AT THE CAPITOL
News from the 88th legislative session
QUOTE OF NOTE
Texas Senate approves package for $16.5B in property tax relief
TAX RELIEF TRIO Three bills aimed at property tax relief have passed in the Texas Senate. Senate Bill 3 • Increases the portion of a home’s value that cannot be taxed from $40,000 to $70,000 • Increases exemption for people over age 65 and the disabled from $10,000 to $30,000 Senate Bill 4 • Cuts school property tax rates by $0.07 per $100 valuation • Has the state of Texas pay school districts at least $5.38 billion to make up for lost revenue Senate Bill 5 • Increases the portion of a business’ property that cannot be taxed from $2,500 to $25,000 • Provides businesses with a 20% tax credit for inventory and property Texas House, which crafted its own property tax relief package. If both chambers and the governor pass either package, Texas voters will decide the matter in November. ? WHAT’S NEXT? The bills were sent to the
“TRANS ATHLETES IN COLLEGIATE COMPETITIONS ARE RARE. WHEN THEY DO SEEK TO COMPETE, THE NCAA HAS ALREADY EXHIBITED AND WILL CONTINUE TO EXHIBIT THE EXPERTISE TO LEVEL THE PLAYING
BY HANNAH NORTON
bill would increase the portion of a home’s value that cannot be taxed from $40,000 to $70,000, which lawmakers have said would save the average homeowner $341 annually. SB 4, which is also by Bettencourt, would cut school property tax rates by $0.07 per $100 valuation. The bill states Texas would provide school districts with at least $5.38 billion to make up for the lost revenue. SB 5 was led by Parker, a freshman senator. The bill is intended to save business owners money by increasing the business personal property tax exemption—or the portion of a busi- ness’ personal property that cannot be taxed—from $2,500 to $25,000. Business owners would also receive a 20% credit for the taxes they pay on inventory and property. Parker said the goal of SB 5 is to give money back to Texans. The bills have been sent to the Texas House.
$120M set for state internet expansion package, Senate Bill 3, would aect the state’s homestead exemption, which is a reduction in a portion of a home’s value for tax purposes. The In a unanimous vote, Texas senators passed a $16.5 billion property tax relief package on March 22. Cutting property taxes for home- owners and businesses has been listed as a top priority for Republicans this session, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott. The package aims to save Texans money on their property tax bills by increasing the state homestead exemption, cutting school district property tax rates and limiting how much businesses can be taxed for their personal property. Sen. Paul Bettencourt, RHouston, authored two of the bills alongside Sen. Tan Parker, RFlower Mound. The rst component of the
FIELD ON A CASE BYCASE BASIS.”
SEN. SARAH ECKHARDT, DAUSTIN, COMMENTING ON SENATE BILL 15, WHICH, IF PASSED, WOULD REQUIRE COLLEGE STUDENTS TO COMPETE ON SPORTS TEAMS BASED ON THEIR SEX ASSIGNED AT BIRTH
UPDATES FROM LOCAL LEGISLATORS
STATE SEN. CHARLES SCHWERTNER District 5 Republican Elected: 2012
SOURCE: TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE COMMUNITY IMPACT
Senate Bill No. 804 This bill would expand eligibility for student loan repayment assistance for mental health professionals who are board certied and either provide care to patients in a state hospital or those receiving services from a local mental health authority. The legislation was referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education on March 1.
TxDOT seeks input on statewide 2050 transportation plan
GETTING THE GRANT Local governments, school districts and
internet service providers across Texas have until May 5 to apply to receive a portion of $120 million in grants to expand broadband service. April 3 May 5 After May 5 grant applications opened application window ends the Texas Broadband Development O ce will post submitted applications online. Texans will have 30 days to challenge the eligibility of any applications before the o ce makes its nal decisions.
BY HANNAH NORTON
BY HANNAH NORTON
The Texas Broadband Develop- ment Oce will award $120 million in grants to governments, school districts and internet providers bringing broadband access to underserved communities, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said. Applications opened April 3 for the Bringing Online Opportunities to Texas program. Eligible projects must be designed to provide inter- net service that “reliably meets or exceeds” speeds of 100 megabits per second. The application will be open until May 5, at which point all eligible applications will be posted online for public review, according to Hegar’s oce. The Broadband Development Oce was formed in 2021 to create a broadband development plan and publish a map highlighting areas that are eligible for broadband expansion, among other initiatives.
STATE REP. TERRY WILSON
The Texas Department of Transpor- tation is turning to local residents as it works on its long-range transportation plan, Connecting Texas 2050. Through May, Texans can attend open houses in their communities or access an online meeting room to share their ideas about the future of Texas transportation and provide input on department goals. According to TxDOT ocials, Connecting Texas 2050 is aimed at making the state’s transportation system as safe, reliable and resilient as possible. The project is ongoing and will be updated every four years. In-person meetings will be held until May 4 in 13 of TxDOT’s 25 dis- tricts. TxDOT ocials also said there is a plan to host a statewide public hearing early next year, before the plan is adopted in summer 2024. For more information, visit www.txdot.gov.
District 20 Republican Elected: 2016
Sign up for our newsletter at communityimpact.com for daily updates throughout the session. SUBSCRIBE TODAY least 10 hours of research-based instruction on fentanyl prevention and drug poisoning awareness to students in sixth-12th grades. House Bill No. 3843 This bill— which has been referred to the Transportation Committee—would require the Texas Department of Transportation to conduct a study comparing the practices and operations of toll project entities throughout the state. House Bill No. 3908 Referred to the Public Education Committee on March 20, this bill would require school districts to provide at
For more information and to access the application form, scan the QR code:
SOURCES: OFFICE OF THE TEXAS COMPTROLLER, TEXAS BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICECOMMUNITY IMPACT
“This infrastructure is the interstate highway system of this century, and ensuring Texans have access to reliable, high-speed inter- net is critical for Texas’ continued economic growth and prosperity,” Hegar said in the release.
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GEORGETOWN EDITION • APRIL 2023
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