Gov. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Patrick promise property tax relief, school choice during inauguration
AUSTIN, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — Governor Greg Abbott promised to deliver the largest property tax cut in Texas history.
His remarks came after he and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick were sworn-in for their third terms.
There's widespread agreement at the Texas Capitol to reduce property tax bills for homeowners and small and medium-sized businesses now that the state has a record budget surplus of nearly $33 billion.
"That surplus does not belong to government. It belongs to the taxpayers."
In his most specific remarks to date, Patrick announced he wants to nearly double the homestead exemption, which is now $40,000.
"In the budget we will release this week, the Texas Senate will raise your homestead exemption to $70,000, which will save you thousands of dollars over the life of your home. Enough to make a difference."
During an interview with CBS 11, State Representative Ramon Romero Jr. (D-Fort Worth), said he agrees homeowners need a break, but that so do renters who also contribute to the Texas economy.
"A lot of that came from sales tax and a lot of it came from the severance tax from fueling up our cars. How we return money to those folks is just as much of a question and I think that's where some of the battles are going to come into play."
Romero said he hopes the House Committee on Ways and Means will study how to prevent residents from being overtaxed.
After a gunman shot and killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde last May, lawmakers of both political parties have vowed to increase mental health funding for students and to make school buildings more secure.
Abbott vowed action.
"We will not end this session without making our schools safer."
But Romero voiced a concern that he and other democrats have.
"Why are we not even mentioning the word firearm? Why are we not taking that seriously? So I hope that in this discussion, we are deliberate and complete in the discussion that some sort of reforms with firearms are necessary."
Democratic lawmakers, though, have acknowledged the republican majority doesn't support efforts to raise the age to purchase an AR-style firearm.
Abbott and Patrick both however want to toughen penalties against criminals who use guns while committing crimes.
There's also disagreement over school choice, allowing taxpayer money to follow the student, not the school district.
Patrick said, "To the naysayers who say school choice hurts rural Texas, the governor and I will have a plan to protect those schools financially and make sure those parents have choice also where they are in a failing school."
Romero calls school choice a voucher program in which students can go to private schools paid for by taxpayers.
He said it will hurt districts in North Texas.
"What that's going to mean is going to be less money for our kids in the seats in the traditional public schools and I think that is a loud alarm—loud as the canons that were going off as the ceremony was going on."
Abbott also said another top priority is to make the Texas electric grid more reliable following the widespread power outages in February 2021 that claimed the lives of 246 people.
"We all know that increased demand will be placed on the grid as Texas continues to grow. So, we will build a grid that powers our state for more than just the next four years, but for the next 40 years."
Patrick said the state will build more natural gas-fired power plants to meet increased demand.
"We will add more megawatts of thermal power this session and strengthen the grid as we began last session."
The governor will present his priority legislation, also called emergency items, during the upcoming State of the State Address next month.
The lieutenant governor will soon release the 30 most important bills, while House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont), will make public the 20 most important bills in that chamber.