House and Senate lawmakers plan to spend at least $6 billion on property tax cuts, but haven’t yet agreed on how much relief should go to homeowners over businesses.
Paul Bettencourt
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas Republicans take aim at public transit in two major cities
The Texas Legislature is considering bills that transit officials warn could hamper public transportation in the Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth regions.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas countywide voting bill would allow fewer polling sites
Senate Bill 985 would revise a 2023 law that raised the minimum number of voting locations. County election officials say they’ve struggled to comply with it.
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Texas Legislature 2025
The Texas Senate wants more — and smaller — starter homes in new neighborhoods
The goal of the new legislation is to help drive down the cost of housing so that more Texans can afford homes.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Republican senators threaten not to boost Texas public universities’ funding over DEI ban
In a letter, Sens. Brandon Creighton and Paul Bettencourt said they found “numerous” violations of the law, but didn’t provide specifics.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas Senate unanimously approves tax cuts for homeowners
The marquee proposal would increase the amount of a home’s value exemption from school taxes to $140,000 from $100,000. The legislation must win approval from the House next.
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Politics
Gov. Greg Abbott wants to set a high bar for local tax increases
Local officials, school advocates and tax policy experts said such a proposal could have dire impacts on basic services.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas Republicans want more property tax cuts. Here’s how they may do it.
Gov. Greg Abbott said cutting taxes is a top priority, however, state lawmakers don’t have as much money to plug into tax cuts as they did two years ago.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas Republicans want voters to provide proof of citizenship. Arizona’s law holds lessons.
A Votebeat analysis shows how such requirements risk disenfranchising key voter groups, including Native Americans and college students.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Bill aimed at increasing transparency could sow chaos for election officials, experts say
Under state Sen. Paul Bettencourt’s bill, some individuals could submit requests for explanations of ‘election irregularities’ and potentially bring them to the Texas Secretary of State.
