Governor Abbott Announces Second Special Session Agenda
Governor Greg Abbott today announced Special Session #2 and issued a proclamation identifying agenda items for the special session that begins at 3:00 PM today, Tuesday, June 27.
"We achieved a great deal during the 88th Legislative Session that I have signed into law, including laws to provide more than $5.1 billion for border security, hold rogue district attorneys accountable, and add $1.4 billion to make schools safer, but the job is not done," said Governor Abbott. "I am bringing the Texas Legislature back for Special Session #2 to provide lasting property tax cuts for Texans. During the five-month regular session, the Texas House and Texas Senate both agreed on cutting school district property tax rates, while the House wanted to add appraisal caps and the Senate advocated for increased homestead exemptions. The Special Session #1 agenda was limited to the only solution that both chambers agreed on—school property tax rate cuts. After yet another month without the House and Senate sending a bill to my desk to cut property taxes, I am once again putting the agreed upon school district property tax rate cuts on the special session agenda. Unless and until the House and Senate agree on a different proposal to provide property tax cuts, I will continue to call for lasting property tax cuts through rate reductions and working toward eliminating the school property tax in Texas. Special sessions will continue to focus on only property tax cuts until property tax cut legislation reaches my desk."
The Governor's property tax cut plan is backed by 40 homeowner, consumer, and business organizations across the state, along with leading tax policy groups Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, Americans for Tax Reform, and Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Special Session #2 agenda items include:
- ELIMINATING A PROPERTY TAX IN TEXAS: Legislation to put Texas on a pathway to eliminate school district maintenance and operations property taxes.
- LASTING PROPERTY TAX RATE CUTS: Legislation to cut property tax rates solely by reducing the school district maximum compressed tax rate in order to provide lasting property-tax relief for Texas taxpayers.