Day 51: The Myth Of Fiscal Conservatism in Texas

The long-term consequences of short-sighted budgeting.

Note: Correcting my bad math yesterday. 30,000 of 300,000 is 10%. I know this. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Yesterday was the 51st Day of the 140-day Texas Legislative Session. We’re finally getting to the point where a lot is happening in the session. The Texas Committee of Government Efficiency met for the first time yesterday. Yes, Texas DOGE. They beat the record for the longest session hearing, lasting 12 hours and 24 minutes. We have a lot to discuss, but first, we must address the week’s biggest news.

Congressman Sylvester Turner’s impact on Texas politics and the communities he served.

The tributes to Sylvester Turner yesterday showed how many people he touched and the lasting impact he made. Below are videos from the Texas House and Congress, each offering remembrances. It was a rare moment of unity, and no one left with dry eyes.

From the Texas House:

From Congress:

Texas Democrats have suffered some significant losses over the last year. From Sheila Jackson Lee to Cecile Richards and now Sylvester Turner. It’s now up to all of us to continue their legacy of advocacy for equity and justice.

Rest in peace, Sylvester Turner.

Texas still has strong voices advocating for equity and justice.

One of those voices is Congressman Al Green, whom we must protect at all costs.

Yesterday, the Republicans in Congress moved to censure him for his outburst during Trump’s big speech. It’s ironic because neither of these geniuses were censured when they did this to Joe Biden:

After the GOP moved to censure Green, he was given the floor. Congressman Green walked over to the Republican side and shook their hand. Then, he walked to the front mic and said (paraphrasing), “I’d do it again, it’s about principle.”

Reactions on social media suggest that more people are beginning to recognize just how hard Texas Democrats are fighting. Of course, I’ve been trying to tell them all along: Democrats from Texas are just scrappier.

Green closed his statement with, “On matters of conscience, it’s better to stand alone than not stand at all.”

Mic drop. And that’s why we love Congressman Al Green.

The Texas Committee of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Over the last month(ish), I’ve watched hours and hours of Legislative hearings, clipping and summarizing them for you. From those hearings, there are certain facts we all know to be true, the biggest being that the Texas State Government underfunds every government agency. Because of that underfunding, government agencies are struggling. They have a hard time retaining employees. They are working on 40- and 50-year-old computer systems. And they aren’t keeping up with the demands of the population.

This is why the DOGE Committee is so interesting. The idea is that they will find waste, fraud, or abuse to cut and save us all money. But you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip.

We probably all have opinions on programs the Republican government can axe, like Operation Lone Star or taxpayer-funded fake pregnancy centers. Still, knowing how Republicans operate, they’ll likely be looking for ways to cut education, healthcare, or much-needed services for marginalized communities.

Despite the Republican hype about being “fiscally Conservative,” the Texas GOP is anything but that. That’s why I wanted to first talk about Every Texan’s testimony.

Their testimony showed how Texas’s chronic underfunding of state agencies has led to “crisis-level” workforce turnover. When you can’t keep state employees because their wages are stuck in a decade-long freeze, the cost of constantly hiring and training new staff outweighs any so-called savings from budget cuts. It’s simple math (unless you’re a Republican legislator), in which case math is optional.

And that’s why the left will always be much better than Republicans on economic issues. Republicans love to call themselves the party of fiscal responsibility, but their economic policies suggest otherwise. When Every Texan points out that a competitive state workforce saves money in the long run, Republicans respond by looking for which school lunch program they can cut next.

Investing in government initiatives can lead to substantial long-term cost savings. For example:

• Implementing energy-efficient measures in government buildings reduces utility expenses over time.

• Upgrading outdated IT systems can streamline operations and reduce maintenance costs.

• Investing in preventive healthcare services can reduce the incidence of chronic diseases, leading to lower healthcare costs over time.

• Funding education and vocational training programs enhances workforce skills, increasing productivity and economic growth.

