Special session starts Monday (Texas)

Austin American-Statesman ^

[Racehorse]

Gov. Rick Perry has put in writing what he's been saying for weeks: During the special session that starts Monday, he expects lawmakers to cut school property taxes and retool business taxes before they take up other topics — including a possible teacher pay raise or tweaks to the ways schools are managed.

In a Wednesday letter to House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, Perry says the session will begin at 2 p.m.

In the letter, Perry directs legislators to "significantly reduce property taxes and to make substantial reforms to the franchise tax so that it is fairer and broader, and to ensure that schools have a reliable, constitutional stream of revenue. Once legislators have met their goal of reforming the current tax system, I will then consider expanding the call to other meaningful issues facing our state."

[Racehorse]

I can hardly wait. /s

Will the Democrats show up? Will they get mad and scurry off to Oklahoma and New Mexico? Will Letticia Van de Putte have another breakdown?

And if they do stay, will the two parties finally roll up their sleeves and do something to justify their legislative existence?

[half-cajun]

We just got our property tax bill today, and it's going up again, to the maximum allowed. I'll contest it again, but I'm really hoping the legislature will do something about it this time.

[K-oneTexas]

Gov Perry "expects", when will he start knocking heads. This Special Session we've already see ... neither Craddick or Dewhurst has changed their minds from the last Special Session. Each has his own special interests who have their ear (and their pocket).

As far as tax reform ... same tune, different day.

IMHO ... the Legislature will let the courts fix this or screw it up more so they can keep and arms distance and therefore deniability. That way the will ensure their reelection.

Sorry for my pessimism but seen it before, no change in our elected officials. It is not in their best interest to make these changes.

[Lockbox]

The Texas Supreme Court declared the state's school finance system unconstitutional and gave the Legislature a June 1 deadline to fix the system.

I do not expect any changes by June 1.

All I know is come June 2, I'm contacting my local school district to inform they that I will no longer pay school property tax and that I want a refund on the "unconstitutional" taxes already collected.