The Texas Legislature, full of people who believe in open government and who also like to settle things quietly and outside of public view, is diving into open-government legislation.
Paul Bettencourt
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Demographics
Property tax proposal piles one more worry on Texas’ rural hospital districts
Hospital leaders say restrictions on their property tax revenue growth could force them to scale back services.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: Skirting the rules in the Texas Senate — but doing it by the book
Sometimes, the way around the established traditions of the Texas Senate is to be found in the least obvious place: the Senate’s own rulebook.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Texas community colleges warn they may consider tuition hikes in the face of property tax reform
Property taxes are one of three main sources of revenue for community colleges. If growth in those taxes is limited, the colleges say they may have to look elsewhere for revenue.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: It takes more than three high officials to make Texas laws
What started as unity at the top of Texas government is now in the hands of state legislators, who are better known for killing bills and changing the original intentions. Case in point: property taxes.
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Higher Education
Texas A&M asks lawmakers for $55 million in “equity” funds, citing UT’s budget
The gap between Texas A&M’s and UT-Austin’s per-student funding has increased over the last five years, due in part to growing enrollment at the College Station campus.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Days after heated meeting, Texas Senate property tax committee passes 2.5-percent rollback rate bill
The Senate panel’s vote came despite fierce pushback from city and county leaders, who say a lower election threshold on increased property tax revenues could hamstring their budgets.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: The challenge of reining in property taxes at no cost to schools
A Texas Senate committee is moving rapidly to require voter approval for local property tax increases over 2.5 percent. But some want to see the Legislature’s school finance bill before they vote on property taxes.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Point of Order: Everybody hates property taxes
In the latest episode of our podcast about the 86th Legislature, Evan Smith talks with state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, the chairman of the Senate Property Tax Committee, about off-the-charts appraisals and off-the-leash local officials — and whether his reform plan has the votes to pass.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: Something’s missing from the opening bid for property tax “relief” in Texas
The property tax legislation unveiled by state leaders this week carries an implicit promise — that local school districts will get more state money — but doesn’t say where that money might come from.
