State Senator Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock) got it right in today’s Dallas Morning News when he said, “I don’t think the spending cap was designed to prevent tax cuts.” What spending cap? The so-loose-as-to-be-non-existent cap added to the state constitution back in 1978 as the “Texas Tax Relief Act.” Unfortunately additional tax relief during the recent special session was blocked by claims that having the state provide such relief would constitute spending.
Those claims might meet the letter of the law, but certainly miss the spirit and intent. “Texas Tax Relief Act” seems to get the point about right.
Also seeming to talk the right talk in the DMN today was Appropriations Chair (and Speaker-wannabe) Jim Pitts (R-Waxahachie). “The only way to give money back to the people is to break the spending cap.” Maybe that’s just clever speaker-campaigning. Or maybe he believes it. Let’s just hope he acts on it by using the surplus only to reduce taxes!
