HOUSTON — A new University of Houston Hobby School survey reveals how Texans want to use the state’s $24 billion budget surplus.
Property tax relief, teacher pay raises and Medicaid expansion were among the topics at the top of the list.
“While there is some support for adding at least $7 billion of the surplus to the state’s Rainy Day Fund, with 21% listing that as one of their top three priorities, overall, we found that Texans want the Legislature to spend that money addressing a wide range of issues,” researcher and senior executive director of the Hobby School Renée Cross said.
The poll also found strong support for eliminating state sales tax on various items, including school textbooks (89%), HVAC systems for single-family homes (85%), pet food (77%), and firearm safety equipment (75%).
Key priorities for the budget surplus
- 50% of Texans list homeowner property tax relief as a top-three priority
- 40% prioritize teacher pay raises
- 34% support expanding Medicaid coverage
Strong support for education savings accounts
- 72% support ESAs for low-income parents
- 67% favor ESAs open to all parents
- 77% back “hold harmless” provisions to protect small school districts
Border security spending
- 75% want to maintain or increase current spending levels
- 56% of Republicans favor increased spending
Mark P. Jones, a political science fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and senior research fellow at the Hobby School, noted that Republican support for Texas border policies remains especially strong.
“In spite of Donald Trump now being in the White House, 56% of Republicans want to see the state spend more money than it spent on border security during the Biden presidency,” he said. “Only 14% want to see the state spend less, with 30% in favor of Texas continuing to spend the same amount as over the past four years.”
The survey, conducted from Jan. 13 to 21, 2025, included responses from Texans aged 18 and older, with a margin of error of +/-2.83%.