, microchips or military technology. Companies are rushing to open new mines in Texas.

Proposition 1 would create an $850 million endowment for the college system and its 11 campuses, which are struggling to accommodate a growing student population.

In the shadow of SpaceX, Rio Grande Valley students will have a chance to build their own rockets and launch them 11,000 feet in the air, under a program that hopes to spark interest in aerospace jobs.

The Texas Stock Exchange is expected to launch in Dallas next year, as economists wait to see if “Y’all Street” is big enough to support the exchange and challenge New York’s dominance in the financial sector.

Local leaders see data centers, which help power the world’s shift to artificial intelligence, as a way to keep their towns open. Residents worry their way of life — and water — is at stake.

This week, Matthew and Eleanor speak with Eric Goff, founder of an energy policy advising firm, about the growth of wind and solar power in Texas and whether it will continue after recent federal efforts targeting the industry.

Texas’ congressional delegation obtained tentative funding for infrastructure improvements, university research and other initiatives, but the nearly 350 earmarks are all in jeopardy.

The low-interest loan to NRG Energy for a gas-fired power plant is the largest of three loans approved through the $7 billion fund since its creation in 2023.

The survey showed participants were seeking better opportunities, e.g., better pay, more predictability, benefits, or career advancement prospects, and that almost half said AI could replace some or all their activities in their own jobs.

The deal between the new South Texas city and Cameron County mirrors a similar agreement with South Padre Island and requires a plan to combat beach erosion.

Two state agencies have now adopted the temporary rule while they work to adopt formal rules to limit who can buy THC products.

Other smaller oil and gas producing regions in the state are better poised to help power the growing data center market, a new report found.

A majority of the proposed constitutional amendments address tax cuts for homeowners and businesses.

Economic uncertainty, inflation, strict state limits on property tax collections and uncertainty around future federal funds have crimped local budgets.

According to recent U.S. Census data, about 21.2 percent of Houstonians now live below the poverty line. That’s more than one in five people!

Despite efforts by Texas lawmakers to ease property tax bills, increases in expenses like insurance and utilities ate into that tax relief.

While Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick remains adamant about a ban, hemp industry representatives say they would compromise on creating a 21 age limit to purchase.

More than 10,000 people met over Labor Day weekend in Slaton to sample the banana pudding — a major boost to the rural town’s economy.

Two California-based companies accuse the state of government overreach for banning the sale of their products for the next two years.

Suburban officials in the Dallas-Fort Worth region have enacted rules aimed at curtailing a sweeping new state law to allow more apartments.

New laws range from school vouchers and water infrastructure funding to a ban on city and county-funded abortion travel funds.

An enrollment drop could cost the Texas economy hundreds of millions of dollars, the reports say.

Experts say the Texas Energy Fund is facing an energy market that makes new power plants more expensive and less profitable.

A Dallas businessman has proposed studying the aquifer to see if he can pump millions of gallons out of East Texas, a plan that residents distrust.

Texas cities and counties have already had their budgets compressed by a variety of factors, including the state’s current property tax limits.

Over the summer, retail pork prices reached record highs, and experts believe they are expected to remain high into the holidays.

Mounted patrol officers, known as tick riders, who typically patrol the southern border to protect cattle from fever tick, will also now serve as the first line of defense against screwworm.

Increasing tariffs on foreign goods and the impact of deportations on the work force cited as job growth slows in Texas.

Spirit Airlines warned it may not survive unless it can raise additional funds, citing ongoing financial struggles, CNBC reported.

The North Texas city councils said hundreds of millions of dollars were in jeopardy if they didn’t shut certain programs to comply with the Trump administration.

Since November, the organization has helped families claim millions in benefits they didn’t know they were eligible for.

The proposal would put tighter limits on how much property tax revenue cities and counties of a certain size can collect each year.

One month after the catastrophic Texas Hill Country Flood swept through Kerr County, the physical damage may be fading, but for local businesses, the financial pain is just beginning.

We’ve recently been made aware that some members are experiencing unauthorized charges related to Roblox on their accounts," Shell FCU said in a written statement.

