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Vol. 1 - Issue 9

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PG 6 PG 3PG 4 PG 5Bad Bet By Rogue Agency Big-Tax KevinTexans Want Tax Relief Houston Area News: Montgomery County’s $350 Million Road Bond

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SEE PROPERTY — PAGE 3 SEE TEXAS — PAGE 3

BY CARY CHESHIRE EMPOWERTEXANS.COM BY MICHAEL QUINN SULLIVAN

EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

PROPERTY TAXES

TEXASSTATE

TAMING TUITION & FREEZING FEES — PAGE 3

It’s a common belief that property taxes are growing at rates that are simply astronomical, placing greater and

greater strain on hardworking Texans. As a report by Americans for Prosperity – Texas indicates, the issue is front and center with Texans demanding relief from the exorbitant taxation—something the Texas Senate looks poised to do with the passage of SB1, a relief valve that would raise the Homestead Exemption.

While a positive step in reducing the impact of the radical rise in taxes, it would do little to attack the root of the problem of the rise themselves. Without protections any property tax relief offered could be short-lived.

To attack the issue head on, freshman State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) introduced SB182, a taxpayer protection bill that would mandate a rollback tax rate election if city, county, or special district property tax revenues grew too much from the prior year, excluding new construction. Currently Texas law forces

Bettencourt Battles Property Taxestaxpayers to petition to have an election to lower excessive tax rates.

“It is time to recognize the obvious that property tax bills cannot continue to grow twice as fast as Texan’s paychecks,” Bettencourt said during a hearing.

Sen. Paul Bettencourt knows property taxes; he served as the Harris County Tax Assessor and Collector.

His legislation – SB182 – would lower the roll-back rate (the rate at which local taxing entities are subject to a tax roll-back election) from 8% to 4%. It also eliminates the need for a petition-gathering process to get the necessary signatures to put the tax rollback on the ballot. The rollback is automatic.

The measure is a common sense reform. Local elected officials should be able to make their case to the voters if they officials want to increase their property taxes over 4%. But local government associations and some of their officials are opposing this legislation.

Local government entities – lead by the Texas Municipal League and the Texas

On March 2, 1836, Texas’ founding fathers declared independence from Mexico because that government had

“ceased to protect the lives, liberty and property of the people.”

Despite the resolute tone of the Declaration, the future appeared bleak for the cause of liberty in the Lone Star State. The Alamo fell just a few days later, and the revolution suffered more set-backs than wins.

Yet just seven weeks later, on April 21, 1836, independence declared became independence achieved when the outnumbered and outgunned Texians defeated Gen. Santa Anna’s soldiers on the fields of San Jacinto. Our forefathers’ passion for self-governance carried the day, won the war and secured independence.

A decade later, Texas voluntarily entered the United States following an overwhelming vote of the people. As a

Fearless And Confident

“Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may.” – SAM HOUSTON

“Rich, poor, Panhandle, Gulf, city, country, Texas is the obsession, the proper study, and the passionate possession of all Texans.” – JOHN STEINBECK

“I will never forsake Texas or her cause. I am her son.” - JOSÉ ANTONIO NAVARRO

“ I shall never surrender or retreat. . . Victory or Death.” - WILLIAM BARRETT TRAVIS

“Opportunity: That’s the Texas we stand for. That’s the Texas we fight for.”

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The ins-and-outs of the legislative processHow to effectively communicate with elected officialsHow to testify in a committee hearingWhat bills are (and are not) up for consideration

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BY GERGORY HARRISON EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

PROFILES IN CITIZEN LEADERSHIP

When current media puts something in its

binoculars, it tends to use only the left lens.

GEORGE SCOTTCITIZEN JOURNALIST

I am a fortunate person. My work is my hobby,” says reporter and columnist George Scott, who runs the news

website www.georgescottreports.com. On his website, Scott reports on issues of local importance in the Katy and Fort Bend County areas, including education reform, bonds, and property taxes. Although he started the website back in 2007, Scott has been involved in journalism for quite some time.

“Not counting my work as a freelance newspaper stringer while in high school, I started in the newspaper business as reporter. I later became the news editor of the Herald Coaster, a daily newspaper in Rosenberg-Richmond,” says Scott. “The Fort Bend County that people see today is

so dramatically different than when I started that job in 1973. It was a tremendous learning environment for about six years. I covered county government, two cities, the school district, and everything else mostly with one other individual.”