And so on. Cutting program funding might look good on a spreadsheet, but it’s the fiscal equivalent of putting a bucket under a leaky roof instead of fixing it.

When Republicans slash education, healthcare, or public services, the costs don’t disappear. They just shift. Underfund public schools, and you end up paying for overcrowded prisons. Cut healthcare, and emergency room visits skyrocket, sticking taxpayers with a much bigger bill. It’s not just bad policy. It’s bad math. Every dollar “saved” by gutting vital programs costs us double, if not triple, down the road.

This is why the myth of the “fiscally Conservative Republican” must end.

Normalize calling groups like the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) and the Heritage Foundation what they really are: billionaire-funded fascists.

What was crazy yesterday is that TPPF was an invited witness to the DOGE Committee and got to testify as part of the panels early in the day. At the same time, Every Texan had to register for public comment and wait until after 11:00 pm to testify.

These organizations are not “think tanks” or “policy experts.” They are corporate-funded propaganda machines designed to push legislation that benefits the ultra-wealthy while dismantling public services and eroding democracy.

James Quintero’s testimony on behalf of the TPPF was a masterclass in economic fallacy. The core of his argument was the same tired conservative trope: cut regulations, shrink government, and let the free market sort everything out.

TPPF’s focus on deregulation and cutting government oversight might sound good to their billionaire backers, but it’s terrible economics for a state as large and diverse as Texas. Deregulation is not a one-size-fits-all solution. While stripping away rules might boost short-term profits for corporations, it often leads to long-term costs for taxpayers.

Take environmental regulations, for example. TPPF has consistently lobbied against them, yet without oversight, industries pollute more, causing health crises and ecological damage. The state and, ultimately, taxpayers are left footing the bill for clean-up and healthcare costs. The same goes for their push to reduce worker protections. Cutting regulations that ensure safe working conditions or fair wages might make the balance sheets look better for big business. Still, it leads to higher turnover, lower productivity, and increased public assistance costs when workers can’t make ends meet.

These organizations are not legitimate arbiters of policy. They are well-funded mouthpieces for the wealthy elite, with a business model that relies on dismantling public institutions and replacing them with private, for-profit alternatives. They manufacture crises (see: the obsession with “woke” culture) to distract from real issues, like income inequality, climate change, and the erosion of public services.

If we want a government that truly serves the people, we need to start treating groups like TPPF and the Heritage Foundation as the fringe extremists they are. Stop giving them platforms. Stop pretending their ideas are part of a good-faith debate. When they advocate for cutting public services, they’re saying, “Your problems don’t matter. Only profits do.”

The meat and potatoes.

The Sunset Advisory Commission was the first agency to testify at DOGE yesterday. Thank goodness Ana-Maria Ramos (D-HD102) is on this Committee because she asked all the important questions and discovered that there is no real transparency or formal process for conflicts of interest within the Sunset Commission. Instead, they rely on self-discolure, which opens the door to corporate or political interests to influence oversight decisions.

• See the full testimony from the Sunset Advisory here.

The Sunset Advisory Commission is a unique and powerful legislative body in Texas. It evaluates the performance and necessity of state agencies and decides whether they should continue to exist. Without a structured, transparent process, verifying whether commission members have financial or personal ties to the agencies they are reviewing is impossible.

A colossal revelation from yesterday’s hearing: The Sunset Commission does not meet the ethical standards expected of oversight agencies. The term for this is “Regulatory capture.”

It gets worse.

Next up was the Texas Space Commission. This is one of the newest commissions in Texas and comprises a nine-member board appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor, and House Speaker.

• See the full testimony from the Space Commission here.

We learned that approximately 20% of the grant funds have gone to companies associated with board members. Like the Sunset Advisory, there is no formal process for disclosing conflicts of interest, which again raises many ethical concerns.

Plus, Texas is giving grants to Blue Origin and SpaceX, owned by billionaires Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, while millions of Texas children go hungry. We also learned that the commission does not consider environmental impacts when approving grants, despite reports of earthquakes, water safety issues, and community disruptions near space launch sites.

