The latest economy news from The Texas Tribune.
Texas is a wonderful place to do business. We have a strong economy, great people, rational tort laws and an efficient regulatory environment. Our taxes on business are not our best selling point, but even so, the Tax Foundation misses the mark. Full Story
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There’s much that shouldn’t change about Texas’ tax code. I’m a bit jealous of lifelong Texans; you don’t know the sinking feeling of finishing your federal income taxes just to remember that you need to pull out the state tax forms. Full Story
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Elected officials and business leaders in Presidio and its Mexican sister city, Ojinaga, are drafting their own safety plan, hoping the USDA will consider reopening a cattle inspection site in Mexico. Full Story
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Our booming economy, rapidly growing population and the drought that has plagued most of the state for years are combining to stress our ability to meet our water demands. If we do nothing to address these needs, we place at risk the health and well-being of future generations. Full Story
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Just weeks before a new rail bridge connecting Texas and Mexico is set to open, controversy surrounding an X-ray machine for the bridge has unfolded and could delay the opening. Full Story
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In the first campaign ad in his bid to succeed Comptroller Susan Combs, state Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, promotes Texas' "business climate and our unwavering support for the unborn." Full Story
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Texas dropped two spots, from ninth to 11th, on the Tax Foundation's widely cited State Business Tax Climate Index. But the index did not factor changes lawmakers made to the franchise tax this year. Full Story
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The state of Texas last performed a study on the economic impact of undocumented immigrants in 2006. The majority of the candidates running for comptroller in 2014 say it's time for that analysis to get an update. Full Story
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The governor likes to talk about the state's low tax burden when he's selling companies on Texas. He's right about that, but only sometimes. Taxes are low for individuals, but not for businesses. Full Story
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Texas is ranked second in the nation in video game employment. And Texas' unusually generous incentive arrangements for video gaming companies are at least part of the reason. Full Story
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We liveblogged The 2013 Texas Tribune Festival's Energy track, which featured panel discussions on regulation, the shale boom, energy efficiency and the fight over electricity. Read the highlights here. Full Story
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We're liveblogging this weekend from The Texas Tribune Festival's Transportation track, which features panel discussions on planning, high-speed rail, road funding and rural transportation. Full Story
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We're liveblogging this weekend from The Texas Tribune Festival's Environment track, which features panel discussions on the West fertilizer plant explosion, water, the future of parks and the fight over climate change. Full Story
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A federal decision last year to move USDA cattle inspectors from Ojinaga, Mexico, to Presidio, Texas, has crippled the local livestock industry on both sides of the impoverished border, ranchers and cattle importers say. Full Story
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The Railroad Commission, the state's oil and gas regulator, plays a major role in Texas' energy production, which has only grown since the state's drilling boom. But how much do voters care about the commission candidates? Full Story
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A diverse coalition is racing to institute a plan to increase energy and water efficiency upgrades that supporters say could help Texas improve its conservation record. Full Story
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The percentage of Texans living in poverty dropped from 18.5 percent in 2011 to 17.9 percent in 2012, marking the first decline in the state since the recession began in 2008. Full Story
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As Gov. Rick Perry visits Maryland in his latest effort to recruit businesses to relocate to Texas, a Washington, D.C.-based group is taking aim at the governor’s trips and raising questions over how they are funded. Full Story
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Maryland is Gov. Rick Perry's latest target as he works to lure out-of-state businesses to the Lone Star State. Full Story
Fast-food workers in Houston, Dallas and Austin plan to participate in a nationwide pre-Labor Day strike on Thursday, organizers say. The workers are calling for $15-an-hour wages. Full Story
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