The latest economy news from The Texas Tribune.
For this week's nonscientific survey of government and political insiders, we asked what will dominate the next legislative session and about the odds for school vouchers, high-stakes testing and a Medicaid expansion. Full Story
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July marked a milestone in Texas employment: two straight years of continuous job growth. This updated interactive shows how employment has changed by industry since 2007, as well as current unemployment rates by county. Full Story
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The state economy, and the state's finances, look relatively good. Tax revenue is far higher than the comptroller had predicted. But don't get too confident — there are some tough decisions ahead. Full Story
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Texas may have reached a milestone in July, reporting two straight years of job growth. But the unemployment rate inched up again last month, from 7 percent to 7.2 percent, while economic growth remained relatively consistent. Full Story
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Texas may miss out on the $65 million shoppers are expected to save during tax-free weekend, which starts today. But even as the state faces further budget shortfalls, the holiday, created in 1999, still draws bipartisan support. Full Story
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Property tax bills are big, but they have a couple of political advantages for legislators. For one thing, they don't take most of the blame over those levies. Full Story
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The state House Ways and Means Committee heard discussion Tuesday on a possible extra tax on small tobacco companies to equalize what the big tobacco companies call a competitive advantage because of pricing. Full Story
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When it makes sense, we shouldn’t act as if we will never consider tax cuts as an economic stimulant. In fact, if Democrats really want to shed our image as the taxing party, there’s a tremendous opportunity staring us in the face. Full Story
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This week on the Newsreel, check out our guide to upcoming Texas political races. And, with the runoffs out of the way, lawmakers start talking about the session ahead — and the state budget. Full Story
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The comptroller's office announced Friday in its latest financial update that while the state will have more money in its coffers than previously thought, uncertainty about global economic strains could hurt Texas' two main money makers: energy and exports. Full Story
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Though unemployment remains relatively high nationally, Texas faces a dearth of qualified truckers, spurred by high training costs and what some consider overly strict government regulations. And the state's economy is feeling the strain. Full Story
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Texas added 12,900 nonfarming jobs last month, keeping the unemployment rate virtually the same as it was in May, according to statistics released Friday by the Texas Workforce Commission. Full Story
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Texas House Speaker Joe Straus called on lawmakers Monday to start figuring out how to stop diverting billions of dollars in dedicated taxes and fees that are being used to balance state budgets. Full Story
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In 2009, Gov. Rick Perry rejected a $555 million offer from the Feds to cover unemployment insurance, then turned around and asked the Feds for a loan. Critics jumped, but that was likely the plan all along, and for the governor, it worked out fine. Full Story
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As European scientists reveal groundbreaking discoveries about the Higgs boson particle, Texas scientists reflect with regret about a machine that got partly built near Dallas. They say it would've accomplished the mission a decade earlier. Full Story
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It's not booming, but business in Texas has picked up. This interactive uses newly released U.S. Census Bureau data to show business patterns by county and Texas' economic progress through the recession. Full Story
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Cable companies can now break existing contracts with cities, negotiating instead for state-issued franchises, after the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear an appeal of a ruling that declared a 2005 Texas law unconstitutional. Full Story
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After being excluded from the initial dialogue over a Pacific free-trade partnership that includes the U.S., Mexico has officially been invited to join the discussion. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday discussed his support for Mitt Romney, his confidence that minorities will support Republicans and the state's economic development. Full Story
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North Dakotans on Tuesday rejected a controversial measure that would have made their state the first in the nation to abolish property taxes. As Andy Uhler of KUT News reports, while some conservatives in Texas have suggested similar measures, officials have warned the state to proceed with caution. Full Story
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