AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Billions of dollars in tax cuts promised by Texas Republicans have shrunk over concerns of an economic slowdown, and one architect of the plan conceded Wednesday that heralded savings for homeowners could be short-lived.
With less than two weeks left in the Legislature, top lawmakers are still finalizing $3.8 billion in tax cuts that at times has plunged the first session under Republican Gov. Greg Abbott into gridlock and infighting. Budget writers now say a deal could be done by week’s end, which would give Republicans a victory to bring home to conservative voters.
But the savings are less robust than what lawmakers bragged was possible, and whether the average Texas homeowner would consider roughly $120 off property tax bills as significant relief remains a target for critics.
One powerbroker of the tax cut package, Republican Senate Finance Chairwoman Jane Nelson, didn’t dispute that a $10,000 homestead exemption increase could be swallowed by soaring home appraisals. She said potential fixes remain in play before the session ends June 1.
“I live in an area where prices are skyrocketing. So yes, that’s something we need to address, and that’s still very much part of the discussion,” said Nelson, who is from Flower Mound.
Abbott told lawmakers in February that property tax reduction “must be lasting” and can’t be allowed to evaporate by rising property values. Opponents are doubtful that is possible.
For months, House Republicans had pushed cutting sales taxes instead of property taxes, arguing that the savings to homeowners would be small and fleeting. They relented during negotiations.
“I think the odds of people saying, ’Thank you, Texas Legislature, for cutting my taxes’ is going to be pretty small,” Democratic state Rep. Chris Turner said.
What already appears settled by House and Senate Republicans is the bottom-line tax cut number- about $1 billion lower than what House Republicans once proposed and a half-billion less than Abbott sought after taking office in January. Even back then, the Legislature returned to work amid tumbling oil prices and evidence that the roaring Texas economy was slowing. The state comptroller predicted falling tax revenues but still gave Republicans enough confidence to push ahead with seeking the biggest tax cuts in a decade.
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AMENDMENT SOLIDIFIES ’RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH’ IN TEXAS CONSTITUTION
The Texas Legislature has approved a proposed state constitutional amendment guaranteeing citizens’ right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife.
The House passed it 111-1 Wednesday, with 20-plus abstentions. Senate approval came last month.
Voters in November will be asked to modify the Texas Constitution to recognize “the right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife subject to laws that promote wildlife conservation.”
Eighteen other states have approved similar measures, which supporters say come as some areas have shortened hunting seasons or limited what animals can be hunted.
The amendment wouldn’t trump hunting rules or ordinances banning discharging guns within city limits. Publishing the resolution will cost Texas nearly $120,000.
Opponents argued the constitution “is not a toy” and shouldn’t be “demeaned” with useless amendments, prompting the numerous abstentions.
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HOUSE OKS BORDER SECURITY FUNDING TO FIGHT CARRIZO CANE ON RIO GRANDE
A roughly $800 million border security package working its way through the Texas Legislature is meant to curb drug and people smuggling. But it could also attack another common enemy along the Rio Grande: Carrizo cane.
The House gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a bill passed last month by the Senate. It seeks to use part of the border security package’s funding to eradicate the cane, which grows along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Native to Asia, Carrizo cane is common in South Texas and grows thick enough to choke water flow and obstruct border surveillance by law enforcement.
The proposal would hire two state employees to help eradicate Carrizo cane at an annual cost of nearly $199,000 in salary and benefits - though more would be spent on actual eradication efforts.
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ON DECK
The House reconvenes at 10 a.m. Thursday and should see a lively debate as it takes up a Senate-approved measure allowing clergy members to refuse to oversee weddings that violate their religious beliefs. The bill largely restates what is already Texas law, but has caused a stir since some supporters have used it to decry gay marriage as offensive to God. The Senate returns at 11 a.m.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“What we put in our Constitution is important, and our constitution is not a toy” - Rep. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, arguing against a constitutional amendment guaranteeing Texans’ right to hunt and fish that eventually won House approval.
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