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80th Texas Legislature – Fiscal Policy [16]
Legislative sessions can be difficult to follow, given the numerous quickly moving parts and the political circus that always seem to accompany. Now that the session is done and the legislators have gone home, what did they wind up accomplishing for Texas? This week, we begin a five-part series on the 80th Texas Legislature looking at its record on fiscal issues. Providing the assessment is Dr. Byron Schlomach, the Foundation's Chief Economist.
Shining the light on government spending [17]
The Texas Public Policy Foundation has been a consistent and strong advocate for government transparency, especially when it comes to our tax dollars. The Foundation played an important role in the development of several spending transparency proposals during the 80th Texas Legislature. On the national level, one of the leading champions for fiscal transparency has been Americans for Tax Reform. ATR president Grover Norquist spoke at the 6th Annual Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature, and we caught up with him for an update on the progress around the country.
Is It Any of Your Business? Budget and Spending Transparency [18]
(Presenters: Comptroller Susan Combs, Rep. Mark Strama, and Grover Norquist. Moderator: The Honorable Talmadge Heflin.)
Texas has become a national leader in making government spending more transparent to the public. In 2007, the Legislature passed landmark transparency legislation resulting in the "Where the Money Goes" feature on the Comptroller's website, which provides a searchable database of state government spending. What are the next steps in bringing greater transparency to the state budget and spending? Panelists will discuss this initial step toward greater transparency, what it means for Texas and the rest of the country, and what more can be done.