INSIDER
Texas must build hundreds of thousands of homes to lower housing costs, says state comptroller
Read full article: Texas must build hundreds of thousands of homes to lower housing costs, says state comptrollerTexas needs hundreds of thousands more homes than it has, per one estimate. That shortage has driven up home prices and rents.
Texas GOP lawmakersā border and education wishlist would expand state budget by $2.7 billion ā and counting
Read full article: Texas GOP lawmakersā border and education wishlist would expand state budget by $2.7 billion ā and countingIf bills now being considered pass, lawmakers will be left with $3.3 billion to take care of unforeseen costs over the next two years. Some experts worry that Texas canāt sustain its massive spending on the border and public education.
Texas will have an $18.6 billion surplus and avoid a recession, comptroller projects
Read full article: Texas will have an $18.6 billion surplus and avoid a recession, comptroller projectsThe updated comptrollerās report raises the amount of revenue available to the state over the 2024-25 cycle to $194.6 billion.
Ken Paxtonās deputy demands back pay for months the attorney general was suspended
Read full article: Ken Paxtonās deputy demands back pay for months the attorney general was suspendedComptroller Glenn Hegar said he disagreed with Paxtonās interpretation of the law and suggested he seek a ruling from the Texas Supreme Court.
Texas lawmakers will have new money going into special session on education, comptroller says
Read full article: Texas lawmakers will have new money going into special session on education, comptroller saysTexas Comptroller Glenn Hegar says the state has collected more from insurance premiums that he had previously predicted. He suggested lawmakers invest more in teacher pay raises.
Texas will spend billions to connect the state with broadband. But is it clear which neighborhoods need help?
Read full article: Texas will spend billions to connect the state with broadband. But is it clear which neighborhoods need help?On the eve of a historic investment in connecting the Lone Star State, advocates worry maps that will help establish which communities get funding have bad information.
Texas comptroller certifies new $321.3 billion state spending plan, sends to Abbottās desk
Read full article: Texas comptroller certifies new $321.3 billion state spending plan, sends to Abbottās deskBefore Abbott can review the budget that will direct the stateās spending for the next two years, the comptroller has to certify that it doesnāt spend more money than the state expects to bring in.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will not receive his $153,750 salary during suspension
Read full article: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will not receive his $153,750 salary during suspensionFollowing Paxtonās impeachment on Saturday, Gov. Greg Abbott appointed former Texas Secretary of State John Scott to serve as the stateās top attorney.
Water-saving and energy-efficient products will be sales-tax free last weekend in May
Read full article: Water-saving and energy-efficient products will be sales-tax free last weekend in MayIf 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.
Texas House OKs $5 billion for broadband, if voters give thumbs up
Read full article: Texas House OKs $5 billion for broadband, if voters give thumbs upThe legislation ā which falls short of the $10 billion needed to ensure all Texans have reliable internet access ā must still win approval in the state Senate.
Texas drops effort to punish Harris County over its law enforcement spending
Read full article: Texas drops effort to punish Harris County over its law enforcement spendingThe fight is the latest skirmish between Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar and Harris County leaders over whether they ādefundedā law enforcement.
How could Texas spend its record $32.7 billion surplus?
Read full article: How could Texas spend its record $32.7 billion surplus?If Texasā 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. Hereās how to put the big number into perspective.
Texas Legislatureās state budget proposals leave more than $50 billion in state funds up for grabs
Read full article: Texas Legislatureās state budget proposals leave more than $50 billion in state funds up for grabsThe 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.
Texas lawmakers will have $188.2 billion available for the next budget after record-breaking revenue growth
Read full article: Texas lawmakers will have $188.2 billion available for the next budget after record-breaking revenue growthItās far more money than legislators have ever had at their disposal, with an increase in available funds that dwarfs any previous jumps between cycles. Itās also more money than lawmakers can constitutionally spend.
Texas Supreme Court says it canāt force the state to process deluge of applications for tax break expiring this year
Read full article: Texas Supreme Court says it canāt force the state to process deluge of applications for tax break expiring this yearThe 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.
Companies say theyāre being denied Texas tax breaks as a state agency is overwhelmed with applications
Read full article: Companies say theyāre being denied Texas tax breaks as a state agency is overwhelmed with applicationsHundreds 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.
With billions for broadband on the line, Texas asks federal government for more time to improve access maps
Read full article: With billions for broadband on the line, Texas asks federal government for more time to improve access mapsLocal officials, echoing Glenn Hegar, say the current maps are flawed and the process to lodge complaints is cumbersome.
Republican Glenn Hegar defeats Janet Dudding to keep his state comptroller job for third term
Read full article: Republican Glenn Hegar defeats Janet Dudding to keep his state comptroller job for third termDuring 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.
