One of the promises that the Texas House of Representatives has made throughout the 86th Legislative Session is that we are going to get property tax relief done and get it done right. The emergence of House Bill 297 authored by Representative Andrew Murr (R-Junction) is proving to be our best way forward in fulfilling that promise. I am proud to stand with Representative Murr as a co-author and am ready to get this bill sent to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk to be signed into law in the last week of session.
Skyrocketing property values have led to unequal funding of public education from the state and localities, which has unfairly crippled property owners for far too long. HB 297 seeks to remedy this imbalance by prohibiting school districts from levying maintenance and operations taxes come Jan. 1, 2022. Furthermore, the bill would create a joint interim committee on the elimination of those taxes to study the feasibility of funding public education through state-imposed consumption taxes.
This all boils down to the essential abolition of the unfair “Robin Hood” recapture and a much needed 50% reduction in property taxes statewide. This is the property tax relief bill that all Texans deserve.
Fundamentally, this bill renews the state’s commitment to paying its constitutional obligations for public education. The state has not held up their end of the bargain for too long now and it is time we amend those wrongs. I look forward to continuing the fight for Texas property owners and being a leader in helping us amend our own wrongs. I thank Representative Murr for this great piece of legislation and appreciate Speaker Dennis Bonnen and Governor Abbott’s leadership in helping property owners all over the state, but specifically in the heavy-burdened Permian Basin.
God bless Texas!
