The Latest Breaking News from Paul Bettencourt

Legislation passed this month would raise the state’s homestead exemption to $100,000, lower schools’ tax rates and put an appraisal cap on residential and commercial properties, among other measures. But voters must approve a constitutional amendment first.

At a time when the state has some of the nation’s highest property taxes, the initiative was a cornerstone of his 2022 reelection campaign.

Efforts to repair rifts, particularly among Republican leaders, begin as another contentious special session looms on Gov. Greg Abbott’s call for “school choice.”

House Democrats attempted to insert benefits for renters and more money for public education into the tax-cuts package in a series of floor amendments but were unsuccessful.

A stalemate among Texas’ top Republicans has dragged on for months. Tax-cut proponents in the House and Senate made their first pitches to end the impasse Wednesday.

Gov. Greg Abbott quickly called lawmakers back to the Capitol for round two, hoping to break an impasse that has outlasted the regular session and one overtime period.

As of June 18, members of the Texas State Legislature, which includes the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas State Senate, have passed 34 bills related to election administration since the beginning of the year. Of those 34 bills, legislators passed zero during the week of June 12-18.

Here’s a look at Senate members, ranked from most conservative to most liberal, based on votes cast during the 2023 regular session.

The Senate’s latest proposal is an apparent effort to appease Gov. Greg Abbott and the lower chamber. The state’s top Republicans have been at odds for months over how to use the state’s historic budget surplus to cut property taxes.

The governor says other issues aren’t as important as breaking a House-Senate stalemate over the best course on reducing property taxes.

With several hundred bills awaiting action by the governor, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called the veto threat an affront to Texans and the legislative process.