That experience led Scott to Alvin in 1979 to serve as a news editor for their newspaper until he was invited to join the staff of political PR pioneer Robert Heller.

Scott then worked with Heller for a couple of years.

“He was brilliant and I learned a lot,” says Scott.

He soon found himself accepting an offer for a publisher’s job in Katy, where he lives today, reporting on issues with a more conservative perspective than typical mainstream media.

Fortunately, Scott’s reporting is free from the party association paradigm, knowing full-well that Republicans as well as Democrats can be just as guilty of fiscal recklessness and abuse.

“I left the Katy Times to become a researcher, then President of the old Tax Research Association – a nonprofit public policy research group funded by the major corporations of Harris County to evaluate government budgets, policies, and bond issues relative to efficiency and impact upon property taxes and other factors,” said Scott. “It’s that job where my eyes were opened; my cynicism blossomed; and my frustrations with governance from both the left and right sides of the political spectrum matured.”

“We are losing our country; our city halls, our school districts, and our state bureaucracy at many levels to the accumulated burden of intellectual laziness by too many people, a cabal of special interests that too often finds government and major corporations sabotaging actual free markets and free enterprise; governments that have grown abusively arrogant with their power; and a news media that needs the Hubble Telescope to reacquaint itself with serious, substantive journalism. When current media puts something in its binoculars, it tends to use only the left lens,” says Scott.

Scott names his father as the driving source of inspiration for his activism. “I continue to be inspired by my father, who played on a small stage but was bigger than life on that stage. A former inner-city elementary school principal in Houston ISD, Thaddeus Lott defended his minority kids’ ability to excel academically if not confronted by liberally compromised curriculum mush. He remains one of my few actual heroes and teachers. He fought a lonely, righteous battle,” Scott says. “He is my teacher because the lessons I learned from his struggles with the public education bureaucracy are lessons even more valid today than they were two years ago.”

Scott lives in Katy, Texas with his wife, and is the proud father of two daughters and a son. He continues to write and shine a light on local politics on his website www.georgescottreports.com.

the teamPresident & CEO

Michael Quinn Sullivan

Managing EditorMorgan Williamson

Capitol CorrespondentCary Cheshire

Field CorrespondentGregory Harrison

Metroplex BureauRoss Kecseg

Houston BureauCharles Blain

West Texas BureauLauren Lawson

Budget and Policy Correspondent

Owen Stroud

General CounselTony McDonald

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Texas Scorecard is a general interest news magazine produced by Empower Texans. Unless otherwise noted, the content is the property of Empower Texans and may not be reprinted without permission. Content from Texas Scorecard is available to the public online at TexasScorecard.com.

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In recent years the cost of higher education has skyrocketed exponentially, pricing more and more

Texans out of many college options as administrators rampantly raise tuition and fees. In an effort to control the issue, State Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) has taken the lead on an issue that has widespread support—freezing tuition increases.

Recently, he launched a website to gather support for his bill, SB 233, an item of legislation that would do just that.

“I’m launching TexasTuitionFreeze.com to put a face on this effort and give a voice to the thousands of parents and students who continue to struggle with the skyrocketing cost of college tuition and fees,” said Schwertner. “I know this will be an uphill battle, but I’m confident we can be successful if Texans from across the state join together and make their voices heard.”

According to a 2012 report by the Texas State Comptroller, tuition rates increased nearly twice as fast as enrollment growth and inflation. As an aside, state appropriations also grew

Association of Counties – are fighting this common-sense taxpayer protection. Why? Because they don’t want to ask voters when they raise your taxes over 8%.

These facts shed more light on the need for SB 182 and why organizations representing local taxing entities don’t want it passed. Even worse, many of the organizations will use public tax dollars to lobby against the legislation. They’ve already arrayed their forces against SB 182 and other legislation that would force them to be more accountable to voters.

once sovereign nation, Texas stands unique in the Union as the only state to enter not by conquest or purchase, but by an act of will.

Our state’s strength in the 21st Century has not been an accident, but rather the result of a purposeful application of our founders’ devotion to life, liberty and property. If we want to remain strong, we must not allow that commitment slide.

One of the courageous men to sign the Declaration was José Antonio Navarro; he never stopped believing in the promise of Texas. When captured by Mexican forces in an 1841 dispute, he was given the chance to renounce Texas. He refused.

