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This week, I have been receiving a lot of calls and questions about property tax relief. Specifically, constituents have been asking about the difference between the House’s “compression only” plan and the Senate’s “Texas Two-Step” plan which includes both compression and homestead exemptions. I have studied both plans and, while I do believe both equate to meaningful property tax relief, I ultimately believe the Senate’s plan is the best path forward because it gives Texas homeowners larger tax cut. The Senate plan:
- Gives Texans a $100,000 homestead exemption in addition to lowering, “compressing” School Maintenance and Operating (M&O) property tax rates by 21.8%
- Dedicates about 70% of the $17.6 billion to compression for all properties, with the remaining 30% going to a $100,000 homestead exemption.
- Provides for $17.6 Billion in tax relief and would provide a total savings of $1250/yr for homeowners under 65, and $1450/yr for homeowners over 65. This results in roughly $500 to $700 more per year in property tax savings to Texas homeowners than the “compression only” House Plan.
This week the Senate passed three border security bills, SB 2, SB 8, and HB 2. These three pieces of legislation are crucial given that Texas had over 2 million illegal immigrant apprehensions in 2022. Since President Biden won’t secure the southern border, Texas is taking the lead.
- SB 2 creates a new state crime for illegally entering the State of Texas from a foreign nation and authorizes state law enforcement to arrest and prosecute these state crimes.
- SB 8 Increases law enforcement presence at the Southern Border and allows the Governor the ability to develop and execute agreements with Mexico regarding the authority to protect and defend Texans. The bill also provides the authority to finance infrastructure, facilities, and equipment to secure the border.
- HB 2 increases the criminal penalties for committing crimes of human smuggling or operating a stash house.
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