Taxes & Budget Policy
HB 1583 by Rep. Chuck Hopson, Rep. David Farrabee & Rep. Stephen Frost and HJR 65 by Rep. Chuck Hopson & Rep. Stephen Frost
Increases the homestead exemption to $45,000 and allows for an increase in state aid for any school district that may see a loss in local revenue due to the increased exemption.
Lowers and freezes the property tax rates for senior citizens and the disabled.
ALSO SEE: Protecting Our Seniors
Re-directs the System Benefit Fund for its intended purpose - to help lower electric bills for senior citizens and families in need.
ALSO SEE: Energy & the Environment
Allows local communities to construct street lights and seawalls in specified public improvement districts.
Automatically enrolls all eligible children in either Medicaid or CHIP, whichever they should qualify for, without the need for families to fight through bureaucratic red tape.
ALSO SEE: Health & Human Services
Repeals the authority for the establishment and operation of the Trans-Texas Corridor.
Places a two-year moratorium on the construction of all new toll roads in Texas.
Texas teachers are paid, on average, $4,000 a year less than the national average. HB 1625 raises teacher salaries to the national average.
ALSO SEE: Improving Our Children’s Schools
Eliminates tuition deregulation and re-sets tuition rates for all Texas colleges and universities at formula levels that were in place in 2003.
ALSO SEE: Higher Education
Allows disabled veterans full exemption from the payment of toll fees.
Creates a tax credit for small businesses that provide health insurance to their employees.
Returns accountability to state government by renaming the State Auditor’s Office as the Texas Government & Accountability Office and strengthens its powers and independence to provide stricter financial oversight over all state-related entities.
Requires that the state may not use eminent domain to seize a person's homestead for the use of any toll project for at least one year after all environmental reports, public hearings, and proper notifications have been completed. For example, this will help ensure that a farmer is not forced to forfeit their property to the state in the middle of a crop cycle, since such a move would destroy the farmer's livelihood.
Exempts college textbooks for university and college courses from the sales tax at the start of the fall and spring semester.
ALSO SEE: Higher Education
The public trust is damaged when state tax and budget policy rewards special interest contributors with policy and contracts that profit them at the expense of Texans who pay higher fees, tuition and taxes, only to face a declining quality of state services. The public trust must be restored through free and fair elections, stricter ethical standards, and accountable state budget policy that ensures a fair tax system that meets our most important priorities.
Responsible Government for All Texans