Texas House swiftly passes property tax bill, abruptly adjourns

[LetMyPeopleVote]

The Texas House basically just told Dan Patrick to shove it and to adopt the House's bill or wait for another special session. Dan Patrick had attack Speaker Phelan just after this special session was called.

Link to tweet

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/30/texas-special-session-property-taxes/?utm_campaign=trib-social&utm_content=1685489240&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

After weeks of bickering over whose proposal to cut Texans’ property taxes is better, House Speaker Dade Phelan sent a clear message to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, his Senate counterpart, on Tuesday: Take our pitch or leave the special session with nothing.

That message came when the House abruptly adjourned Tuesday after swiftly passing bills on property tax relief and migrant smuggling — the sole items that Gov. Greg Abbott demanded from a special session that began Monday night.

The adjournment means the chamber can’t meet for the rest of the special session, leaving the Senate to accept the version of the bills the House passed or not pass any bill this session.

That bold legislative gambit appeared to be an effort to force the Senate to accept two House bills — one that would increase the minimum sentence for someone convicted of smuggling people and operating a stash house to at least 10 years under state law, and another that would use $12.3 billion in state funds to reduce school property taxes across the state.

[dalton99a]

1. It is Phelan vs. Patrick/Paxton/Abbott

Phelan is the lesser of two evils in this fight

[jimfields33]

2. Abbott got what he wanted.

For once, this helps Texans. Property taxes are high so any relief is good.

[dalton99a]

3. Agreed

Property taxes are ridiculous in Texas

[calguy]

4. High property taxes is the trade-off for no state income tax.

They'll get you one way or another.

[Axelrods_Typewriter]

5. I've heard from people who moved to Texas.

They say that the no income tax is essentially cancelled out by higher property tax and higher car insurance premiums. I found the higher car insurance premiums to be an interesting, if unexpected change. They also laughed at people who wanted to move down to Texas for lower taxes .

[Liberal In Texas]

8. We also have pretty stiff sales taxes.

Which hit the low income even more than the property taxes.

[LostOne4Ever]

6. I live in Texas and I will never understand how Republicans can be so against income taxes...

…Calling them socialism, but support property taxes.

I mean property taxes sound 10x more socialist than an income tax. Income tax just takes a cut of what you earned. Property taxes are pretty much the state saying that you will never fully own your home. That it belongs to the state and you must pay rent to use it.

How is that not seen as socialism x10, but income taxes is Marx/Lennin embodied.

[Javaman]

7. probably because they can hide more of their bullshit from the feds.

with a state income tax, they probably can't.