“I will die for that which I firmly

Sen. Schwertner:

FREEZE TUITION INCREASES

HIGHER EDUCATION

BY CARY CHESHIRE EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

disproportionately.Under Schwertner’s plan, tuition and

fees at the state’s public colleges and universities would be capped at their current levels and only be permitted to grow at the rate of inflation as determined by the Legislative Budget Board. The plan also institutes a requirement that any institution wishing to increase tuition beyond that rate must receive approval via majority vote by the student body.

SEN. CHARLES SCHWERTNER

Currently most proposals to “fix” the problem of perennial and ever increasing costs have been to solely increase the amount that students can borrow, a naive idea that, similar to increasing the debt ceiling in Washington, doesn’t work to control costs. In fact, it subsidizes the increases with even more taxpayer money.

“This broken system is leaving an entire generation of students mired in debt and frustrated by a lack of opportunity while supplying universities with extravagant budgets to fund special projects and ever-expanding administrations,” said Schwertner.

In addition to the plan to freeze tuition, Schwertner filed Senate Bill 232, which would create state sales tax exemptions for college textbook purchases for a limited time at the beginning of each semester.

As with all government institutions, limits are absolutely vital. In the case of tuition for Texas’ public universities, haphazardly removing limits without alternative safeguards has been a costly experiment for students and taxpayers. Sen. Schwertner’s proposals are a significant step in the right direction for higher education in Texas.

With Texans dissatisfied with the high level of property and business taxation, the

governor and a bipartisan super-majority in the Senate are pushing for nearly $5 billion in tax relief, leaving it to the Senate’s big-government Republican, Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler), to be the voice of leftist dissent.

Eltife is the last man standing in the liberal wing of the Senate’s GOP caucus. And that’s probably because he wasn’t up for election in 2014 when the two GOP senators to his left — Bob Deuell and John Carona — were defeated in the primary.

Speaking out against tax relief, Eltife is trying to put a populist spin on his grow-government fanaticism.

“We’ve been down this road before where we promised tax relief and no one actually felt it. We need to deal with the real problems of this state first and then deal with tax cuts,” Eltife told the media.

So if he doesn’t think you’ll notice $4.6 billion in tax relief, he doesn’t want to do any at all? Good plan, Kev.

Of course, Eltife isn’t proposing to do anything but grow government. Sure, he sometimes talks a good game about debt… but doesn’t seem at all interested in addressing the government over-spending that causes debt in the first place.

Eltife’s opposition to tax relief comes down to a belief that state government can spend your money better than you can. He said as much: “My big concern is I cannot support tax cuts until I know there’s a plan in place to meet the needs of this state.”

It’s like Eltife is signaling his retirement, forced or voluntary, or a party switch. What he’s pushing finds no ground in the conservative movement or GOP mainstream. And since five Democrats are signed on to the tax relief plan, he doesn’t have much of a home there either…

Eltife did, however, find a supporter recently when liberal Democratic political consultant Harold Cook threw the Democrats supporting tax relief under the bus on TV saying: “I agree more with Sen. Eltife.”

Big-Tax KevinBY MICHAEL QUINN SULLIVAN EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

THE PUSH FOR TAX RELIEF

believe, for I know it is just and right. One life is a small price for a cause so great. As I fought, so shall I be willing to die. I will never forsake Texas and her cause. I am her son.”

If Texas is to be successful in the years ahead, we must reject the cowardice of those who would foist upon us the failed policies of big government. We must boldly proclaim liberty with every breath, and work for it with all our might.

As Texas’ founding fathers put it in their Declaration, we as their heirs must continually pursue liberty and self-governance “fearlessly and confidently.”

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Relief won’t come so easily from the other chamber, where members elected an anti-tax-relief speaker. However, in

recent days the political reality of Straus’ obstructionism has begun to dawn on some Straus-affiliated legislators.

VOTERS ARE DISSATISFIED WITH HOW MUCH THEY ARE PAYING IN PROPERTY AND BUSINESS TAXES

POLITICS

A new tax-subsidized poll from the University of Texas finds that Texas voters are “dissatisfied” with

how much they are paying in property and business taxes.

The Texas Senate originally proposed slightly better than $4 billion in tax relief at the start of the legislative session, then added to it after Gov. Greg Abbott made a call for even more tax relief in his State of the State Address.

The Senate’s new tax relief package now stands at $4.6 billion, aimed at lowering property and business taxes.

