Senate okays school funding measure

The Texas Senate took the first step towards passing historic property tax cut and adjust the constitutional spending limit to local school districts.

Legislators passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 20 that would provide $14 billion to school district. It would also pay for he largest reduction in property taxes in the state's history.

SCR 20 was the final piece of the complete property tax relief and education funding package that also includes HB 2 and SJR 13.

"The vote by the House is a huge victory for Texas property owners," said District 9 State Rep. Wayne Christian. "During the previous legislative session we promised to increase state funding to schools and lower property taxes, and today we delivered on that promise."

In press releases, Michael Quinn Sullivan, president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, and Peggy Venable, director of Americans for Prosperity- Texas, lauded the action taken by the house.

"The Texas House has taken the right step in ensuring meaningful tax relief for all Texans," Sullivan stated.

"Legislators fulfilled their commitment to taxpayers," Venable said. "The Texas Legislature promised taxpayers a one-third school property tax reduction as part of the school finance reform. Today legislators set the spending cap aside and recognized that providing property tax relief trumps political grandstanding. This will be the largest tax reduction in the country, and Texans will welcome property tax relief."

In the 79th legislative session, the legislature lowered local property taxes and committed to use surplus state revenue to replace lost local revenue, resulting in a tax decrease for Texans. The vote was necessary because the Texas Constitution technically considers the provision of property tax relief as spending.

On Feb. 21, the House passed House Bill 2, the school-funding proposal that appropriates $14.2 billion for public schools. Had lawmakers not voted to adjust the spending cap for this session, they would have been constitutionally barred from appropriating the additional funding that schools were promised - potentially forcing budget writers to cut the state budget by almost $9 billion.

House members also voted Feb. 21 to approve SJR 13, which extends property tax relief to elderly and disabled homeowners.