Governance

Texas Senate approves school finance reform bill but opts not to fund it with a sales tax hike

Via The Texas Tribune: The chambers will need to negotiate how to give teachers pay raises, whether to adjust how students take standardized tests and how to provide long-term property tax relief for Texans.

Texas Republicans warn Trump about ramifications of closing U.S.-Mexico border

Among those voicing opposition to the move are U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, as well as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

'The Point Isn’t Technology; The Point Is Creating Great Urban Spaces' – How Can Houston Leverage Big Data And AI Tools?

At the kickoff to SXSW 2019, Harvard economist and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, Ed Glaeser, highlighted how big data and cities can transform policymaking – but how can Houston leverage these tools?

Time Is Running Out to Take Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's Survey

The survey was released in January and will close on March 30.

School Funding Among Top Priorities for Texas Voters and Lawmakers

New survey numbers from the University of Texas and Texas Tribune show voter priorities for this legislative session but where are lawmakers focusing?

Urban Review: A Potential LA Mega-storm, The Struggle to Define Suburbs And One Big Thing Missing from a Bold Childcare Proposal

This week, what a rare but potentially catastrophic mega-storm might mean for Los Angeles, the many meanings of "suburban," where a proposal for universal childcare falls short and more.

Urban Review: Public vs. Private Investment, What's Left of California's Bullet Train and Some Property Tax Relief in Texas - Maybe

This week, why private investment needs to be considered alongside public dollars, what happened to California's innovative rail project, a painful proposal for property tax relief in Texas and more.

Urban Review: Why Uber and Lyft Are Hurting Transit, Maternal Depression and Economic Mobility and The Role of Public Testimony

This week, more bad news about Uber and Lyft's impact on transit, the link between maternal mental health and mobility, whether public testimony really changes policy and more.

Gov. Greg Abbott Names School Finance, Property Tax Reform Emergency Items

Texas Tribune | The governor focused on bread-and-butter policy in a forum that has often featured a lot of red meat.

Urban Review: Tracking Community Development Dollars, Walking Back Texas' Flawed Voter Citizenship Check, Improving Houston Metro's Long-Range Plan and More

This week, who actually receives all those federal dollars intended for community development, why Texas is reversing claims about large numbers of potentially ineligible voters on the rolls, making Metro truly cutting edge and more.

Can Incorporation Help Majority-Black Communities Combat The Effects of Racist Policy?

Between 1990 and 2010, 44 Cities of Color were created across the country. Four reveal some of the opportunities and challenges that confront them.

Urban Review: Corps Funds at Risk, Schools Closing Down and a Potential School Funding Showdown

This week, Army Corps funds could be diverted from flood projects, Austin confronts dropping student enrollment, new research on the gap between reality and perception when it comes to racial economic progress and a chance for school funding reform.

In the Age of Hacking and Social Media, Is the Census Bureau Ready For Technical Difficulties?

This is the first cenusus that will be online and in a world with social media. So is the bureau ready for hackers, fake news and social media campaigns?

Urban Review: The Power of Porches, Subsidized Healthcare and a 100-Day Agenda for Harris County

This week, new research on the link between access to subsidized health care and falling behind on rent or mortgage payments, a poetic look at the power of porches, possible priorities for Harris County's new leadership and more.

What To Watch: Looking Ahead to the 86th Legislative Session

Thanks in part to the results of the recent election, lawmakers are underscoring this session as a time to focus on "bread and butter" issues.