Texans Want Tax ReliefBY MICHAEL QUINN SULLIVAN EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

BY MICHAEL QUINN SULLIVAN EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

Relief won’t come so easily from the other chamber, where members elected an anti-tax-relief speaker. The leadership team around House Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) has described tax relief as “gimmickry.” However, in recent days the political reality of Straus’ obstructionism has begun to dawn on some Straus-affiliated legislators. State Rep. Dennis Bonnen (R-Angelton), whom Straus appointed as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, has said in recent days that the House will step up.

If they do, it will be despite Straus and his enablers.

Fortunately, taxpayers have Abbott, Patrick and the Senate fighting for them.

Two years ago, conservative lawmakers tried to direct dollars away from frivolous programs —

like the Commission on the Arts — towards the Texas Teachers Retirement System (TRS) health plan. The reason? The plan had an enormous, unfunded future liability.

One telling vote came when State Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler) tried to move money from the Hollywood handout program to TRS. A block of 37 House conservatives voted correctly with Rep. Schaefer.

Establishment cronies of liberal House Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) killed the efforts, saying the TRS problem wasn’t serious. The reason was simple: House

leadership didn’t want conservatives to succeed in identifying a liability and getting credit for a partial solution.

Now, those same Straus lieutenants are falling all over themselves promising to finally “fully fund” TRS.

It’s not that they care much about the teachers or the financial solvency of the state. Because they wouldn’t address the problem two years ago, it has now gotten worse — growing to a nearly $800 million shortfall.

While it is fortunate that political pressure has them coming to their senses, Straus and his pals shouldn’t get much credit now for doing what House conservatives tried to do two years ago. Responsibility for the TRS health program funding crisis falls squarely on the shoulders of the Straus-led team that, for so long, ignored it.

BY ROSS KECSEG EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

Local Control or Local Tyranny?TEACHABLE MOMENTWith the legislative session in

full swing, Texans will soon face a barrage of political

propaganda disguised with “conservative-sounding” messaging designed to sell them on anti-taxpayer policies. One of the most prominent will be the effort by state and local politicians pushing to preserve “local control.”

But listen carefully, the “local control” champions will be defending the notion on one condition alone—if the policy preserves governmental authority, not the liberties and rights of Texans.

Local debt transparency, debt limits, property tax limits, property tax revenue limits, appraisal caps, spending limits, ethics reform, conflict of interest disclosure—all wildly popular items with most voters that politicians and bureaucrats plan to kill using “local control” rhetoric.

Consider this: would you defend the

authority of a city to allow third-trimester abortions, to invade your home without a warrant, or to read your emails, confiscate your mail, or to ban the lawful possession of firearms? Of course not, that’d be considered local tyranny.

Texans aren’t stupid. Unconditional local control isn’t “good” nor is it a pillar of conservative governance. Limited government is.

After all, governments don’t have “rights”; they have enumerated powers. And at any time, the people of this state, and the elected officials who serve them, can and should limit government in all ways that benefits their residents.

Many Texans believe in individual liberty and the uniquely American notion that governments at all levels are instituted to secure the liberties and rights of the people, not to usurp them.

The next time you hear a policy being s old as preserving “local control”, first ask yourself; does it protect the liberty of Texans or the power of government?

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BY TONY MCDONALD EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

BY CHARLES BLAIN EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

Under the procedures of the Texas House, the Speaker is commanded to refer “all

proposed legislation … to an appropriate standing or select committee with jurisdiction.” But the rules are silent on how quickly the Speaker is expected to fulfill that duty. What is a member of the House to do if the Speaker simply refuses to do his job?

That was the question raised by State Representative Jonathan Stickland on Thursday, February 26th. In a series of parliamentary inquiries, Stickland challenged the Chair on why his House Bill 209, legislation to eliminate in-state tuition status for illegal immigrant students, had not been referred to committee. Stickland noted that the bill had been filed on the first day possible, November 10, 2014, and that House Bills 208 and 210 had both been referred to committee on February 10th. Indeed, on the date of his inquiry, most bills numbering in the 900’s had already been referred to a committee.

Stickland’s challenge brought a hush

LIFE IN THE SLOW LANELEGISLATURE

The Montgomery County Commissioners Court unanimously agreed to ignore the

concerns of many of their constituents in a recent bond proposal on the upcoming May ballot.