Comptroller Glenn Hegar is reminding voters heās a Republican ahead of his November election
Read full article: Comptroller Glenn Hegar is reminding voters heās a Republican ahead of his November electionHegar, 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 bans local, state government entities from doing business with firms that āboycottā fossil fuels
Read full article: Texas bans local, state government entities from doing business with firms that āboycottā fossil fuelsTexas 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.
Texas officials accuse Harris County of slashing constablesā budgets ā but theyāre actually going up
Read full article: Texas officials accuse Harris County of slashing constablesā budgets ā but theyāre actually going upComptroller Glenn Hegar said the state could block the approval of Harris Countyās budget because itās not allowing constables to roll $3 million in unspent funds into next yearās budget ā even though the constablesā total funding will go up next year.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott joins other key Republicans in supporting repealing the ātampon taxā
Read full article: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott joins other key Republicans in supporting repealing the ātampon taxāAdvocates 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.
TribCast: Are there signs of life for Beto OāRourkeās campaign?
Read full article: TribCast: Are there signs of life for Beto OāRourkeās campaign?In this weekās 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.
Inflation, high energy prices mean the Texas Legislature will have unprecedented funds to allocate next year
Read full article: Inflation, high energy prices mean the Texas Legislature will have unprecedented funds to allocate next yearThe state will have an extra $27 billion in its coffers in 2023 ā money that could help pay for property tax cuts and other legislative priorities.
Analysis: Texans without high-speed internet are getting closer, slowly
Read full article: Analysis: Texans without high-speed internet are getting closer, slowlyLike 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 ā but itās going to be at least a year before Texans start to see results.
Texas warns firms they could lose state contracts for divesting from fossil fuels
Read full article: Texas warns firms they could lose state contracts for divesting from fossil fuelsA new law prohibits the state from contracting with or investing in companies that divest from oil, natural gas and coal companies.
Texans claim billions of dollars in unclaimed property; hereās how to check for unclaimed cash, valuables
Read full article: Texans claim billions of dollars in unclaimed property; hereās how to check for unclaimed cash, valuablesThe Texas Comptrollerās office announced Tuesday that it has returned $2 billion in unclaimed property to its rightful owners since 2015.
Analysis: A swelling Texas treasury gives 2022 hopefuls room for big ideas
Read full article: Analysis: A swelling Texas treasury gives 2022 hopefuls room for big ideasAs 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.
Texas lawmaker defends new permitless carry law against criticism from gun control advocate
Read full article: Texas lawmaker defends new permitless carry law against criticism from gun control advocateThe 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.
Watch Comptroller Glenn Hegar discuss the stateās economy and more at 10:30 a.m. at The Texas Tribune Festival
Read full article: Watch Comptroller Glenn Hegar discuss the stateās economy and more at 10:30 a.m. at The Texas Tribune FestivalHegar will also talk about how to keep Texas business-friendly and what another wave of COVID-19 could mean for the state budget.
Need a dishwasher, light bulbs, toilet? Theyāre sales tax-free this weekend
Read full article: Need a dishwasher, light bulbs, toilet? Theyāre sales tax-free this weekendIf 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.
Texasā pandemic budget shortfall disappears, as latest forecast shows a surplus
Read full article: Texasā pandemic budget shortfall disappears, as latest forecast shows a surplusTexas will close the books on its current budget cycle with an extra $725 million in the bank ā 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.
Medicaid expansion, federal coronavirus aid could spur legislative fights as Texas House debates $246 billion state budget
Read full article: Medicaid expansion, federal coronavirus aid could spur legislative fights as Texas House debates $246 billion state budgetThese emergency supplies will be tax-free in Texas April 24-26
Read full article: These emergency supplies will be tax-free in Texas April 24-26To help Texans prepare for possible violent spring storms and the upcoming hurricane season, Texas will have a tax holiday for emergency supplies this month.
Analysis: Government budgets looked terrible when COVID-19 started. A federal windfall has flipped the outlook.
Read full article: Analysis: Government budgets looked terrible when COVID-19 started. A federal windfall has flipped the outlook.The Texas Legislatureās 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 youāll probably hear the cautionary history again ā 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.
Winter storm could cost Texas more money than any disaster in state history
Read full article: Winter storm could cost Texas more money than any disaster in state historyThe 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 weekās 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 theyād have to spend on a state budget for the next two years. And he announced his support for legislation that āprohibits cities and counties from banning natural gas appliances.āAdThen last weekās winter storm hit.
The late Sheldon Adelson's gambling empire pushes forward with goal to bring casinos to Texas
Read full article: The late Sheldon Adelson's gambling empire pushes forward with goal to bring casinos to TexasOfficials 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.
Texas House and Senate propose similar spending amounts in preliminary budgets
Read full article: Texas House and Senate propose similar spending amounts in preliminary budgetsThis 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 legislatureās 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.
