A new proposal to cut school property taxes in Texas perfectly outlines the political problem facing lawmakers: It’s terribly expensive, and other taxes have to be raised to pay for it.
school finance
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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
Analysis: A State of the State address that’s short on surprises, long on collaboration
What Texas Gov. Greg Abbott didn’t say in Tuesday’s State of the State speech was important. School finance and property taxes were the big issues before the speech — and Abbott didn’t stray from those subjects.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Watch Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s State of the State address
Abbott stayed on message about education and taxes, and touched on school safety, disaster response and mental health programs.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: Texas government is often entertaining, but it’s not all show business
Property taxes and school finance — the top two priorities of state leaders this legislative session — aren’t the sorts of issues that fire up political partisans. Sometimes, lawmakers are just trying to do some work.
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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.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Many see “Robin Hood” as a villain. But lawmakers rely on it to pay for schools.
Even outspoken critics of the controversial program that redistributes money among school districts, acknowledge that they need it to avoid future school-finance lawsuits.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: The Texas comptroller’s new “pesky chart”
In a new report, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar says the state should cover 40 percent of the cost of public education — and should cover the costs of inflation, too.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Will Texas’ attempt to shake up school finance lead to higher stakes for standardized tests?
The idea of tying a portion of funding to test scores appeals to some who want to improve student performance, but it enrages educators who say it will encourage teaching to the test.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: Property taxes in Texas are high. Don’t expect the Legislature to change that.
Texas leaders are promising property tax relief during this year’s legislative session. It’s unlikely that will lower your taxes, but it might slow future increases.