The Commissioners Court approved a project presented to the court by the Montgomery County Road Bond Committee, which they created to advise commissioners on mobility projects. One proposal included a $350 million bond package that would have major traffic ramifications for The Woodlands. Though leaders in The Woodlands expressed they would prefer to not have the bond proposal at all, they stated that if it were to be passed they should at least receive an allocation to address the impact the increased traffic would have.

The committee agreed with The

Montgomery County’s $350 Million Road BondWoodlands and submitted another proposal of $365 million. They then suggested the court accept the second proposal containing an additional $15 million to address concerns of residents in The Woodlands.

Community concerns lie with a Precinct 3 project, the Woodlands Parkway extension, and the impact added traffic would have on the communities through which the parkway runs. The project plans to extend the Woodlands Parkway from FM2978 to Texas 249, passing through the heart of the master planned community. Community members believe the commissioners have not been transparent with their intent for pursuing the project.

Gordy Bunch, a former Precinct 3 Road Bond committee member and a current Woodlands Township Board member, stated that the project has a 90% disapproval rating by The Woodlands taxpayers.

Bunch, along with many others in the community, argue that the Woodlands Parkway was never designed to serve as much area as it does and at the least, the $15 million would allow them to mitigate some of the certain traffic issues that are to come as a result of the expansion. To no avail the Commissioners Court rejected the additional proposal without addressing the pleas of a large part of the county—sticking them with the additional debt, but none in terms of benefit.

In response to the commissioners disregarding concerns of The Woodlands residents, Bunch resigned from the Montgomery County Road Bond Committee saying, “When a government makes a mistake [like this] it costs taxpayers millions of dollars and negatively impacts its citizens and is usually irrevocable.” In his resignation letter, Bunch said he could not continue to, “promote an issue that dismisses the concerns of 110,000 residents.”

Their concerns are not misplaced.Two traffic studies were done on the

Woodlands Parkway extension: one by Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack, and the other by the Montgomery County Commissioners Court. Though having some conflicting results, both studies indicate that the parkway will see an increase of about 6,000 motorists a day, and the small two-lane road is not sufficient enough to handle that number of commuters.

Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley and County Judge Craig Doyal argue that this project “isn’t a surprise” and has been talked about for years now. Riley said that, “Somebody should have been talking about what to do East of FM 2978, while I was talking about what to do West of it.”

Bunch has now created an online petition to get Commissioner Riley and Judge Doyal to listen to the concerns of The Woodlands residents. The goal is to stop the extension by getting it removed from the ominous bond proposal, but unless officials reconsider their decision, Montgomery County residents’ only choice will be a vote on the entire bond package on May 9th.

over the hall of the House. House Speaker Joe Straus rushed to the dais to answer the sophomore representative’s inquiries, defending his lack of action, saying that it was “not unusual.

It is often said that in the legislature, “delay is death.” Skilled members practice the art of the point of order, using the parliamentary rule enforcement device to slow down legislation they aim to defeat.

In a 140 day legislative session, just a week’s delay can significantly hamper or outright end any chance of passage for a piece of legislation.

As of March 2nd, Speaker Joe Straus continues to hold 26 bills between the numbers 80 and 600 from moving forward in the legislative process. Included are three bills, one each by Representatives Stickland, Keough, and Zedler, which seek to eliminate in-state tuition subsidies for illegal immigrant students.

Also included in the group of obstructed bills are a series of legislator ethics reform measures: two by Representatives Button and Fallon regulating lobbying by former members of the legislature, as well as two by Representatives Fallon and Sheets which would prohibit legislators convicted of bribery, embezzlement, or perjury from receiving payments under the state pension system.

While Straus has gone on the record as personally opposed to legislation eliminating tuition subsidies for illegal immigrants, he has not publicly commented on the lobbying or pension/bribery issues.

Lest members think that Straus’s delays are only a problem for vocal conservatives like Stickland, the Legislative Reference Library put out a chart on Thursday showing that Straus is moving more slowly this session with all House Bills. Despite an 18% increase in bills filed this

session, Straus has only referred 70% as many bills as he had at this point in the legislative session in 2013 – 837 bills in 2015 as compared to 1188 in 2013.

By comparison, as of Thursday, February 26, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick had referred 721 of the 834 bills filed in the Senate, or 86%. Straus had referred just 40% of the House bills.

