school finance

From left: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen speak at a press conference regarding property taxes on May 1, 2019.

Gov. Greg Abbott, legislative leaders assert confidence as deadline to cut property taxes nears

by Aliyya Swaby and Cassandra Pollock

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen did not close the door on passing a sales tax swap with a simple majority instead of the current approach requiring two-thirds support of lawmakers and voter approval.

Full Story

Chairman of the House Public Education Committee and state Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, on the House floor during the House School Finance plan deliberation on April 3, 2019.

Analysis: There’s more than one way to pass a tax bill in Texas

by Ross Ramsey

Texas legislators have two versions of their sales-tax-for-property-tax swap in motion, and if they run out of time, lawmakers have more tricks in their pocket. If they don't get the property tax cuts they want, it won't be because of end-of-session deadlines.

Full Story

Senate Education Committee Chariman and state Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, during a committee meeting on Mar. 5, 2019.

After Texas Senate committee approves school finance bill, House panel advances sales tax increase to fund property tax relief

by Aliyya Swaby

The Senate Education Committee approved the school finance bill in a hurried meeting Wednesday. The full Senate is now expected to vote on the legislation Friday. Meanwhile, a House panel advanced a proposal to let voters decide whether a sales tax increase should fund property tax relief.

Full Story

House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, meet with other state representatives on the house floor on April 11, 2019.

Analysis: The Texas House is handcuffing property tax relief to education reforms

by Ross Ramsey

An amendment added to a Senate property tax bill ties it to school finance — a signal the Texas House doesn't want to leave the harder-to-pass education bill behind.

Full Story

Texas Sen. Larry Taylor unveils new school finance bill, adding $5,000 teacher pay raise

by Aliyya Swaby

The bill differs in significant ways from the version the House approved this month.

Full Story

Governor Greg Abott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen pet Pancake, the governor’s dog after their joint press conference. Jan. 9, 2019.

Analysis: Teacher pay raises and Robin Hood stall Texas lawmakers

by Ross Ramsey

The end of the legislative session — deal-making time — is looming, and the priorities set out by the state's top leaders three months ago remain undone. In fact, those centerpiece school finance and property tax measures aren't even teed up for the final negotiations.

Full Story

From left: Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston; Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick; Gov. Greg Abbott; House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton; and Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, speak at a Jan 31, 2019, news conference addressing property tax reform.

Texas lawmakers promised to rein in school district property taxes. What do their plans actually do?

by Aliyya Swaby

Three quarters of the way into the legislative session, lawmakers are still juggling several proposals related to school district taxes, including some that would not provide any tax relief.

Full Story

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks from the dais in the Senate chamber on April 9, 2019.

Analysis: Making friends and influencing people in the Texas Legislature

by Ross Ramsey

It's hard to gather support for the state's most persistent problems when you're also pressing forward with issues that divide and anger Republicans and Democrats. It's also business as usual in the Texas Legislature.

Full Story

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen hold a joint press conference on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion on Jan. 9, 2019.

Can Texas’ top three Republicans muster enough support to pass a sales tax swap?

by Aliyya Swaby, Emma Platoff and Cassandra Pollock

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have already signaled opposition to the proposal from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen.

Full Story

Gov. Greg Abbott addresses state officials at the State of the State address in the House Chambers at the State Capitol on Feb. 5, 2019. He's accompanied by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen.

A Texas sales tax increase would hit poor people the hardest

by Edgar Walters and Aliyya Swaby

Top Republican leaders have proposed raising the sales tax and using the money to lower local property tax rates. Wealthier Texans and businesses would likely benefit, while poorer Texans would likely pay more.

Full Story

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, in the Senate chamber on April 15, 2019.

Analysis: Can Texas Republicans raise the sales tax without suffering a backlash?

by Ross Ramsey

Lawmakers have proposed swapping higher sales taxes for lower property taxes — but leaving the final decision to voters. They don't have to do it that way, but it could move the blame from them — to the rest of us.

Full Story

From left: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen speak at a joint press conference addressing property tax reform. Jan 31, 2019.

Analysis: The Texas Legislature is stuck. Don’t worry about it.

by Ross Ramsey

The Texas Legislature is in its biennial spasm of drama, with big bills stuck and some state leaders saying it will take a special session to get property taxes, school finance and all of that done. But they have six weeks to go, and they often do their big work on deadline.

Full Story

House speaker Dennis Bonnen speaks to a colleague on the House floor on April 11, 2019.

Analysis: For the Texas Legislature right now, it’s bipartisan or bust

by Ross Ramsey

The state's top three leaders bet everything on public education and property taxes this year, but they can't get where they're going — especially if they want to cut property taxes — without bringing some Democrats to their side.

Full Story

Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen at a joint press conference held at the Governor's Mansion on Jan. 9, 2019.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, other top leaders propose raising the sales tax to provide property tax relief

by Aliyya Swaby

The state's "Big Three" unveiled the proposal in a joint statement. The idea would need approval from two-thirds of the House and Senate and a majority of Texas voters.

Full Story

Margarita Rios (with KIPP Dream Prep from Houston, center) along with students, educators, activists and parents rallies on the south lawn of the Capitol in Austin Tuesday, January 24, 2017 to show support for expanding school choice options during National School Choice Week. Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick spoke in favor of expanding school choice options.

Texas charter schools are facing more backlash this year, but they could also receive more cash

by Aliyya Swaby

School finance reform could bring the privately operated public schools a windfall. But traditional public school advocates are still fighting the charters' expansion.

Full Story

Here’s how different proposals at the Texas Capitol could change property tax bills

by Aliyya Swaby, Chris Essig and Shannon Najmabadi

How would lawmakers' proposals to provide property tax relief affect tax bills? It depends on where you live and what kind of home you own.

Full Story

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt speaks to Texas Tribune reporter Emma Platoff in his office on Feb. 13, 2019.

After 20 years of agitating for property tax reform, can Paul Bettencourt pull it off?

by Emma Platoff

The "Tax Man," a Republican senator from Houston, has his best chance yet to shake up Texas' property tax system. But it's going to be an uphill battle.

Full Story

Chairman of the House Public Education Committee and state Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, and colleagues speak at the front podium during the House School Finance plan deliberation on April 3, 2019.

Texas House approves major school finance reform package, adds teacher raises to the bill

by Aliyya Swaby

The legislation would increase per-student funding, mandate across-the-board teacher pay raises and reduce "Robin Hood" payments made by wealthy districts.

Full Story

Portrait of Brady Mayo in the Texas State Capitol ahead of testifying on the House Finance Bill on March 12, 2019.

Many Texas teachers have second jobs or live paycheck to paycheck. They're watching the teacher pay debate.

by María Méndez

"I never anticipated that I would take a summer job at Wendy’s just so that I could replace a broken dishwasher,” said one high school English teacher who makes $45,000 per year.

Full Story

The Texas American Federation of Teachers hold a rally in support of public education at the capitol on Mar. 11, 2019.

Analysis: Texas lawmakers haven’t sworn off culture wars after all

by Ross Ramsey

The Texas Legislature is trying to focus on school finance and property taxes. But flashier, more divisive political fights beckon.

Full Story