Analysis: The odds for legal pot and casinos in Texas just got worse
Read full article: Analysis: The odds for legal pot and casinos in Texas just got worseIf 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 doesnāt 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 ā for this budget. They have to find $1 billion to trim from the current budget, but thatās not really much in the face of a $250 billion budget.
Analysis: Make government boring again
Read full article: Analysis: Make government boring againSecurity 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 youāre 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 ā relative pocket change in a $250 billion state budget. Those are some of the battles ahead in the Texas Capitol ā a building designed, after all, for debating and settling fierce differences in opinion. But Tuesdayās beginning, especially in light of what happened last week in Washington, D.C., was just what youād hope for: Boring.
Pandemic leaves Texas with $1B deficit as virus still surges
Read full article: Pandemic leaves Texas with $1B deficit as virus still surges(AP Photo/Eric Gay)AUSTIN, Texas ā The coronavirus pandemic has created a nearly $1 billion deficit in the Texas state budget as the nationās 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.
Recession cuts how much lawmakers can spend with the next state budget, but decrease isnāt as bad as feared
Read full article: Recession cuts how much lawmakers can spend with the next state budget, but decrease isnāt as bad as fearedBut 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. āHurricanes pose a persistent threat in counties that contribute a third of Texasā gross state product.
Join The Texas Tribune for a live interview with Comptroller Glenn Hegar
Read full article: Join The Texas Tribune for a live interview with Comptroller Glenn HegarTexas 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 Texasā 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.
āChristmas miracleā: San Antonio Food Bank finds thousands in unclaimed property
Read full article: āChristmas miracleā: San Antonio Food Bank finds thousands in unclaimed propertySAN ANTONIO ā The San Antonio Food Bank recently claimed enough unclaimed property to provide nearly 140,000 meals to the community, and the Comptrollerās Office says more notable Texas food pantries may be owed thousands of dollars. The Comptrollerās 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. āItās a bit of a Christmas miracle to get a gift of unclaimed property via the state Comptrollerās office,ā said Eric Cooper, CEO and president of the San Antonio Food Bank. The Comptrollerās Office has partnered with a contact at Feeding Texas to match food banks with their unclaimed property.
Numbers show 46% drop in alcohol sales at Bexar County bars, restaurants in 2020
Read full article: Numbers show 46% drop in alcohol sales at Bexar County bars, restaurants in 2020Aided 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 comptrollerās office. The alcohol sales figures provided by the comptrollerās office show a 46% drop between January and October of 2020 compared to 2019, showing the pandemicās 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 staggering pandemic losses, Texas budget forecast better than expected, state comptroller says
Read full article: Despite staggering pandemic losses, Texas budget forecast better than expected, state comptroller saysDespite āhistoric declines,ā 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 stateās 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.
September sales tax revenue in Texas down 6.1% from a year ago
Read full article: September sales tax revenue in Texas down 6.1% from a year agoTexas 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.
Texas paid $300 million in unclaimed property claims over last year. Check to see if you are owed.
Read full article: Texas paid $300 million in unclaimed property claims over last year. Check to see if you are owed.SAN ANTONIO ā The Texas Comptroller recently announced that more than $300 million has been paid in unclaimed property claims for FY 2020. āI 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 Comptrollerās 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: Thereās more than $200 million in unclaimed cash in San Antonio and some of it might be yours
Texans spent less going out to eat and drink, but more on home improvement as coronavirus cases peaked this summer
Read full article: Texans spent less going out to eat and drink, but more on home improvement as coronavirus cases peaked this summerTexas 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.
Texas sales tax collections went up in July and were higher than one year ago
Read full article: Texas sales tax collections went up in July and were higher than one year agoFor 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.
Analysis: Texas in a state of financial uncertainty
Read full article: Analysis: Texas in a state of financial uncertaintyWe'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.
Analysis: Coronavirus spreads to the Texas state budget
Read full article: Analysis: Coronavirus spreads to the Texas state budgetTexas 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.
Texas faces a looming $4.6 billion deficit, comptroller projects
Read full article: Texas faces a looming $4.6 billion deficit, comptroller projectsOn 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.
Texas sales tax revenue declined 6.5% vs last June as state reopened for business
Read full article: Texas sales tax revenue declined 6.5% vs last June as state reopened for businessCallie 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.
Texas sales tax revenue dips 13.2% in May, the largest year-over-year decline in a decade
Read full article: Texas sales tax revenue dips 13.2% in May, the largest year-over-year decline in a decadeEddie 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.
Watch: Texas Workforce Commission answer your unemployment questions on Facebook
Read full article: Watch: Texas Workforce Commission answer your unemployment questions on FacebookSAN ANTONIO ā 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.