Straus has made no public statement on why he chooses not to simply refer all of the outstanding bills in one large batch, or why certain bills and certain topics have been clearly skipped over.

Update: After this article was published online, on March 3rd Speaker Straus referred the two bills related to pensions for legislators convicted of bribery to the Committee on Pensions, and referred the three bills related to in-state tuition subsidies for illegal immigrants to the Committee on State Affairs. The latter referral is notable in that the bills were not referred to the Committee on Higher Education, where they would have been expected to go, but were instead referred to State Affairs which is chaired by State Representative Byron Cook. During the 83rd legislative session, Cook championed the issue of giving drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants and is widely viewed as hostile to repealing the tuition subsidies. As of publication time for this print version of the Texas Scorecard, the two bills related to lobbying by retired legislators had not been referred to a committee.

STATE REP. JOHNATHAN STICKLAND

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Anti-Life advocates once again descended upon the Texas Capitol on Thursday, February 26 in

mob-like fashion sporting orange and shouting tired slogans.

Abortion pushers across the state recently organized the “Trust.Respect.Access.” campaign as a counter-measure to the Life-affirming, Life-saving legislation passed by Texas in recent years. As a coalition, the ACLU of Texas, NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, Texas Freedom Network, Texas Research Institute, and Whole Women’s Health are ready to force their radical agenda on Texas.

The rally offered speeches that recycled tired talking points often made by the abortion left while trying to put a new spin on their failing policies. Abortion providers, such as Whole Women’s Health CEO Amy Hagstrom-Miller, lamented that the effects of House Bill 2 (the

BY SARAH CRAWFORD TEXASRIGHTTOLIFE.COM

Pro-Life, pro-woman legislation passed in 2013) disproportionally harm poor, young, rural people in Texas from accessing elective abortion.

Hagstrom-Miller conveniently omitted that large portions of their market share have ceased because unsafe, ill-complying abortion clinics have shuttered their doors. Thus, leaving the abortion industry’s wallet a little lighter because of the inability to effectively target poor, minority communities by “servicing” these Texans with hazardous clinics.

In what this “coalition” is calling a multi-year, public policy campaign, the abortion left seeks to undo all the progress that has been made to protect preborn babies and women from the harmful results of elective abortion.

Joined by a few Texas legislators, these abortion-pushers waxed poetic about the lack of ability to kill preborn children – even in unclean clinics. Senators Jose Rodriguez (D-El Paso) and Sylvia Garcia (D-Houston) spoke about the anti-Life legislation (SB 730 and SB 707) that has been filed which would effectively undo

all the provisions enacted under HB 2. Representative Chris Turner (D-Arlington) advocated for legislation (HB 1351) that would undermine parents’ rights to determine their children’s education. And Representative Donna Howard (D-Austin) expounded on her legislation (HB 1210) that would allow doctors and abortion providers to select which parts of HB 2 they would like to comply with and which parts of the Texas law they would like to ignore.

Each of the speakers angrily spoke of the Pro-Life gains made and supported by the majority of Texans, yet the abortion left refuses to allow the protection of women and children to come before the bottom line of their bank account.

Hagstrom-Miller stated that they are “prepared to take HB2 all the way to the Supreme Court if [they] have to.” What she fails to realize and accept is that Texas will not back down and we are ready and equipped with some of the strongest and most ardent defenders of Life to stand and advocate for the lives of ALL innocent human Texans.

Abortion advocates in denial, rally for trust and access while denying respect to women and children

Alongside Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, Senate leaders recently announced the specifics of their tax relief

proposals. State Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Denton), the Chair of the Finance Committee, unveiled the specific details of what had previously been a blanket line item of approximately $4 billion.

Nelson’s plan, SB1, would allocate nearly $2.5 billion in tax relief. The measure will require a constitutional amendment approved by voters, but if passed, Texans would receive a much-needed reprieve on their property tax bills.

Specifically, Nelson’s bill would raise the homestead exemption permanently to 25% of the median home value in the state as determined by the Legislative Budget Board. Current law has set the exemption at a flat, unadjusted $15,000 in nominal home value since 1997. In addition to being too low a

Senate Stands for Tax Relief

BY CARY CHESHIRE EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

threshold, the current homestead exemption works numerically, rather than through a percentage of home value. In other words, its impact diminished as property values increased. Under Nelson’s proposal the percentage exemption would grow proportionally with rising values in the housing market.