To live in a Republican state. 😭

Things were moving along in the DOGE Committee last night, and I thought we were so close to being over. Then, at 9:15 pm, they called TEA Commissioner Mike Morath to testify. His testimony lasted over two hours, one of his shorter panels during this session.

Morath emphasized efficiency as “outputs over inputs” and repeatedly referenced “return on investment” (ROI) in education spending. So, what does the ROI on education look like in a Republican-led state?

• Only 52% of students are kindergarten-ready.

• 36% achieve a post-secondary credential by age 24.

• 48% are at grade level in reading (3rd grade) and 42% in math.

• Significant learning loss in math post-COVID.

• 510 Texas school districts operated in deficit for 2024.

• The total value of outstanding school debt in Texas grew from $88 billion in 2014 to $154 billion in 2024.

• Despite this increase, the student population only grew by 7%.

• About 200 districts are not complying with the Crown Act.

Morath’s testimony was a masterclass in Republican doublespeak. He touted “return on investment” in education, yet the data paints a starkly different picture. Texas schools are struggling with massive deficits, declining student performance, and a ballooning debt crisis—all under the GOP’s so-called fiscally responsible leadership.

The numbers don’t lie. When you cut corners on education funding, you end up paying the price elsewhere. Texas Republicans are masters at peddling the myth of fiscal conservatism while leaving the state’s education system in shambles, proving once again that their economic policies are not only shortsighted but also devastating for Texas families and children.

Here are the other agencies that testified at DOGE yesterday:

• Legislative Budget Board.

• State Auditors Office.

• Comptroller of Public Accounts.

• HHSC Office of Inspector General.

• The Teacher Retirement System.

• The Employee Retirement System.

• City of Houston.

They all pointed to the same conclusion. Chronic underfunding, mismanagement, and a lack of transparency. Each agency detailed how budget cuts and inadequate resources hinder their ability to serve Texans effectively. Whether it’s underpaid state employees, ballooning pension liabilities, or critical public services on life support, the common thread is a government more focused on cutting costs than investing in its people. It’s another example of the GOP’s so-called “fiscal conservatism” leaving Texas in fiscal chaos.

Happening today:

The full Senate will debate several major bills which have already passed in committees, including:

• SB10, to place the Ten Commandments in every classroom in Texas.

• SB18, to ban drag storytime in libraries.

• SB19, to ban “taxpayer-funded” lobbying.

• SB495, to ban environmental, social, and governance ratings within insurance risk assessments.

It may be a long day in the Texas Senate, as these bills, plus about a dozen others, will be debated. We don’t have any meaningful numbers in the Senate, so while Democrats may put up a fight, they don’t have the numbers. So, we should expect these bills to pass in the Senate today.

After the Senate gavels out, the Senate Committee on State Affairs will meet to take up more awful bills, including:

• SB17, banning nationals of certain countries from purchasing property.

• SB689, ending diversity in government agencies.

The House isn’t hearing bills on the floor yet, although we should expect them to start debating bills on the floor next week (or maybe the week after).

Here are the House Committee meetings today:

• Land and Resource Management.

• Public Education.

• Transportation.

• Culture, Recreation, and Tourism.

• Elections.

• Property Tax Appraisal.

I’ll have a full update on today’s activities for you tomorrow.

The bottom line is that Texas Republicans are running the state into the ground with their disastrous fiscal policies and misplaced priorities.

They’ll throw millions at billionaires, fund performative culture wars, and waste taxpayer dollars on failed border operations. But when it comes to funding education, healthcare, or basic public services, suddenly, the well is dry. Yesterday’s DOGE hearing was just more proof that the Texas GOP’s version of “government efficiency” is nothing more than code for gutting the programs Texans actually need. The numbers don’t lie, nor do the Texans live with the consequences. We deserve better.

• March 14: The last day Legislators can file bills.

• June 2: The 89th Legislative Session ends.

• Click here to find out what Legislative districts you’re in.

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