GLENN HEGAR

Voters will be asked to approve a state constitutional amendment to create the Broadband Infrastructure Fund.

If you need a new dishwasher, plants to spruce up the yard, or just want to stock up on light bulbs, Memorial Day weekend may be the time to shop. Texans pay no sales tax on qualifying energy-saving and water-saving appliances and products.

The legislation — which falls short of the $10 billion needed to ensure all Texans have reliable internet access — must still win approval in the state Senate.

The fight is the latest skirmish between Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar and Harris County leaders over whether they “defunded” law enforcement.

If Texas’ budget surplus were distributed directly to Texans, it could pay for 12 years of school lunches, seven months of rent or 11,000 miles of travel. Here’s how to put the big number into perspective.

The preliminary budgets by House and Senate call for $130.1 billion in state spending over two years, even though tens of billions more are available to them. The bills do not bust state or constitutional spending limits.

It’s far more money than legislators have ever had at their disposal, with an increase in available funds that dwarfs any previous jumps between cycles. It’s also more money than lawmakers can constitutionally spend.

The program, known as Chapter 313, provides companies with billions of dollars in property tax breaks. The court said it is up to the Legislature to make the call on what to do as the program is set to expire and the state is swamped with applications.

Hundreds of businesses have sought tax savings from the state before the Chapter 313 program expires. Two companies say they are missing out despite being eligible.

Local officials, echoing Glenn Hegar, say the current maps are flawed and the process to lodge complaints is cumbersome.

During the campaign, Hegar touted his work on lowering taxes and expanding broadband in Texas, reforming the tax code, reducing regulations on agriculture and pushing for government transparency.

Election results for Texas Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, Agriculture Commissioner, Land Commissioner, Railroad Commissioner

Texans who have unclaimed money are set to get checks in the mail without having to file a claim.

Hegar, who is running for his third term as Texas comptroller of public accounts, has made increasingly provocative moves in recent weeks, challenging financial companies he says are anti-oil and gas and threatening budget sanctions against Harris County over police funding.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar singled out financial firms under a 2021 state law that prohibits most state entities from contracting with companies that have reduced or cut investments in the oil and gas industry.

Comptroller Glenn Hegar said the state could block the approval of Harris County’s budget because it’s not allowing constables to roll $3 million in unspent funds into next year’s budget — even though the constables’ total funding will go up next year.

Advocates have previously called for repealing the sales tax on products like tampons, sanitary pads and pantyliners. Menstrual products are already tax-free in 24 states.

Tax-free weekend in Texas is Aug. 5-7 and will save consumers about $8 for every $100 spent on qualifying items.

In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Mitchell and Patrick about the power grid, the race for governor and the extra money the Texas Legislature will have on hand to spend next year.

The state will have an extra $27 billion in its coffers in 2023 — money that could help pay for property tax cuts and other legislative priorities.

Like other states, Texas found out during the pandemic how critical high-speed broadband is for school, work and medicine. And the state is working to expand it — but it’s going to be at least a year before Texans start to see results.

A new law prohibits the state from contracting with or investing in companies that divest from oil, natural gas and coal companies.

The Texas Comptroller’s office announced Tuesday that it has returned $2 billion in unclaimed property to its rightful owners since 2015.

As the political season starts, the contestants got an unexpected bit of good news: The state comptroller says the next Legislature will start with almost $25 billion in the state treasury. Expensive campaign promises just got a lot easier to make.

The law that went into effect Sept. 1 allows anyone 21 years or older to carry a handgun in public without need for a permit or training.

Hegar will also talk about how to keep Texas business-friendly and what another wave of COVID-19 could mean for the state budget.

More than $6 billion in unclaimed cash and other valuables is currently being held by the state of Texas.

If you need a new dishwasher, plants to spruce up the yard, or just want to stock up on light bulbs, Memorial Day weekend may be the time to shop. Texans pay no sales tax on qualifying energy-saving and water-sipping appliances and products.

Abbott has the power to veto individual line items he objects to.

Texas will close the books on its current budget cycle with an extra $725 million in the bank — which is welcome news as Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar had predicted in January that the state would suffer a $1 billion shortfall due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To help Texans prepare for possible violent spring storms and the upcoming hurricane season, Texas will have a tax holiday for emergency supplies this month.

