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Property tax relief in hands of Texas Senate
Fighting between top republicans at the State Capitol continues. Property tax relief is now in the hands of the Texas Senate this special session after the Texas House adjourned.
AUSTIN, Texas - Property tax relief will be in the hands of the Texas Senate on Friday, June 2.
The House adjourned Tuesday evening after passing a property tax plan, less than 24 hours after a special session was called late Monday night by Gov. Abbott.
House Speaker Dade Phelan called it "the largest state property tax cut in American history" in a tweet.
"This was one of Governor Abbott’s top priorities on the campaign trail," said Scott Braddock, editor for the quorumreport.com. "They passed a bill that was exactly what the governor asked for, and they were done, they said the special session is over, at least as far as we're concerned, and the Senate is saying no to that."
In what Braddock called "an extra nasty standoff," senators passed their own property tax legislation which includes tax compression and a homestead exemption. The House’s plan focuses solely on tax compression.
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"Tax compression just means the state writing a bigger check to school districts so that they don't have to raise taxes more locally, and that helps homeowners, businesses, commercial properties, everybody," said Braddock. "A homestead exemption increase only helps homeowners, and it would be quick relief, but a $100,000 homestead exemption is going to be very unaffordable for Texas going forward."
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick fired back on Wednesday over the House’s move.
"If the House thinks after abandoning the Capitol, and walking out on the special session, the Senate is going to pass their ‘take it or leave it’ property tax bill without a homestead exemption, they are mistaken," the lieutenant governor said in a tweet.
"Patrick rode the issue of property tax reform to the Texas Senate and to the lieutenant governor’s office," said Braddock. "This has been his signature issue."
If the Senate adjourns without moving the House legislation forward, it will be up to the governor whether to call another special session.
"They are not in agreement. The governor has done nothing to bring them into agreement, and until he does, he shouldn't have them in Austin," said Braddock.
Meanwhile, bills that were passed during the regular session have been sent to the governor’s desk. The governor generally has 20 days to sign or veto legislation before it automatically becomes law.