“Home values obviously have risen through the years but the homestead exemption has remained flat,” said Nelson said during a news conference.

In unveiling the bill, Nelson was flanked by a number of Republican senators and noted the widespread bipartisan support of the legislation. Joining the vast majority of the Senate Republican Caucus are five Democratic senators, placing the number of authors at 23 and making it abundantly clear the measure can pass the Senate. Notably absent were Republican State Senators Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler) and Kel Seliger (R-Midland), the only two Republicans who have not yet signed onto the legislation.

Additionally, the Senate addressed plans to cut business taxes by reducing the size and the scope of the franchise tax through Senate Bills 7 and 8. The former would slice the rate that businesses pay by 15%, the latter would raise the minimum threshold ($4 million in

revenue) that businesses must reach before being forced to pay the tax.

According to sponsor, State Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown), the reform would remove nearly half of all business owners from the burden of the franchise tax system.

Both pieces of legislation have a large number of co-authors as well, making them likely to pass, adding another $2.1 billion for a total of more than $4.6 billion in total tax relief.

Lt. Governor Patrick lauded all of the proposals, stating he was proud of the Senate for following Governor Greg Abbott who also called for “lasting tax relief” in his State of the State address last week.

“I’m pleased to support one of the largest and most significant tax relief packages in the history of Texas,” said Patrick.

The aforementioned reforms are an encouraging starting point for the Senate as it moves forward on the budget process. Additionally, the Senate Finance Committee will be conducting hearings on further tax relief soon, as the legislature is projected to have nearly $10 billion in surplus available for tax relief excluding any additional measures that reform spending or control government growth.

Bad Bet By Rogue Agency

BY MICHAEL QUINN SULLIVAN EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

When confronted by the Texas Senate about their unconstitutional power

grab, the state’s Racing Commission doubled down on arrogance.

Last year, the racing commission passed a rule vastly expanding the footprint of gambling beyond their constitutional and statutory boundaries. They thumbed their noses at members of the House and Senate noting that they were taking actions reserved, constitutionally, to the Legislature and the citizens of Texas.

Fast-forward to January when Senate Finance Committee Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) introduced her chamber’s draft budget. It was notable for zeroing out the racing commission. Appearing before her committee recently, the commission chairman doubled down on arrogance.

According to a media report, Racing Commission Chairman Robert Schmidt, an orthopedic surgeon from Aledo, told Nelson’s committee that he assumed they were just misinformed when ignoring the letters senators sent decrying the move.

“When you received that letter and ignored it, I was livid,” the Texas Tribune reports that Nelson told Schmidt.

Schmidt’s testimony did his rogue agency no favors, with Nelson saying: “Right now your budget is zero, and I’ve had nothing here today that’s convinced me that it needs to change.”

The San Antonio Express-News added this quote from Sen. Nelson: “This isn’t about gambling to me. It’s not about horse racing to me. It is about an agency that has gone rogue, in my opinion. If an agency doesn’t respect the difference between making laws and following laws, we’ve got big problems on our hands.”

Might be — should be — dawning on Schmidt and his cronies today that they made a really bad bet. And might be a lesson to other agencies overstepping their power.

GOVERNMENT

CORECARDVOL. 1 - ISSUE 9 - WWW.TEXASSCORECARD.COM 7

BIGANNOUNCEMENT

We will be giving out two grants related to First Amendment Tuesdays.

The first grant will be $500 and an engraved cavalry sword to the individual who attends the most Tuesday trainings.

The second grant will be $500 for the organization with the most member check-ins at the La Quinta for training over the course of the legislative session.

So come for the training, and return for the prizes! But stay involved to ensure that liberty flourishes in the Lone Star State!

Legislators have filed bills seeking to repeal a slurry of petty and outdated taxes. For many of these taxes,

administrative costs currently exceed revenue collections gained, making them highly inefficient. Others exist merely as burdensome relics of failed governmental solutions.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar has expressed his support for repeal efforts.

“By repealing these outdated taxes, we are creating a more efficient agency that can better serve the taxpayers,” said Hegar. “The resources needed to administer these tax laws should be redeployed to ensure Texans are getting the best possible government at the lowest possible cost, rather than maintaining red tape and regulation unnecessarily burdening business owners.”

