Posted on 06/02/2023 12:09:47 PM PDT by CFW
Texas’ 88th regular legislative session, sine die as of Memorial Day, will be remembered as the one that got Texas closer to looking like California and less like the leading pro-market and limited government Lone Star State.
Instead of the desired “largest property tax cut in Texas history,” school choice, and spending restraint that would best let people prosper, legislators passed the largest increases in spending, corporate welfare, and safety nets in state history.
Texas taxpayers can only hope that Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) just-called special session will help with property tax relief but there will need to be more special sessions for universal school choice and other pro-prosperity priorities.
The newly passed total budget for the upcoming two-year period amounts to $321 billion, which is a 21.3% increase from what was initially appropriated in the prior period. Excluding federal funds, state funds increased by 31.7% to $219.1 billion. These are the largest increases in recent history and likely ever. And both are substantially above the rate of population growth plus inflation of 16% over the last two fiscal years.
(Excerpt) Read more at thecentersquare.com ...
Related article:
“Patrick, Phelan fight over property tax relief escalates”
Another article:
“Outside law firm finds Paxton didn’t break laws or violate office procedure”
https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article_46e8c844-fd77-11ed-9f9d-3f75ee5c073e.html
With all those Kalifornians moving into Texas, it won’t be too much longer until the state votes like California, too.
Before the Bush Babies, Texas had been mostly Big “D” Democrat for most of our lifetimes, and before-
Last D, Ma Richards ran it like a Fiefdom-
Crony Capitalism and outright criminality are inbred-
ChiRaq and Cali-fornication ain’t got nuthin’ on Blubonner Gang.
They’ll get back to “D” status soon enough - with plenty of help from the RINOs and other NeverTrumpers.
For most of that time Texas Democrats were more Conservative than Northeastern Republicans.
Gavin Newsom on the triumphant night he learned he had not only made it past the recall vote but had an over 60% margin.
Smiling he told the crowd of supporters outside:
“And remember, what happens first in California always happens later all across America.” (Cheers and applause).
Starting with ousting Paxton. That was a Louis gohmert deal started last year.
Let’s face it, it is.
Like Cruz.
The property taxes in Texas are horrible!! They need to fix that.
The lobbyists own the Texas Legislature. It was only with Dan Patrick and Ken Paxton that we had some true conservative leadership, but both of those guys are loose cannons with personal baggage.
The republican power structure is totally dictated by the power of incumbency. You have guys like my State Rep. voting to impeach Paxton and living off of lobbyist dollars, but - He keeps getting re-elected! The youngsters have to conform or they get no committee assignments or other perks.
It will be very difficult to stem the tide of conformism in Austin. Every session we seem to end up with new statutes and everyone asks “How did that happen?!” We have to figure out a way to hold these guys (and gals) accountable and re-direct our path before we become Texifornia.
Property taxes should be illegal. Especially for those who spent many decades paying for their homes, which they now own outright. I find it obscene. Robbery.
And when I learned how much those in Texas paid for property tax, I was stunned. This is a conservative state??
Texas will go blue in 2024 because the democrats will harvest all the guest votes from the illegals coming over the border.
Two months ago the attorney general for texas warned the heritage foundation with 6 US senators in attendance what would happen in 2024 if they did not change. He showed them that the democrats did in Texas in 2020 exactly what they did in the states that shut down on election night 2020. Paxton showed them how he prevented the democrats from stealing texas in 2020. He said that unless republicans fight at the level that he did in 2020, they will not win in 2024.
Paxton was impeached two months later on bogus charges.
The whole damn thing is so sad
That is what happens when you have a Democrat with an “R” by his name running the House of Reps (Dud Phelan)!!
UGH! Every session seems to come with the same results! They talk a good game and make two or maybe three small waves, but the tidal wave they promised ALWAYS peters out!
To me, the Paxton matter shows an under-handedness and evidence of coordination between the Texas GOP and the democrats. The voters were aware of the accusations against Paxton and voted for him anyway. The way the impeachment was handled makes me think that the Bush wing of the GOPe are behind his ouster.
The GOPe just wanted to get rid of Paxton. However, the democrats took this as a chance to take over the direction of the chambers. Their ouster of Paxton may back-fire on the GOP.
“will be remembered as the one that got Texas closer to looking like California and less like the leading pro-market and limited government Lone Star State.”
Limited Government? Texas? That is quite a disconnect. Look at any topic and you will find massive tome of Texas law addressing it. Guns, vehicle registration, Taxes, environmental, etc... you name it. They finally ended their ridiculous and costly annual vehicle inspection regimen, but it will stagger on for two more years.
Wanna fly your drone? Better be part of an approved University or Government project. If your camera captures ANY aerial view of private property, you are facing charges and fines.
That came about because some guy with a drone noticed an odd red streak in a river near Dallas and it turned out to be a slaughterhouse dumping blood and gore directly into the river. So Texas passed a DRONE law.
They were very late to the party on gun CCW rights.
They crow about freedom, but Texas is essentially Germanic in it’s legal code and mentality. Everything must be controlled, permitted, and organized.
And covid was a Texas disaster. Democrats are a bad problem. But Bush republicans flooding in California and New York firms did tremendous damage.
True... they didn’t skew left until the Jim Wright era.
LOL.... they are better than a lot of places. But they do skew towards control freak... albeit control freak on behalf of moneyed GOPe interests. But for regular people? Not so much.
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