Press Releases
Office of Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Texas Comptroller Susan Combs’ Where the Money Goes Web site and other technological innovations to make state government more transparent and efficient have earned two 2008 Best of Texas awards from the Center for Digital Government.
Posting school district check registers makes it easier to follow your tax dollars, writes Terry
News articles
Texas Attorney General Abbott says government meeting agendas need to be specific
Mark Cuban launches bailout transparency website
McAllen files rare open records suit against Abbott
Smith County Checks Will Be Visible on County Web Site
Commentaries
A plan to restore fiscal faith in DISD
Last month, the Dallas Independent School District announced an $84 million budget shortfall that plunged the nation’s 12th-largest district into financial chaos.
Texans should be proud that when it comes to increased transparency in the way government spends tax dollars, the Lone Star State has been a true leader.
Let the Sun Shine on School Expenses
Taxpayers have a right to know how and where their money is being spent. What better way to hold schools accountable than by letting the sun shine on their checkbooks and allowing taxpayers to examine their spending?
Seeing Through State and Local Government Spending
Just five years ago, the Lone Star State faced the specter of a $10 billion budget shortfall. Rather than reflexively raising taxes – as most governments have done – Gov. Rick Perry and strong conservative leadership in the Texas Legislature opted instead to cut spending.
Audio
80th Texas Legislature – Fiscal Policy
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
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
(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.
External Resources
LLB Budget Request Doccuments
Fiscal Size-Up 2008-09 (LBB)
Fiscal Size-Up 2006-07 (LBB)
Fiscal Size-Up 2004-05 (LBB)
Fiscal Size-Up 2002-03 (LBB)
Budget 101 (LBB)
General Appropriations Act 2008-09
General Appropriations Act 2006-07
General Appropriations Act 2004-05
General Appropriations Act 2002-03
General Appropriations Act 2000-01
General Appropriations Act 1998-99