A group representing High Plains region farmers has launched a campaign to make buyers aware of synthetic fibers’ impact on the environment and health.

Texas shoppers can save sales tax on many back-to-school items during the state’s annual sales tax holiday, which runs from Friday, Aug. 8, through Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025.

Texas has been ranked 15th for states with the longest credit card payoff time, according to a WalletHub study.

Texas lawmakers start a 30-day special session July 21. They will tackle consumable THC, flood dangers, new congressional districts, abortion pills and other conservative priorities.

Families will pay more for some key back-to-school essentials, such as backpacks, ahead of the new school year.

As federal pandemic aid ends and sales tax revenues cool, analysts say it could constrain the Texas Legislature in coming years. But they don’t see an immediate budget crisis on the horizon.

Texas remains younger than other states, but the number of older Texans has outpaced that of any other age group.

The move infuriated Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the powerful head of the Senate, who had called the ban among his top five bills over 17 years in the Legislature.

Texas lawmakers passed a suite of bills that officials said are crucial to combat losses in the state’s largest oil field.

State chapters of the nonprofit group that provide meals to seniors are waiting to hear from Washington how much of a hit their battered budgets will take.

Screwworm is a parasitic fly that targets warm-blooded animals and has the potential to disrupt Texas’ $15 billion cattle industry.

Houston remains one of the more affordable major cities in the U.S., but a new report suggests that status is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.

The Legislature passed laws allowing smaller homes on smaller lots and making it harder for neighbors to block new housing.

A Houston homeowner says her monthly water bills have reached $150 due to what appears to be an improper water meter connection that may be charging her for her neighbor’s water usage as well.

Houston’s National Weather Service office has lost its head meteorologist amid a federal requirement to cut 10% of NOAA’s staff.

In 2001, Texas Republicans saw expanding college access for certain undocumented students as a way to build an educated workforce. Now, some GOP lawmakers feel only U.S. citizens should receive those benefits.

As low cost of living, housing, job opportunities and the nightlife may attract visitors or even new residents to the Houston area -- a new study shows that more than 70% of residents don’t have money for unexpected expenses.

A new study released by Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research explores the financial status of residents in the Houston area.

Texas is slated to spend $51 billion on property tax cuts over the next two years. Some worry that’s unsustainable.

Abbott faces pressure from both sides of the aisle. The prohibition was a priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, but some hemp farmers and veterans want it killed.

The Legislature wrapped up without the same drama that defined the end of the last two sessions, with state GOP leaders checking off nearly everything on their to-do lists.

Everything's bigger and better in Texas! That's why WalletHub ranked it among the top 10 best state economies!

A set of property tax cut bills in Texas Legislature, Senate Bill 4 and Senate Bill 23, are now headed to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk for signature.

Chevron is laying off more than 200 employees in Texas as it prepares to cut up to 20 percent of its global workforce by the end of next year.

A boost in public school spending, school vouchers, and money for water systems are other highlights of the state budget, which was bolstered by a $24 billion surplus.

The Legislature has approved a conference committee report that lists sales to certain people from China, North Korea, Russia and Iran as threats to national security.

Nearly all of us have found use through Airbnb, whether as a guest or host, but exactly how much of that has benefitted the state? A new report from the vacation rental property breaks it all down.

At least four companies say they are prepared to treat the water well enough to be released into rivers in West Texas. Environmental groups say the state is moving too fast.

Senate Bill 1150, which is on its way to Gov. Greg Abbott, is a rare example of the Texas Legislature regulating the state’s oil and gas industry.

Senate Bill 15, a top priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, is part of a broad push by lawmakers to put a dent in the state’s high home prices.

The bill would have withheld some tax dollars from cities that did not comply with state law.

SB 3070, which awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature, would move the lottery game to Texas’ Department of Licensing and Regulation and includes new restrictions on ticket purchases.

A top priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the legislation would make it easier to construct homes on smaller lots. A House Democrat briefly killed the bill.

The chamber jettisoned a provision tenants’ advocates warned would make it easier for Texas landlords to evict renters.

Many low-income families would see cuts in health care and food benefits. The state hopes for a big reimbursement for border security spending.