Texas House and Senate Agree on Property Tax Relief, School Safety Funding, and Border Security

Austin (CBSDFW.COM) – Republican majorities in the Texas House of Representatives and Senate have now formally proposed spending billions of dollars to ease rising property taxes across the state.

The first budget proposals published by each house of the legislature show a general funds budget of more than $130 billion, with a number of spending priorities agreed upon.

With a record budget surplus of nearly $33 billion, both Republicans and Democrats in the Texas Capitol agree that the state is in a good position to give money back to Texans.

Each chamber has earmarked $15 billion for property tax relief, but the details are yet to be worked out.

Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick announced Tuesday during his inauguration that the Senate will propose raising the property tax exemption from $40,000 to $70,000, at a cost of only about $3 billion.

Since the Uvalda mass shooting, at least $600 million has been allocated in the House and Senate budgets for school security measures.

Lawmakers are also seeking to increase funding for hospital beds for the mentally ill by $2.3 billion in the House of Representatives and $3 billion in the Senate.

Both budget proposals provide $4.6 billion to support ongoing border security operations.

The plans leave billions of dollars of revenue unspent due to spending restrictions.

State Senator Royce West, Dallas, agreed on Wednesday that the state should not spend all the extra money available. “We know we have a wealth of resources that we never had here in Texas. This does not mean that we waste everything that does not need to be said. some of those dollars.

State Representative Justin Holland, R-Heath, said: “I do think spending limits are important. I know a lot of people working on appropriations would like us to be able to spend all that and a little more, but in Texas we like to act like you’re supposed to manage the family budget and not spend all the money.”

Legislators have also offered about $2 billion in pay raises for civil servants, and the legislators we spoke to told us they deserve it.

West said, “In order to keep a stable workforce, a committed workforce, a competent workforce, we have to compensate them.”

Holland agreed. “Our civil servants are some of the hardest working people and they work very few, very long hours. Lots of time, and living in Austin, Texas is not cheap.”

One area where Democrats and Republicans disagree is the expansion of Medicaid in Texas.

West said, “The problem is getting the Republicans to work with us on this issue. We’ll try again, yes we’ll try. The question is whether it will be done, and frankly, we are in power, by the grace of our Republican. colleagues.”

Holland said: “I have no appetite for this in the House of Representatives or the Senate. I do believe that healthcare, social services and healthcare are important. This is an important article, one of the two main articles that we spend money on.

More than 2,000 bills were submitted during the legislative session that began last week.

But it only takes one bill to pass the Texas Constitution, and that’s the state budget.

The next session should end with Memorial Day weekend.