, Author at Texas 2036

Small Victories Among Big Wins in ARPA Spending

October 28, 2021

Last week, the Legislature approved Senate Bill 8 appropriating $13.3 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds authorized by Congress earlier this year. While the bill includes a few big-ticket items including $7.2 billion to shore up the state’s unemployment compensation fund and $500.5 million for needed broadband infrastructure expansion, the Legislature also...

Imagining a day without water isn’t hard for many Texans

October 21, 2021

“Imagine a day without water.” That’s what organizations across our country are asking us to do this Thursday. The purpose is to highlight how water is essential, valuable and in need of investment. But many Texans don’t need to imagine a day without water. Odds are they already lived through at least one day without...

Senate Bill 8 – Conference Committee Report Update

October 19, 2021

Last night, with a unanimous vote in both chambers, the Texas Legislature passed the conference committee report (CCR) for Senate Bill 8. In its final form, this bill allocates $13.3 billion of the available $16.3 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Throughout the special session, the Legislature considered many worthwhile items for funding,...

Senate Bill 8 Conference Committee Items for Consideration

October 17, 2021

As the Senate Bill 8 conference committee convenes to discuss the differences in the appropriation of the $16.3 Billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding, Texas 2036 would like to encourage the conference committee members to consider the following principles in deciding how to deploy these federal funds: Target Long-Term Solutions: Pursue prudent, data-driven...

A New Approach to Postsecondary Credentials

October 11, 2021

In a recent piece for the Houston Chronicle, Chris Tomlinson raises important points about how the labor climate today is vastly different than how it was before 2020. 46% of employers can’t fill vital jobs today, and since 2011, Texas saw job growth primarily in mid-low- and low-wage jobs, while mid-high- and high-wage jobs were...

Texas’ Future Depends on Extreme Weather Preparedness, New Studies Show

October 7, 2021

Research conducted by Texas A&M and Texas 2036 demonstrate Texas must prepare for more extreme weather Texas’ weather is growing more extreme, according to a new study released Thursday by the Texas State Climatologist, Texas A&M University, and Texas 2036 — and recent polling shows that Texans are already feeling the damaging effects. Taken together,...