Good morning,

Yesterday, we asked about property taxes; today, we have the readers' thoughts.

This is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, April 23, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Ted Cruz (Barely) Leads Democrat Challenger

• A new poll of Texas voters shows Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz holding a single-digit lead over his Democrat challenger, Colin Allred. For more details, check out Emily Medeiros' article.
      
• The poll from the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation finds Cruz leading Allred by five percentage points, 46 percent to 41 percent. Four percent of likely voters said they intended to vote for the Libertarian candidate, Ted Brown, while nine percent were undecided.
       
• In the same poll, President Donald Trump leads President Joe Biden 48 percent to 36 percent when third-party candidates are included on the ballot. The lead shrinks to 10 percent when the two go head-to-head.

Related News

• The legislation sought to force the construction of a border wall, end catch and release, reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy, and increase transparency on illegal border crossings from the Department of Homeland Security. ​​​​​

Runoff Candidates Sound Off on Election Security

• Ahead of the May 28 GOP primary runoff, the candidates were asked about election security. Amelia McKenzie asked what additional steps should be taken. 

UPDATE: Granbury School Bond Opponent Arrested Over Campaign Bus Permit

• According to Steve Biggers, the Hood County sheriff’s department has been “weaponized” against citizens speaking against a multi-million-dollar school bond. Erin Anderson has the story.
         
• Biggers was arrested and charged with a felony over temporary permits for a borrowed school bus, which has been featured in a “No Bond Bus Tour” sponsored by local families concerned about district spending and taxes.
       
• Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds publicly supported Granbury ISD’s 2023 bond, and Biggers said the deputy who arrested him is married to a Granbury ISD teacher. He was jailed overnight.
      
• Early voting is underway now for school and municipal government and will continue through April 30. Election Day is Saturday, May 4.

Travis County DA Could Be Removed Under New State Law

• District Attorney José Garcia of Travis County could be the first prosecutor to be removed under a new state law targeting rogue prosecutors, with citizens accusing him of “incompetency and official misconduct.”
     

• Last year, state lawmakers approved legislation to expand the definition of “official misconduct” to include “a prosecuting attorney’s adoption or enforcement of a policy of categorically refusing to prosecute specific criminal offenses under state law.”
     

• Garcia has made headlines for vowing not to prosecute illegal abortions and for not prosecuting certain drug-related cases.
      

• Travis County resident Mary Dupuis filed a petition against Garcia to begin the process of having him removed from office. Her petition was accepted by a Travis County judge, who has appointed Bell County Attorney Jim Nichols to act as a special prosecutor. Nichols will determine whether or not to bring the case to a civil trial, which would take place in Travis County.
      

• Matt Mackowiak and Cleo Petricek of Save Austin Now, a group that has criticized Garza’s failure to prosecute crimes in the capital city, called it a “watershed moment for public safety in Austin.”

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Quote-Unquote

"It seems to be a law of nature, inflexible and inexorable, that those who will not risk cannot win."

– John Paul Jones​

Y'All Answered

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has called on the Texas Senate to study property tax relief and elimination. Approximately half of the property tax bill is the local school district's "maintenance and operation" levy. Other levies include those for the city, hospital district, and community college.

Yesterday, we asked readers which of four views on property taxes more closely mirrored their own.

Here is a sampling of additional thoughts shared by our readers...

• “As it stands today, you can’t own your house in Texas, you are only allowed to rent it from the government.” – Sharon Sapp
         
• “Eliminating all property taxes in Texas can easily be done by simply expanding the base of the sales tax to include services!” – Earl Carter
      
• “Eliminate property taxes! Drastically cut government! There is your answer.” – Nancy Wood
        
• “Why am I forced to rent a house from the state that I paid for years ago?” – Jonathan Smythe
         
• “I voted to reduce property taxes. The “eliminate” crowd does not explain in enough detail precisely how tax revenue will be raised. A value-added tax (VAT) would end up being just like taxes are levied now (and the same as it works in the U.K.)—an ever-rising rate. The better way to cut the tax burden is to control spending. Government is not a responsible steward of our money. We should be holding our public official’s feet to the fire about SPENDING.” – Roxann Bilger
          
• “Property taxes and appraisals are out of control. Even after your house is paid for, you are still only renting it from the state. It's especially onerous for retirees. We are being taxed out of our homes.” – Annye King
          
• “While I'd love to say ‘Eliminate all…,’ I don't want the state paying for (socializing) police, fire, and trash, on which my town does a really good job. With Robin Hood, the state already pays for it so unless the legislature will take action to eliminate recapture, it would be more honest for the state to just pay school districts directly from sales tax revenue. Currently, most residents believe their tax dollars fund their schools leading to a false sense of control.” – Spencer Siino
          
• “With a property tax, we never own our own homes/property.” – Mary Morgan
          
• “All I know is that there are too many taxes, and some of them are out of sight and need to be reduced or destroyed.” – Eleanor Edmondson
         
• “There are two sides to that coin, taxes on one side, spending on the other. To address one w/o also addressing the other is futile.” – Jack Boteler
          
• “I’m buying my home, which is burden enough in the Biden economy. Why should I be burdened with property taxes when the education system is failing children? Greedy school superintendents are getting richer and fatter on our tax dollars. Many of us no longer have children in school, so I resent paying for a failing system.” – Marla Choate
           
• “Any property tax is wholly immoral. To be required under penalty of law to pay a tax for which one has no control is horribly egregious! It is more stifling than most understand because business inventory is considered property and therefore, taxed, forcing prices up. Property taxes MUST be eliminated.” – Roger Taylor 
          
• “Eliminate all property taxes. I shouldn't have to pay rent on a house I own. School districts are notoriously poor custodians of managing their money. If parents want the latest and greatest athletic facilities, then they should pay for them. Not those of us who don't care about high school sports and are on a fixed income.” – Marta Hollowell
           
• “I would like to see the constitutional elimination of all property taxes on Texas homesteads.” – John Detmar
      
• “The current system punishes those who try to own their home and retire in it by requiring them to pay for many services to others they do not use or benefit from leaving home ownership in retirement only possible for the wealthy.” – Dawn Richardson
     
• “Property taxes are out of control. Tarrant County increased my appraised value by 55% in one year!” – Chris Danford
      
• “Do I own this property, or am I renting it from the state? YES eliminate property taxes!” – Cindy Armstrong
      
• “Property taxes probably should be reduced to the greatest degree possible, if not outright eliminated. But let's not kid ourselves: high property taxes are a symptom of the fact that government, at all levels, spend too much. Unless and until the political will exists to cut spending, some form of taxation and/or inflation is inevitable.” – Adam Cahn
         
• “Taxation is theft.” – Chris Breaux
         
• “The property tax makes the owner a surf to the State. It means that the property is not really yours. The State can and will take your property from you if you fail to pay the taxes imposed upon the property. This is just wrong and should be ended.” – Randall Woodman

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