The Texas Legislature’s budget worries have lightened considerably since the grim forecasts of last spring and summer. And most of their current budget problems are over. AdBy midsummer of last year, Hegar had seen enough to say that the current budget, which runs through the end of August 2021, appeared to be $4.6 billion out of balance. The economic trends are different now, but you’ll probably hear the cautionary history again — especially when someone gets too excited about spending that federal money. But state lawmakers still have a list of things to fret over, starting with COVID-19, an energy grid that came to pieces when the state needed it most and high-profile debates over elections, voting, police brutality and funding.

The winter storm that left dozens of Texans dead, millions without power and nearly 15 million with water issues could be the costliest disaster in state history, potentially exceeding the $125 billion in damage from Hurricane Harvey. Last week’s winter storm impacted every region of the state, a reason why experts and officials are discussing the possibility of damage and cost exceeding those from Hurricane Harvey. Kidd said he expects the state to be reimbursed for 75% of its expenses by the federal government. Back then, state Comptroller Glenn Hegar told lawmakers how much money they’d have to spend on a state budget for the next two years. And he announced his support for legislation that “prohibits cities and counties from banning natural gas appliances.”AdThen last week’s winter storm hit.

Officials for Las Vegas Sands are still pushing to allow casinos in Texas, even after momentum for the idea seemed to slow in recent weeks. Then came the death of Adelson, the famous chairman, founder and CEO of Las Vegas Sands. Andy Abboud, Las Vegas Sands' senior vice president of government affairs, indicated in a statement for this story that the company was undeterred. Sure enough, Las Vegas Sands' Texas lobby team has kept growing at a brisk pace, ballooning to 51 members, according to registrations with the Texas Ethics Commission as of Tuesday. While not exactly a ringing endorsement of casino gambling, Phelan's view may not be too out of whack with Las Vegas Sands' pitch.

This year, the proposals fully fund Texas public schools under a school finance system they overhauled in 2019 to boost funding and slow the growth of local property taxes. When providing an update in January, Hegar projected a nearly $1 billion deficit for the current state budget that runs through August 2021. Dan Patrick and former House Speaker Dennis Bonnen ordered this summer, or any supplemental changes to the budget lawmakers will have to make. Vance Ginn, chief economist with the conservative group Texas Public Policy Foundation, was optimistic about the legislature’s priorities despite a tumultuous pandemic year. Disclosure: Every Texan and Texas Public Policy Foundation have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

If and when you go looking for the killer of legislation to bring marijuana or casinos to the state of Texas in 2021, consider the evidence against Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar. Reexamining current spending and cutting the easy stuff comes first, but it doesn’t produce much money. Polishing up the accounting tricks that balance a budget without spending money or raising taxes. An example: Delaying a $1 billion payment from the last day of the current budget reduces spending by that amount — for this budget. They have to find $1 billion to trim from the current budget, but that’s not really much in the face of a $250 billion budget.

Security for the opening day of the Texas Legislature's session was been ramped up after violence in Washington D.C. last week. The Texas Legislature is back, and on their opening day Tuesday, state lawmakers gave you no reason to stop what you’re doing and pay attention. His early warnings that the current state budget could have a shortfall of $4.6 billion shrunk to slightly less than $1 billion — relative pocket change in a $250 billion state budget. Those are some of the battles ahead in the Texas Capitol — a building designed, after all, for debating and settling fierce differences in opinion. But Tuesday’s beginning, especially in light of what happened last week in Washington, D.C., was just what you’d hope for: Boring.

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)AUSTIN, Texas – The coronavirus pandemic has created a nearly $1 billion deficit in the Texas state budget as the nation’s energy hub remains hampered by a slow recovery and a half-million fewer jobs than a year ago. The forecast Monday by state officials is brighter than bleak projections last summer that warned of a spending deficit four times the size. Texas has billions of dollars in reserves and the projected $1 billion shortfall is a fraction of the state budget, making it likely manageable for lawmakers over the five-month session. Many other states have also slashed their budgets due to the impact of the virus on the U.S. economy. It will also be the first time that Texas lawmakers have met since the August 2019 shooting at a Walmart in the border city of El Paso that killed 23 people.

