Eye on Politics: Sign of progress in property tax relief standoff, LGBTQ lawmakers express concerns over recent legislation
NORTH TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) - Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan met up for the first time in a month to discuss property tax relief amid their ongoing dispute. Is it possible to eliminate the school property tax? Plus, LGBTQ lawmakers in Texas are accusing Republicans in the legislature of targeting their community.
Political reporter Jack Fink covers these stories and more in the latest edition of Eye on Politics (original air date: July 6).
Every week, CBS News Texas political reporter Jack Fink breaks down some of the biggest political stories grabbing headlines in North Texas and beyond. Watch the latest episode of Eye on Politics in the video player above and stream new episodes live every Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. on CBS News Texas.
Patrick, Phelan meet amid standoff over property taxes
A potential sign of progress at the Texas Capitol to end the standoff over how to deliver property tax relief to Texans: for the first time in more than a month, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan met face to face.
Phelan told reporters from "Texas Capitol Tonight" and NPR that they discussed a lot of issues, but mainly tax reform and tax relief for Texans in most need. When asked if a deal would happen soon he said: "There's plenty of time."
Dr. Joshua Blank, the research director at Texas Politics Project, said the meeting itself is newsworthy.
Watch Jack's discussion with Blank below:
After gaveling in Wednesday afternoon, House members referred six bills to a committee for consideration. A committee approved another House bill last week, backed by Gov. Greg Abbott, to cut school property tax rates and instead, use more state sales tax and other state revenues to pay for public schools.
The Senate gaveled in and out quickly Wednesday after approving a different bill to cut property taxes last week. Their bill would also give teachers bonuses.
After the meeting between Patrick and Phelan, Gov. Abbott's communications director sent the following statement to CBS News Texas:
Gov. Abbott has pushed a bill that would place the state on a path to eliminate the largest portion of the property tax bill: the school maintenance and operations property tax. But is that really possible?
We asked James LeBas, a former Chief Revenue Officer for the state of Texas who also worked in the budget offices of former Governors Ann Richards and George W. Bush if lawmakers could wipe out the school M&O property tax without hurting school funding.
It would require lawmakers to replace local property taxes with state sales tax and other state revenues to pay for schools instead.
"The fast way would indicate we would need to have some additional state revenue come in, whether it's a new tax, some other kind of new fee, or another way of financing state government," said LeBas. "The other would be the slow way. You may be looking at a couple of decades."
Watch the video below to learn more:
One of the bills referred to a House committee by Republican Rep. Terry Wilson of Georgetown, would do away with the school maintenance and operation portion of the property tax after 2038.
House Democrat John Bryant of Dallas outlined his own bill during a news conference Thursday morning.
His plan includes raising the homestead exemption to either $100,000 or 25 percent of their home's appraised value up to $200,000 dollars -- whichever is higher. It gives people who rent apartments up to 20 percent cash rebate on their previous year's rent. It also increases the per-student allotment to school districts by $1,000 and indexes it to inflation, which would allow teachers to get a $4,300 raise per year.
The bill would have to be referred to a committee for it to go anywhere.
LGBTQ state lawmakers accuse Republicans of targeting their community
Gay and lesbian Texas lawmakers from North Texas expressed concern and disappointment about the recent regular legislative session.
Democratic State Rep. Julie Johnson of Farmers Branch, a lesbian who has fought for LGBTQ equality for nearly 28 years said, "The LGBT community is really under attack in the Texas State Legislature."
Johnson and fellow Democratic Rep. Venton Jones of Dallas, who is gay and has advocated for black and LGBTQ residents, are a little battle worn.
"It was very exhausting to come in day after day after day after day to put another attack on LGBTQ people and that's what it felt like going through these 140 days when bills started moving," said Jones. "There was a fight we had to get ready for every week."
During an interview with Jack, they both blamed Republicans for filing legislation that they said makes their community feel unworthy.
"They filed 144 anti-LGBT bills, really targeting our community," Johnson said. "Representative Jones and I are part of the LGBT caucus, and we were able to defeat 141 of them, but the three that passed had devastating consequences to our community."
Among the three bills that became law this past regular session and that Johnson and Jones expressed the most concern about is Senate Bill 14.
It outlaws medical professionals from providing drugs, hormones, or surgery to anyone younger than 18 to change their gender.
Watch Jack's full interview with Johnson and Jones below:
More political headlines
- Attorneys for suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said their client will not testify at his upcoming impeachment trial in the Texas Senate, which starts September 5.
- Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez wants her old job back.
- State Rep. Carl Sherman Sr. of DeSoto tells Jack he's considering entering the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. North Texas Congressman Colin Allred is the leading candidate in the race to unseat two-term Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio is also considering entering the primary.
