Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas — The gavel is about to fall to convene the 86th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature. There’s always a bunch of sideline political noise on “must pass” issues, but in fact, lawmakers really have to pass only one bill: The State Budget.

Despite a decline in oil and gas prices, the Texas economy is still growing and state revenue is increasing, Texas’ top accountant announced Monday. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar estimated that lawmakers returning to the Capitol on Tuesday will have as much as $119.1 billion in revenue available for general-purpose spending in the 2020-21 budget. That’s…

AUSTIN — Mary Nethery used to complain when the yearly property tax bill hit $5,000 for her 1,900-square-foot home in San Antonio. Now it’s pushing $9,000. In recent years, Nethery and other homeowners have shouldered an increasing burden for funding public schools in Texas, where property taxes climbed to the sixth-highest in the nation.

The Victoria Economic Development Corp. wants to ensure the tax code that allows local governments to offer incentives for new-build investments in Texas is extended during the 2019 Texas Legislature.

When state legislators convene in January to address major issues facing Texas, school finance reform and property tax relief are expected to top the priority list. But revenue growth may be moderate, calling into question just how much lawmakers can accomplish, especially when schools will need an additional $4 billion in the next budget cycle just to…