But he acknowledged that Texas' economic future remains "clouded in uncertainty" and that numbers could change in the coming months. Hegar also announced a nearly $1 billion deficit for the current state budget that lawmakers must make up, a significantly smaller shortfall than Hegar expected over the summer. That number, however, doesn't account for 5% cuts to state agencies' budgets that Gov. Dan Patrick ordered this summer or any supplemental changes to the budget lawmakers will have to make. “Hurricanes pose a persistent threat in counties that contribute a third of Texas’ gross state product.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar sits down with The Texas Tribune for a live interview on Jan. 14. Join The Texas Tribune at 8 a.m. Central Jan. 14 for an interview with Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar conducted by Tribune Executive Editor Ross Ramsey. Hegar, who was elected comptroller in 2014, serves as Texas’ treasurer, check writer, tax collector, procurement officer and revenue estimator. The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Food Bank recently claimed enough unclaimed property to provide nearly 140,000 meals to the community, and the Comptroller’s Office says more notable Texas food pantries may be owed thousands of dollars. The Comptroller’s Office is working with food banks across Texas to help them find unclaimed property that could help them fill up their food supply this holiday season. The San Antonio Food Bank had more than $19,000 in unclaimed property. “It’s a bit of a Christmas miracle to get a gift of unclaimed property via the state Comptroller’s office,” said Eric Cooper, CEO and president of the San Antonio Food Bank. The Comptroller’s Office has partnered with a contact at Feeding Texas to match food banks with their unclaimed property.

Aided by the NBA regular season and big concerts scheduled in San Antonio, Bexar County bars and restaurants posted more than $67 million in alcohol sales in March 2019, according to the comptroller’s office. The alcohol sales figures provided by the comptroller’s office show a 46% drop between January and October of 2020 compared to 2019, showing the pandemic’s impact on local restaurants, bars, venues, hotels and resorts. From January until October of 2019, alcohol sales totaled $565,451,795. Over that same period in 2020, the numbers show sales at $303,852,813. On Monday, Hegar said the deficit appears to be improving due to more Texans spending money, boosting sales tax revenue.

Despite “historic declines,” state lawmakers will have more money to work with in the upcoming legislative session than Comptroller Glenn Hegar expected over the summer, he said Monday. But Hegar did not outline specifics as state coffers continue to suffer from the economic recession spurred by the coronavirus pandemic. Sales tax revenues, by far the largest part of the state budget, fell by 4.8% in the second half of the 2020 fiscal year compared to the same stretch last year, Hegar said. Greg Abbott and lawmakers projecting the state’s current two-year budget to be roughly $11.5 billion less than originally estimated. As of Monday, though, Capitol leaders have not said what the upcoming session will look like in the time of coronavirus.

Texas collected about $2.6 billion in state sales tax revenue in September, state Comptroller Glenn Hegar said Thursday. "The COVID-19 pandemic and low price of crude oil continue to weigh on the Texas economy and sales tax revenue," Hegar said in a news release. State sales tax revenue is the state's single largest source of funding. Other sources of state revenue are still being impacted by economic shutdowns related to the coronavirus pandemic. Another major tax, the hotel occupancy tax, is also down about 37% in revenue from the same month last year.

SAN ANTONIO – The Texas Comptroller recently announced that more than $300 million has been paid in unclaimed property claims for FY 2020. “I encourage all Texans to visit ClaimItTexas.org to see if the state is holding some of their unclaimed property," said Hegar. According to officials at the Comptroller’s office, Texas has returned more than $3 billion in unclaimed property to its rightful owners since the unclaimed property program began in 1962. In FY 2019, Texas paid out $307,799,242.35 in unclaimed property and as of July 31 Texas has paid out $264,659,040.64 for FY 2020, which ended Aug. 31. Related: There’s more than $200 million in unclaimed cash in San Antonio and some of it might be yours

Texas collected about $2.8 billion in state sales tax revenue in August 5.6% less than in the same month last year, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said Tuesday. That revenue was based mainly on purchases made in July, when the number of coronavirus cases were peaking. State sales tax collections from major sectors except retail trade declined compared to the same period in 2019, Hegar said. "Consequently," he said in a news release, "further declines in sales tax revenue may ensue in the coming months." Since the pandemic hit the state several months ago, sales tax revenue has been mainly on the decline.

