The Texas economy continues to be the envy of other states. In January 2025, the Comptroller in his Biennial Revenue Estimate (BRE) for the 2026-2027 Biennium  projected an ending general revenue (GR) balance of $23.8 billion for 2024-2025 biennium, which concludes on August 31, 2025. But that rosy forecast is subject to the usual caveats; projections of economic growth (or contractions) are always tentative at best. It is a given that, due to the large surplus, there will be

Health insurance mandates drive up the cost of premiums. Filed bills by Sen. Bettencourt and Rep. Paul would require an analysis of new...

Claims that institutional investors are behind this affordability challenge are not supported by the evidence.

Americans are paying more than ever for healthcare yet are sicker than they have been in decades. While the rest of the world’s average life expectancy has continued to increase, the U.S. numbers have decreased to levels not seen in 30 years. While the COVID-19 pandemic was certainly a contributing factor to this problem, the trend began before COVID and has continued to linger after the Public Health Emergency ended. Medical debt continues to be the leading cause of personal

The Texas Conservative Coalition (TCCRI) views public policy through the lens of its principles of Limited Government, Individual Liberty, Free Enterprise, and Traditional Values. Together, these principles form the “LIFT Principles.” Of TCCRI’s six public policy Task Forces, only the “Free Enterprise and Government Regulation” task force has one of these principles included in its title. The other half of the title, government regulation , should rightly be understood not as

Public education in Texas is one of the most important public policy areas in the state, and the number of topics under that policy umbrella are numerous and far reaching. The Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute (TCCRI) remains a strong supporter of public education. Indeed, TCCRI supports fully funding public education and providing teachers and administrators with the tools they need to educate a new generation of Texans. The analysis does not stop there, howeve

Energy and Infrastructure are critical for Texas as the state continues to expand in terms of population, economy, and influence. Energy is not only a vital sector of the Texas economy, its reliability and abundance are required by Texas’ broad range of diverse industries, from technology to manufacturing. Infrastructure provides the means by which Texas industries expand, and by which Texans supply the workforce. To those ends, the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Insti

One of the most important functions of government is the fair administration and enforcement of laws, both criminal and civil. The Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute’s Criminal Justice and Government Reform Task Force focuses on these issues. One major policy area is the proliferation of marijuana-adjacent products taking advantage of changes made to Texas law, particularly regarding hemp. Texas remains a jurisdiction in which marijuana possession and consumption

The legislature should respond to workforce needs by promoting Career and Technical Education as well as encouraging students to enter...

Students should not be required to have a lesson on DEI or CRT in order to graduate unless it is legitimately relevant to the student’s...