Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) called on the Texas House to return to Austin Tuesday and continue working with the Senate on special session legislation.
Patrick, who leads the Texas Senate, criticized the House for gaveling out of the session last week after putting up a property tax bill that only includes compression and not the previously passed increased homestead exemption. He added a chamber isn’t allowed to sine die without approval from the other chamber and that the House left the session without Senate approval.
Patrick has been embroiled in a Twitter spat with Gov. Greg Abbott (R) since last week after the governor said the House had the best plan for lowering property taxes.
The Senate plan to lower property taxes for homeowners uses both compression of the school M&O tax and also includes increasing the homestead exemption to $100,000. The House plan does not include any additional homestead exemption and spreads the $17.6 billion of relief across both residential and commercial property owners.
“I have been crystal-clear that taxpayers deserve to receive the largest property tax cuts in Texas history, and SB 1 delivers on that promise sustainably and responsibly,” Patrick said in a statement last week.
Patrick said the governor’s plan to eliminate property taxes altogether by funding the state government solely on sales taxes is unsustainable because of the potential for lower tax receipts should the state economy take a downturn.
The lieutenant governor said his plan will save Texas property owners more money and the homestead exemption was previously passed by the House by a vote of 147-0.
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