For the first time in months, Texas state sales tax revenue increased when compared to the same period last year despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Comptroller Glenn Hegar said Monday. Texas collected $2.98 billion in sales tax revenue in July 4.3% more than in July 2019. That revenue, which mainly reflects purchases made in June, was better than expected, despite the high unemployment due to the pandemic, Hegar said in a statement. State sales tax revenue is the state's single largest source of funding. The state's total sales tax revenue for May, June and July this year was down 5.3% compared to the same period last year, Hegar said Monday.

We're going to have to continue to learn how to live with the pandemic and be able to keep the economy open, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said in an interview with The Texas Tribune. Allie Goulding/The Texas TribuneEditor's note: If you'd like an email notice whenever we publish Ross Ramsey's column, click here. It will be a miracle if Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar and his team of financial prognosticators are right about the arc of the states economy over the next few months. Like the one about businesses and consumers resuming something like their normal economic lives around the first of next year, he said in a livestreamed interview with the Texas Tribune this week. Disclosure: The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

Texas lawmakers will return to the Capitol in January just six months from now to revise the current budget and write the next one. The latest news from the Texas comptroller that the state will have $11.6 billion less to spend in its current budget than lawmakers expected leads straight to a conversation about which programs and services in the state budget are expendable. The Legislature will be in session in January just six months from now to revise the current budget and write the next one. What comes after the current budget is the hard part. If big cuts are in order, education and health and human services are the biggest spending categories in the Texas budget.

On Monday, Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced the economic blow from the coronavirus pandemic had created a large shortfall in the budget. That puts the state on track to end the biennium, which runs through August 2021, with a deficit of nearly $4.6 billion, Hegar said. The state, Hegar said, will now have roughly $110 billion to work with for the current budget. Hegar's projected $4.6 billion deficit for the state, he said, does not include expected additional appropriations for Medicaid and other programs that were underfunded in the current budget. Lawmakers will need to reckon with those shortfalls in addition to that projected $4.6 billion budget hole next session, which will increase the spending total and the ending deficit number.

Callie Richmond for The Texas TribuneTexas collected $2.67 billion in state sales tax revenue in June a 6.5% drop compared to what the state brought in the same month last year, Comptroller Glenn Hegar said Wednesday. Junes sales tax revenue, which mainly reflects purchases made in May, suggests that the states phased reopening and relaxing of social distancing measures over the past month led to some increases in economic activity. Still, Hegar said, sales tax revenue totaled over April, May and June was down 9.7% compared to the same period a year ago. While collections from restaurants were depressed, Hegar said that take-out and delivery sales, along with online purchases, helped buoy revenue in the restaurant and retail sectors. Later this month, Hegar is expected to announce his revised revenue estimate for the current state budget, which ends in August 2021.

Eddie Gaspar/The Texas TribuneTexas collected about $2.6 billion in state sales tax revenue in May, leading to the steepest year-over-year decline in over a decade, Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced Monday. The amount is 13.2% less than the roughly $3 billion the state collected in the same month last year. "Significant declines in sales tax receipts were evident in all major economic sectors, with the exception of telecommunications services," Hegar said in a news release. Last month, for example, Hegar announced that the sales tax revenue collections for purchases in March dropped roughly 9% which at the time was the steepest decline since January 2010. Some Republicans have pushed for double-digit budget reductions, arguing the economic fallout merits such an action.

SAN ANTONIO – As unemployment claims soar throughout Texas amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Texas Workforce Commission will held a Facebook livestream to answer frequently asked questions. #COVID19 #StayHomeTexas #unemployment Posted by Texas Workforce Commission on Wednesday, March 25, 2020Since COVID-19 began spreading throughout communities in Texas, city and county emergency declarations and stay-at-home orders have shut down several businesses. In a recent interview, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said that the unemployment rate in Texas is around 9%. Texas unemployment rate headed toward double digits, comptroller warnsMore than 16,000 claims have already been filed with the commission between March 8 through March 14. COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019.