In these first weeks of session, two major tax relief promises made to the taxpayers of Texas have now been kept by the House of Representatives. The first pledge was to pass legislation to allow for amending the Texas Constitution to ensure that the elderly and disabled were granted property tax relief. Next up was ensuring that the necessary state funding dedicated to local school property tax relief was set in place. The legislation needed to accomplish both of these items has now left the House floor with my affirmative votes.


The first initiative, House Bill 5, ensures that the elderly and disabled see proportionate property tax relief under their homestead exemptions. Addressing the homestead exemption for the elderly and disabled is a piece of unfinished business from the last school finance special session. We need to ensure those claiming the exemption and property tax freeze currently offered to our elderly and disabled homeowners see the same reduction in school district property taxes enjoyed by others under the property tax cuts enacted last spring. This requires amending the Texas Constitution and the enabling legislation to implement such a change, should the voters approve it, has passed the Texas House of Representatives unanimously. House Bill 5 is now on its way to the Texas Senate and quick action is also expected in their chamber.


Governor Rick Perry has declared the passage of this piece of legislation to be an emergency item so that it can get to his desk early in the session for a signature.


There was one other legislative action that had to occur to finish this tax relief mission. Constitutional amendments are officially placed on the ballot via joint resolutions, which may originate in either chamber. The legislation to accomplish this goal, Senate Joint Resolution 13, has already been adopted in both legislative chambers. The voters of Texas will have a constitutional amendment election on May 12 to decide this issue and the additional property tax relief for the elderly and disabled, if approved, will be available this coming fall.


The Texas House also took action on another critical piece of property tax relief legislation through its approval of House Bill 2. What this legislation does is to supply the funding needed to buy down local school property tax rates that was set in motion in  the final school finance special session in 2006. Local school property taxpayers will see the one-third drop in maximum tax rates (from $1.50 to $1.00) mandated by the Texas Legislature and local school districts will be supplied with state dollars to cover the difference.


House Bill 2 funds a total of $14 billion dollars in local school property tax relief. Local property taxpayers will see lower rates, while local school districts will see more state funding. I have been consistent in my support for school property tax reductions and the State of Texas assuming more responsibility for funding public education. House Bill 2 does both and I was proud to support it.


This legislation has now been referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and I expect it to be acted upon soon.


Being able to vote for these property tax reduction bills was something I was committed to do. This is legislation based upon what the people of my district communicated to me clearly they wanted to see on the subject of school property taxes, which is lower rates. At the same time, my constituents also wanted excellent public schools and for the State of Texas to meet its constitutional responsibilities regarding education funding.


The Texas House of Representatives has now acted upon these items and done it quickly. Reducing taxes is a good way to start a legislative session.

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