Here is a list of taxes legislators desire to repeal or amend during the remainder of the 84th Legislative Session.

n The Inheritance Tax refers to state taxes that are levied on the property of a decedent’s estate. Until 2005 when the liability was repealed, Texas picked up part of the federal credit for state death taxes paid. Although the state’s tax liability was reinstated in 2011, the federal credit was not. Thus, state inheritance tax collections have been dormant for the past ten years. Evidently, it’s time for this “death tax” to be repealed, and SB752 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt seeks to do just that.

n The Controlled Substance Tax (CST) was created in 1989 to allow drug offenders to avoid criminal prosecution by paying a hefty tax on their illegal substances. This tax requires $3.50 per gram of marijuana (almost $1600 per pound) and as much as $200 per gram for controlled substances. Collections from the CST are deposited into the General Revenue Fund. But CST revenues have historically been meager, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled in 1996 that the CST constitutes double jeopardy. Thus, Rep. Drew Springer has filed HB 1905 in an effort to remove this unnecessary tax.

n The Airline/Passenger Train Beverage Tax, enacted for airlines in 1969 and extended to passenger trains in 1985, imposes a fee of five cents on every alcoholic beverage served to a passenger. Annual collections from this tax, which are deposited to the General Revenue Fund,

Bills Filed To Eliminate Taxestotaled only $319,000 in 2013 and are likely to remain constant if the tax remains in effect. Rep. Springer’s HB 1905 seeks to eliminate this tax in addition to the CST.

n The Liquefied Gas Tax imposes a tax of $0.15 per gallon on liquefied gas (this does not include liquefied or compressed natural gas). Vehicles that run on propane gas must display decals that verify payment of the motor fuels tax. However, propane gas is no longer taxed as a motor fuel, and the cost of collecting this tax currently exceeds the revenues that it generates. SB 759 by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst would eliminate the decal system and enable operators of propane-fueled vehicles to pay their gas tax in the same way as operators that use gasoline.

n The Combative Sports Admissions Tax collects 3% of the gross receipts from admission to sporting events featuring boxing and martial arts. It also collects 3% of the gross receipts from the sale of broadcast rights, the permits for which are required for sporting events where admission is charged. SB 752 by Sen. Bettencourt would repeal the admission tax, and it would also require the surety bond that accompanies a broadcast license dependent upon approval from the Texas Commission on Licensing and Regulation rather than on payment of the admission tax.

n The Bingo Rental Tax, enacted in 1991, collects 3% of gross rentals received by a commercial lessor and deposits the money into the General Revenue Fund. Collections have hovered around $1.2 million per year since 1996. Kolkhorst’s SB 759, in addition to modifying the Liquefied Gas Tax described above, would also eliminate the Bingo Rental Tax.

n The Fireworks Tax rate currently is 2% of the sale price of fireworks, in addition to state and local sales taxes. The Fireworks Tax collections are deposited into the rural volunteer fire department insurance fund. Because the collections are not worth the tax’s administrative cost, SB 761 by Sen. Brandon Creighton would repeal the Fireworks Tax. The insurance fund would not be eliminated, however – two percent of the sales tax on fireworks purchases would be dedicated to supply its coffers. That two percent transfer would be cheaper than collection costs for a separate tax.

n The Oil Regulation Tax requires $0.008125 per barrel, a combination of the Regulatory Fee ($0.001875/bbl) and the Oil

Production Fee ($0.00625/bbl). All collections flow into the General Revenue Fund. Annual collections were moderate throughout the 2000s but have risen sharply since 2010, hauling in over $1.3 million in 2013. On the grounds that the tax revenues are outweighed by administration costs, HB 1906 by Rep. Drew Springer would repeal the tax, using general revenue to pay for the enforcement of oil and gas laws instead.

n The Sulphur Tax, enacted in 1930, imposes a tax of $1.03 per long ton of sulphur. One-fourth of the sulphur tax revenue flows to the foundation school fund, and three-fourths flow to the general revenue fund. Collections have risen sluggishly since 2007, with 2013 revenues totaling $3.3 million. SB 757 by Sen. Charles Perry would repeal the Sulphur Tax on the grounds that administrative costs currently outweigh tax collections.

The repeal efforts garnered praised from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is the presiding officer of the Senate, and House Speaker Joe Straus.

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Teachable Moment

Abortion advocates in denial, rally for trust and access while denying respect to women and children

Local Control or Local Tyranny?

Senate Stands For Tax Relief

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TAMING TUITION & FREEZING FEES

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