[Excerpt]

At the start of the Texas legislative session, an extension of Chapter 313, one of the country’s biggest economic incentive programs, seemed like an automatic. Instead, an unexpected series of events doomed the renewal of this controversial program. Its demise could be a road map for reforming an economic development incentive scam that is costing taxpayers billions a year.

….

The renewable industry remained supportive of 313, but there seemed to be less of a public push for its renewal. And some traditional supporters of incentives, such as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), were silent about Chapter 313. All the while, there was an unexpected increase in organized opposition, including a major interfaith group called the Texas Industrial Areas Foundation and the AFL-CIO.

[Photo Credit: The Hill]

Could the Death of a Corporate Handout in Texas Be a Turning Point?, The Hill [pdf]