Texas

AUSTIN – The state’s major energy industry reached new peaks last year with records set for both oil and gas production. The Railroad Commission regulates the Texas oil and gas industry and tallies production reports submitted by operators.  

Oil production hit a record 1.92 billion barrels in 2023, which was 51 million barrels more than the previous record. Operators produced 12.01 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in 2023, beating the previous record by more than 13%.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We are re-publishing this editorial, written by State Representative Jared Patterson (R-HD 106), to call our readers’ attention to the primary election assault by far right-wing organizations on several conservative Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives—including our own State Representative Ken King—who cast votes against state funding for school vouchers.

AUSTIN—Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced this week that he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts $1.3 billion in local sales tax allocations for February, 1.6 percent more than in February 2023.

These allocations are based on sales made in December by businesses that report tax monthly; October, November and December sales by quarterly filers; and 2023 sales by businesses that report tax annually.

TEA annual report just released
The Texas Education Agency’s annual report was released last week. It indicates per-student funding in the 2021-2022 school year averaged $14,928 per student, up 42% since 2011. However, state funding has only risen slightly in the past decade, while local funding has increased substantially.
Texas public schools educate 5.518 million students while employing 371,778 teachers on 9,054 campuses, according to the report.

Statewide and county crude oil and natural gas production for November 2023 came from 162,789 oil wells and 86,491 gas wells.

Crude oil production reported by the RRC is limited to oil produced from oil leases and does not include condensate, which is reported separately by the RRC. For full oil and gas production statistics, you can visit the links below.

AUSTIN – December has been a very busy month for inspectors in RRC’s Critical Infrastructure Division (CID). Starting in early December inspectors began weatherization inspections at hundreds of critical natural gas facilities in different regions of the state to ensure gas supply is protected for Texans this winter season.   

AUSTIN—Comptroller Glenn Hegar today reminded Texans that the deadline to apply for Texas Match the Promise Foundation℠ scholarship awards is Dec. 31.

Match the Promise scholarship awards are available for third through ninth graders:

• who are enrolled in the Texas Tuition Promise Fund® (TTPF), the state's prepaid college tuition plan;

• whose families have an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less; and

Lege gets to work in fourth special session

AUSTIN--Today, Nov. 7, is Election Day in Texas. Statewide, voters will weigh in on 14 proposed amendments to the state constitution.

(AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar today said state sales tax revenue totaled $3.81 billion in October, down 0.3 percent from October 2022. The majority of October sales tax revenue is based on sales made in September and remitted to the agency in October.