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Texas House turns tax cut into spending increase

I've never seen anything quite like it. The Texas House today turned a $2.5 billion tax cut (H.B. 2785) into a $4.4 billion spending increase! Texans now know that too many legislators – Republicans and Democrats – are more interested in growing the size of...

Your Tax Relief On Life Support

It's hard to believe I'm even having to write this: but your only shot at getting even a little bit of honest property tax relief is on life support, and hours away from death. Please call your legislator today and ask them to demand that House Bill 2785 come up for a...

Senate Leaders Won’t Answer Taxpayers’ Calls

When the moderate to liberal editorial board of the San Antonio Express-News blasts ostensibly conservative Republican Senate leaders for not getting rid of an outrageous tax, something is seriously wrong in Austin. That is what happened earlier this week. While the...

Thousands of Texans Demand Budget Reform

Real Spending Limits, Budget Transparency Highlighted In Letters AUSTIN, Texas – By the thousands, Texans are demanding that the legislature act now on significant budget reforms that will provide for a strong spending limit and real spending transparency. Thousands...

House Votes to Stop Appraisal Districts from Suing Taxpayers

While little has been accomplished this session for taxpayers so far, some good news came today when the House unanimously  passed HB3490 which will prevent appraisal districts from suing property taxpayers when they win their appeal before the Appraisal Review Board...

House Passes an Appraisal Relief Bill – Will the Senate Follow?

Last week, the Texas House finally passed a piece of property tax relief legislation, voting in favor of HB216 by Rep. John Otto (R-Dayton) by a margin of 87-53.  This bill allows appraisal districts a margin of error of 10 percent, instead of the current 5 percent,...

Super-Subsidize Me

 It's getting increasingly easy to get on the government gravy train. From movie studio execs to Ph.D. families, the hand-outs just don't end in this Republican-controlled legislature. Small government. Right... This week, the Texas Senate's Finance Committee is...

Pauken Tries to Push Property Tax Relief Up the Hill

The Tyler Morning Telegraph has a revealing story today (see link or below) in which Tom Pauken, the chair of the Governor's Property Tax Reform Task Force, is quoted stating how disappointed he is with the lack of progress so far.  He speaks candidly about what he...