Breakdown of the 5 bills...
HB 1 - Rep. Warren Chisum, Rep. Rob Eissler and Rep. Dan Branch, buys down property taxes $0.17 in the first year. The bill would go into effect this year.
HB 3 - Rep. Jim Keffer, Rep. John Otto and Rep. Vilma Luna revises the franchise tax provisions.
HB 4 - Swinford - Relating to motor vehicle sales and use taxes
HB 5 - Hamric - Relating to increases in the taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products
HB 2 by Pitts sends all revenue from the other bills to buy down property taxes.
Chisum, Eissler, Branch, Keffer, Otto, Luna, Swinford, Hamric and Pitts - gotta give it to the leadership, they came out swinging with a really strong Dream Team.
Let's run down the governor's call and see who he picked to be his bitch this session...
Consider legislation that provides for school district property tax relief - Chisum, Eissler, Branch
Consider legislation that provides for modification of the franchise tax - Keffer, Otto and Luna are on top of this.
Consider legislation that provides for modification of the motor vehicle sales - Swinford's on this.
Consider legislation that provides for modification of the tax on tobacco products - Hamric jumps on this.
Consider legislation that provides for an appropriation to the Texas Education Agency - Pitts is all over this.
fixed, thanks wonk, what would i do without you?
"The $8.2 billion surplus would provide approximately 35 cents in property tax rate cuts for Texans for two years — taking the school property tax rate from $1.50 to $1.15," said Brooke Rollins. "This could be done without any new taxes, representing a sound win for all Texans."
Former Democratic Comptroller John Sharp, who headed the commission that authored Perry's tax plan, agreed. "If you do all of it, that's about the stupidest thing you could do."
I think John Sharp just called Brooke Rollins stupid. At least Sharp is definitely right on one point.
Serious question...and purely hypothetical. If nothing gets done in this special, and the legislature doesn't comply with the June 1 deadline, what happens? What power does the Supreme Court have?
If nothing gets done, the goobernator's hair will fall out.
From what I hear, some of those Reps. are pretty pissed about having their name arbitrarily put on bills they didn't write, want, or support.
would these be the same spineless Reps that were pissed off when Craddick circulated the letter of "pledges" for his second term as speaker that was filled with arbitrary inclusions? give me a break. if you're pissed off, do something about it. there's cracks in the wall people.
Whose Lunda?
Or do You mean Luna the stinky Tuna?