In open races, it can often be difficult for voters to assess candidates’ true positions on important issues. Even Texas’ most liberal Republicans campaign as “Reagan conservatives,” yet govern like liberals once safely elected.
In House District 106, however, one candidate is making clear his opposition to the Republican Party platform priority on protecting taxpayers from skyrocketing property taxes.
Clint Bedsole is a relative newcomer to politics. On his website, he claims he will “fight skyrocketing property taxes.” However, as recently as last July, Bedsole supported property taxes and the obstructionists that have worked against taxpayers to prevent meaningful reform.
State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston) and the Texas Senate passed meaningful property tax reform demanded by the citizens of the state and prioritized by Gov. Greg Abbott during the regular and special sessions in 2017. But those bills were killed by an obstructionist House leadership in a bold affront to taxpayers not only once…but twice.
Big-government organizations like the Texas Association of Counties used tax-funded lobbyists to oppose any efforts at reform. During the special session, TAC shared an editorial from the Dallas Morning News on Twitter which criticized the state’s involvement in placing any limits at all on local property taxes, instead preferring local governments have the unfettered ability to tax their citizens as much as they would like.
Bedsole agreed with this sentiment, retweeting the post and adding, “Couldn’t agree more!!”
The endorsement by Bedsole of the tax-funded lobby organization and their pro-tax agenda should worry conservatives who want to see property-tax reform finally pass the Texas House, rather than languish at the hands of the Austin establishment.
Bedsole jumped into the race for the HD 106 seat after current State Rep. Pat Fallon (R–Frisco) announced he would not seek re-election and would instead challenge State Sen. Craig Estes (R–Wichita Falls) in the Republican primary. Bedsole is competing for the seat against Frisco businessman Jared Patterson, who has been endorsed by both Fallon and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility.
The Republican primary election will be held on March 6th. To find out which candidates have been endorsed by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility click here.
