AGN Media Editorial Board
Texas lawmakers will begin the 2021 session this Tuesday (Jan. 12) with the usual budgetary challenges made unusually tougher as a result of the economic toll exacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Like most of the country, the state’s economy was chugging along nicely until the virus struck last March. The impact was swift and unmerciful with businesses shuttered and widespread job losses last spring. While there has been recovery, it has been slow and uneven as virus cases have continued to rise, especially in recent months.
The state’s oil and gas sector, one of the primary economic drivers, has been devastated by the lengthy slowdown and other factors, significantly shrinking one of Texas’ typically reliable revenue sources. Some revenue streams are down as much as 40%, according to a recent Texas Tribune story, while sales tax revenue was down almost 5% in the second half of the 2020 fiscal year compared to the same period a year earlier.
Mapping The Global Lockdown: Where Air Travel Is Partially Open And Where It s Fully Closed
zerohedge.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from zerohedge.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Coronavirus: Germany faces €1.3 trillion COVID bill
The German government has calculated it will cost €1.3 trillion to pay for the coronavirus pandemic. One senior politician is worried that the poorest will end up footing the bill.
Spending to tackle the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic is expected to continue rising
The cost of dealing with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns in Germany is expected to reach €1.3 trillion ($1.6 trillion), according to government figures.
The calculation, published Thursday by the
Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), came in a Finance Ministry response to a request by Dietmar Bartsch, the parliamentary leader of the socialist Left Party.
A balancing act: Texas Legislators face big challenges with budget in 2021
By Catherine DeLaura
One of the largest tasks Texas lawmakers will tackle during the 2021 legislative session that begins in January is writing the state budget, which outlines state spending for the next two years.
While the tome-like General Appropriations Act can seem overwhelming and often abstract, the spending and cuts detailed within it can have immediate and highly consequential effects on Texans’ lives. For example, previous cuts have kept children with disabilities from accessing important therapy through the state’s Early Childhood Intervention program. Increasing the base wage for community attendants who care for the elderly and people with disabilities can have a dramatic impact on the daily lives of many Texans.
Photo courtesy of Alan Kotok editor s pick spotlight
Catherine DeLaura | The Texas Tribune Dec 28, 2020
The Texas State Capitol in Austin. Photo courtesy of Alan Kotok
One of the largest tasks Texas lawmakers will tackle during the 2021 legislative session that begins in January is writing the state budget, which outlines state spending for the next two years.
While the tome-like General Appropriations Act can seem overwhelming and often abstract, the spending and cuts detailed within it can have immediate and highly consequential effects on Texansâ lives. For example, previous cuts have kept children with disabilities from accessing important therapy through the stateâs Early Childhood Intervention program. Increasing the base wage for community attendants who care for the elderly and people with disabilities can have a dramatic impact on the daily lives of many Texans.
vimarsana © 2020. All Rights Reserved.