Category: News

By Tim Shea Special Contributor There is no question that immigration is an enormously complex issue. In many ways, it represents a focal point of some of the most divisive debates of our time: jobs, national security, the opioid epidemic, criminal justice reform, cultural identity, etc. Successful immigration policy requires legislators to address the nuanced…

By Tim Shea Special Contributor   When Tesla Motors debuted their original Roadster in 2008, the car was viewed by many as little more than a novelty, a toy for the super-rich. Given that its starting price ran well north of $100k, it’s hard to disagree with that assessment. They certainly weren’t about to jumpstart…

By William Mellor Vice President & General Manager As a site location consulting firm, we see a lot of proposals from a lot of different communities, and let me just say, 95% of them aren’t worth reading. That might be hard to hear, but it’s the truth. We just finished a project in West Plains,…

By Tim Shea Special Contributor When it comes to measuring economic performance, a single, all-important truth defines most methodologies: capturing every little detail is a fool’s errand. There are simply too many nuances in real-world markets to fully understand them, too many variables in play to collect data on them all. Instead, economists try to…

By Anthony Michael Project Manager, Economic Impact   Looking back on the first half of 2017, the Texas and Austin economies continue to show signs of resilience and growth. Before diving into these economicindicators, it is important to first note one of the important drivers of both our local and state economies: population growth. At…

President Trump’s announcement last week that he was withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Accords, though expected, drew swift and polarized reactions from across the globe. While supporters of the move touted the economic benefits, critics shrewdly pointed out that environmental considerations and economic outcomes are often inextricably linked. Indeed, the impact of…

By Nicholas Samuel Project Manager & Director of Research The question of the correct size of government is a continuing debate within American political life, yet, seldom do we discuss at what scale government should be applied. In the US, the basic form of Federal, State, and County/Municipality government are well known and thought of…

By William Mellor Vice President, Angeloueconomics   Legislative Update: 5/23/2017 The Bathroom Bill has been picking up steam as we near the close of Texas’ 85th Legislative Session. On Monday of this week, the Texas House passed an amended version of the Bathroom Bill. Starting out, the Bathroom Bill was a stand-alone bill, Senate Bill…

By Tim Shea Special Contributor With last Wednesday’s passage of HB 100 through the Senate, it seems pretty much inevitable that the bill will be signed into law and, as of June 1st, Texas will begin regulating ride-sharing at the state level. Further along in that chain of inevitability is the triumphant if controversial return…

Earlier this month, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 4 into law, which officially bans sanctuary cities in Texas. The new legislation requires local law enforcement agencies to follow all federal immigration laws and detainer requests, and establishes stiff penalties for individuals that do not follow the new law. SB 4 is the latest measure…