Texas's top lawmakers managed to put together an $11.5 billion package, but they did it in a way that all but guarantees a tax hike in 2021.
Property taxes
The governor, lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the House announced a deal on property taxes and school finance. It sounds good, but offered awfully little in the way of specifics.
Here died Greg Abbott’s burden-shifting plan, orphaned and alone.
The Big Three are desperate to save their property tax proposal. Among the ideas to buy down property taxes is an increase in the oil and gas severance tax.
Many Texans think their property taxes are too high. But the highly regressive sales tax would put even more of a burden on those who can least afford it.
Unless a compromise can be reached next week, Patrick's decision to move forward will upend decades of Senate tradition.
Millions of Texans will feel the impact of changes to individual tax breaks, health care penalties, and property tax deductions.
In an amazing plot twist, the Texas Senate passed a real property tax reform bill yesterday.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott paid only $1,718 in federal income taxes in 2014 on an income of $131,118.
Governor Greg Abbott insisted today that he is more involved in the legislative leadership than some people think.
More legislative proposals try to solve voter angst over property taxes
Reflecting on his ten years as the executive director of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, a center-left think tank based in Austin, Scott McCown makes the case for why some Texans should be paying higher taxes and explains why Governor Perry’s Texas doesn’t work for everyone.
I received this e-mail from a lobbyist whom I have known for many years: Just got a robocall from “Texans for Kay” (was “Private Caller” on caller ID) with a clip from the Glenn Beck show about Perry is someone who says and does good things during an election but…
In the last legislative session, George W. Bush’s moderate program won over Bob Bullock, Pete Laney, and other top Democrats. But this time, Bush’s agenda is more partisan, and Republicans are measuring his presidential potential—so Texas politics is going to get ugly.