Texas, which has the ninth-largest economy in the world, it can be tough to make sense of all the financial transactions in government circles. In the April issue of Fiscal Notes, subscribers can read about the online reports and data visualization […]
Fiscal Notes
Fiscal Notes: Texas’ Rainy Day Fund Projected to Hit Cap for First Time
The extraordinary economic factors that have given the 88th Legislature an unprecedented amount of money for general-purpose spending also are generating record high revenues for Texas’ Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF), the state savings account that’s commonly called the Rainy Day […]
Fiscal Notes: Fentanyl Flowing into Texas
In response to the number of opioid-related drug deaths stemming from prescription misuse over the course of the last 20 years, Texas and 13 other states filed a lawsuit against several pharmaceutical companies for their role in causing the opioid […]
Fighting the Opioid Crisis
Fifty times more powerful than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, fentanyl can be a pain management tool when prescribed. However, in 2021 illegal use of the drug was linked to almost 1,700 fatal overdoses in Texas. This month’s Fiscal […]
Fiscal Notes: Drought in Texas
Texas is currently experiencing the worst drought since 2011, which cost the state’s economy about $7.62 billion in direct agricultural losses and nearly $17 billion in total losses. In the November/December issue of Fiscal Notes, the Comptroller’s office examines droughts and their […]
Fiscal Notes: Agriculture Industry Grows Texas
Texas has about 247,000 farms and ranches and 126 million acres of farmland, more than any other state. In 2021, Texas ranked fourth among states for total cash receipts for all agricultural commodities — including Texas’ prominent cotton industry in […]
Fiscal Notes: Military Bases Spur Jobs, Income and Infrastructure
Military bases in Texas generated more than $114 billion in economic activity and added more than $67 billion to the state’s gross domestic product in 2021. The bases also generated more than $42 billion in annual disposable personal income and […]
Fiscal Notes: Understanding Cryptocurrency and its Rise
Nearly 9 out of 10 Americans have heard at least a little about cryptocurrencies, and 16 percent have invested in, traded or used a cryptocurrency, according to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey. Even though more Americans are familiar with cryptocurrency — only […]
Fiscal Notes: Steep Rise in Prices Puts Inflation in the Spotlight
(AUSTIN) — Texas and the U.S. are experiencing the highest levels of inflation since the early 1980s. Inflation puts pressure on everyone in tangible ways, but why it occurs may be less obvious to the average consumer. In the recently released […]
Fiscal Notes: Drivers Wanted – Texas Trucking Strives to Stay on the Move
About 3.5 million truck drivers, with an average age of 46, are on U.S. roadways, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2030, more than half of current truck drivers will have passed retirement age. In the recently […]
