Email 5/2/2019 by Michael Quinn Sullivan empowertexans.com
• I just got back last night from Washington, DC. I can never be there without thinking about the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi: “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.†Except, perhaps, in Austin...
• The push is on: Greg Abbott and the Texas GOP want to raise the sales tax and hope you’ll trust them to lower (but not eliminate) property taxes for homeowners. (There will be little or no tax relief for commercial, industrial, or agricultural properties, or rented residences.) If you want REAL tax relief, tell Gov. Abbott to drop the tax hike, and use the state surplus to make lasting tax relief.
• Much like the mythical Loch Ness Monster, no one has ever seen a “tax swap†benefit taxpayers. In state after state, legislators and governors have repeatedly promised to lower property taxes by imposing a new or higher tax of some other sort. The result? Higher tax burdens.
• Gov. Abbott and Republican lawmakers are kidding themselves if they think they are doing anything other than Californizing Texas.
• Speaking of higher taxes... The Texas Senate’s Education Committee hastily passed a massive “school finance reform†measure despite lawmakers not seeing the 300+ page bill until after arriving at the committee hearing. Destin Sensky reports this new version of House Bill 3 is at least partly dependent on the passage of a sales tax increase to provide an additional revenue source for the big spending bill lawmakers have appropriated.
• It’s not even reform in a meaningful sense of the school finance system. Just window-dressing as an excuse for a lot more spending.
• The measure has a contingency provision that any property tax reform and relief will be conditional on passage of a sales tax increase. The specific details of that tax increase have yet to be disclosed to senators or to the public. It’s not scheduled to be tackled in the Texas House until AFTER the Senate is expected to vote on HB 3 Friday.
The Senate’s GOP leadership seems to be taking a page from Nancy Pelosi’s “pass the bill so that you can find out what's in it†playbook.
“I can’t vote for this bill at this point,†said State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston). “I’m not trying to be disrespectful … but there are clear errors in the bill already, and the fact that the entire funding mechanism is entirely unknown at this time gives me great concern.â€
That sentiment was echoed by State Sens. Angela Paxton (McKinney) and Bob Hall (R–Edgewood), who all joined Bettencourt in refusing to vote for the measure.
It will be just a little harder to appeal your property tax appraisal, if the House version of property tax “reform†as amended by State Rep. Charlie Geren (R–Fort Worth) becomes law. Brandon Waltens explains the details.
In a new commentary, Mark Pulliam writes that after the city council discriminated against Chick-Fil-A for the religious and social views of its owners, San Antonio voters have a chance to make their voices heard.
Homeowners in Dallas are protesting plans by the city council to allow high-density (apartments and business) development too close to their neighborhood. Robert Montoya has the details.
State law allows hospitals to give you 10 days notice that they plan to “pull the plug†on you. Texas Right to Life wants senators to give patients and their families more time to make care decisions. Learn more on their website.
CALL TO ACTION: Express your opposition to Abbott's sales tax increase. Our staff will print and hand-deliver copies of your signed letters to the governor's office, and to your state lawmakers. We will notify you upon delivery.
Today in History
On May 2, 1933, the first “sighting†of the Loch Ness Monster was reported to a local newspaper, the Inverness Courier.
Quote-Unquote
“I have always argued that when we act like [conservatives], we win. We proved that in 1994. And when we act like [Democrats], we lose. Republicans proved that in 2006.â€
– Dick Armey​
