2024: The Year in Review
This is a preview of our Texas 2036 newsletter in which we review a busy, productive year for us. To receive this weekly look at our work, sign up here.
2024: Your Texas 2036 Wrap-Up
2024 is finally coming to an end.
This year, our team has delivered numerous reports, policy insights and data-rooted research on top policy issues that will shape Texas’ future.
As we look toward 2025 and another legislative session, let’s take a look back at the policy work we put into practice this year.
January: ACA enrollment breaks records 🗓️
The federal government in January reported that 3.5 million Texans signed up for a health plan on the ACA marketplace for 2024. The number of enrollees was up an astounding 37% over the previous year and more than double from 2020.
In 2021, Texas 2036 helped with the implementation of “focused rate review,” which aimed at better aligning health insurance premiums across the different tiers of coverage and may have contributed to increased uptake in coverage.
February: Texas 2036 gets a new president 🗓️
Texas 2036 was proud to announce in February that it had chosen former Rice University President David Leebron to become its new president and CEO. As we said at the time, Leebron brought to Texas 2036 “over 20 years of proven experience building impactful organizations at the highest levels.”
This year, Leebron has traveled to every corner of the state to carry the word of our unique, data-oriented approach toward bringing Texans around common sense solutions to the state’s most pressing challenges.
March: A new tool to plan for Texas’ energy future 🗓️
Texas 2036 released a new online tool this year designed to help address the challenge of ensuring a ready supply of affordable electricity for the Texas of 2050.
The challenge is real as we estimate a near doubling of electric demand in Texas by then — a direct result of the state’s booming economy and population.
April: Solving Texas’ math problem 🗓️
Texas 2036 released an attention-grabbing report that concluded Texas students are not demonstrating the level of math achievement needed to be successful in today’s — or tomorrow’s — economy.
Possible solutions include better equipping teachers to help struggling students and to support high-quality math instruction. In November, the state board of education took a key step toward that goal through the adoption of new high-quality math instructional materials.
May: The cost to raise Texas’ next generation 🗓️
Texas 2036 is committed to policies that solve many of the issues that Texas parents are facing, whether it’s housing affordability or the costs of child and health care, exploring the topic at length in May.
Did you know? A 2021 UT Austin study calculated the cost for a single-parent family in Texas to raise a child at about $12,400 per year, or about $13,000 per year for a married-parent family.
Is being a parent really that expensive? Yes it is.
June: Tackling prison recidivism 🗓️
In June, we took a close look at Texas’ prison system, which houses over 134,000 individuals. More than 45,000 Texans reenter society annually. Almost half of these individuals face rearrest within three years, and 15-20% return to prison.
In November, we released a report identifying expanded higher ed opportunities for inmates as one way to lower that recidivism rate.
July: Another long, hot summer 🗓️
In the wake of another long, hot and dry summer in Texas, we made the argument for a resilience agenda to proactively position Texas to protect our water and electric infrastructure from future extreme weather events.
In April, we published a complete update to our groundbreaking report on trends in extreme weather. One key finding was that 100-degree days are close to being four times as common in 2036 compared to 50 years ago. Our work on extreme weather also fed into our widely cited research on the state’s future water needs.
August: Texas community colleges 🗓️
Community colleges are the workforce engines of the 21st century, playing an increasingly vital role in equipping diverse populations — Texans from all walks of life, ages and backgrounds — with the knowledge, skills and experience they need to be successful in their lives and their careers.
Looking ahead to next year, Texas 2036 will continue to focus on the value of a community college education and the role those schools can play in modernizing Texas’ secondary schools through dual credit coursework or industry-based certificates.
September: A housing affordability agenda 🗓️
Housing affordability has long been one of Texas’ greatest competitive advantages — but that advantage is at risk with the required income for homeownership in Texas rising by 167% over the past decade. Also, Texas is 306,000 housing units short of meeting demand.
What’s to be done? Lawmakers can help ease housing prices by removing barriers to increased supply by eliminating minimum house size requirements and embracing innovative building types.
Required Income for Home Ownership in Texas (2014-2024)
20% down payment, 30% of income
Source: Texas A&M University Texas Real Estate Research Center
October: A legislative agenda 🗓️
In 2025, Texas 2036 will continue to explore opportunities to strategically invest in our infrastructure, our people and our economic future.
Click here to explore our legislative priorities that we adopted in October and will pursue in 2025.
And ICYMI… take a look back at our quick reads on the state government workforce and the state budget.
November: Water investments for the future 🗓️
Texas 2036 and Rice University’s Baker Institute released in November a report that explores the effects of multi-year dry spells on the state’s energy production and economy. It also points to the opportunities created by new investment in water infrastructure.
By making smart, targeted investments today, Texas can secure its water future, safeguard its economy, and set a global standard for water resilience in the 21st century.
December: What voters are telling us 🗓️
As we close out an eventful 2024, results from the 8th Texas Voter Poll will roll out this month, with this year’s survey finding Texans in a hopeful, yet pragmatic mood.
What’s your wish for 2025?
Are you like us and have a detailed agenda for next year?
Let us know your thoughts!