Good morning, 

This might come as a surprise, but your fellow readers have some very strong opinions about property tax burdens in the Lone Star State – and what to do about them.

We will get to those comments at the end of today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Wednesday, February 2, 2022
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Abbott Reneges On Power Promise

• Ahead of the arctic blast forecasted to send Texas' temperatures plummeting later this week, Gov. Greg Abbott is backtracking on his fall promise that the power would stay on this winter. Sydnie Henry has the story.
      
• At a press conference yesterday, Gov. Abbott said, “No one can guarantee that there won’t be a ‘load shed’ event.” That's the industry term for controlled blackouts necessary to keep the power grid from failing.
       
• Yet just three months ago the governor explicitly told an Austin TV station: “I can guarantee that the lights will stay on.”
      

• Some Texans have already received warning from their power companies that power outages may accompany the upcoming storm. In fact, one warning says the grid’s capability is contingent on wind production, which has been the center of criticism over the past year.
      

• NOTE: It was Texas' over-reliance on unreliable energy sources that led to the failure of the state's electric grid in 2021. As governor, Greg Abbott has been among the state's biggest advocates for subsidizing unreliable energy schemes.

Court Could Reverse Damaging Election Security Edict

• With state officials outraged over a decision cutting off the attorney general’s authority to prosecute election fraud cases, many people are asking: “Can anything be done to reverse the decision?” Brandon Waltens has the answer.

        
• In an 8-1 ruling issued in December, the Court of Criminal Appeals—Texas’ highest court on criminal cases—struck down a 70-year-old law allowing the attorney general to prosecute election fraud cases.  A.G. Ken Paxton and other critics have said the decision could be devastating for future elections in Texas, as election fraud could be tolerated by lenient urban district attorneys… who might even benefit from local fraud schemes.
      
• Paxton has petitioned the court for rehearing. Although petitions for rehearing are usually not granted, it is not an unheard of outcome for a controversial case.
      
• Elected statewide, three of the nine Republican judges are on the ballot this year. Only the Place 5 incumbent, Scott Walker, has a GOP primary challenger – Clint Morgan. Justice Walker was among those who voted to strip prosecutorial power from the A.G.'s office.

Huffines Earns Support Of Texas' Largest Grassroots Group

• Dallas businessman and former State Sen. Don Huffines has gained the support of Texas' largest grassroots group, the True Texas Project. Sydnie Henry has the story.
       
• “We do not try to come to a consensus. We merely tell you how many votes each candidate received from board members." In the case of the gubernatorial race, the organization said their choice was unanimous.
      
• Originally based in Tarrant County, the True Texas Project now operates in more than a dozen locations around the state. The organization also issued recommendations in the other statewide races.

• When you next visit the DecisionTexas page, you'll find a snapshot of the campaign finance data for each Republican and Democratic candidate in the gubernatorial race. Clicking the names will take you to a more detailed finance page, courtesy of our friends at TransparencyUSA.

'They Hate Transparency'

• Outgoing State Rep. Jeff Cason (R–Bedford) released the first episode of his new podcast, Back Room Access.
      
• As Katy Drollinger reports, the podcast will center around Texas politics, with a focus on Cason’s experiences as a freshman representative.
       
• “The problem with Austin is they hate transparency and accountability. Throughout coming episodes, I’ll be talking about many of those moments when my effort to be accountable and transparent riled up a lot of my fellow Republican colleagues.” – Jeff Cason

AOC Endorses Texas Socialist

• A self-proclaimed socialist, former Austin City Councilman Greg Casar is attempting to fail upwards into a congressional seat. In that effort, reports Adam Cahn, Casar has found an ally: U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

Round Rock ISD Trustee Resigns

• One of the "bad faith five" school board trustees featured in the EXPOSED podcast series is resigning from his post with the Round Rock Independent School District, reports Robert Montoya.
      

• Following multiple open records requests sent about him, trustee Dr. Jun Xiao has announced his intent to resign at the next regular board meeting. Documents received in response to these requests revealed complaints citizens filed against Xiao, as well as his hostile behavior toward a voter.
       

• This is the second time Xiao announced his intent to resign; the first time was last August, after a board meeting where the majority voted to narrow the opt-out exemption to the district’s mask mandate.

Y'All Answered!

The March 1, 2022, GOP primary ballot will feature a series of policy-related statements placed there by the State Republican Executive Committee. Yesterday, we asked how readers would respond on this GOP ballot statement: “Texas should eliminate all property taxes within ten (10) years without implementing a state income tax.”

To that statement, 95.73 percent of readers said “yes” in agreement with the statement while 4.27 percent answered “no.”

• "Eliminating property taxes has been talked about for years.  It's time to start actually doing something about it.  Perhaps a new crowd of actual conservative Republicans will make it happen in 2023." – Fran Rhodes
        
• "Property taxes are unjust.  Once a citizen pays for a piece of property it should belong to them forever." – Ken Kunz
        
• "Property taxes in Texas are just legalized theft by the government." – Jim Hughes
       
• "My vote was 'YES.' I would love to own my own property one day." – Jennifer Herr
        
• "It should be accomplished, with ease, but who will teach the legislature how to quit spending needlessly." – Joe Zimmer
       
• "We have listened to so called 'conservative' candidates campaign on eliminating property taxes for the last 25 years or so only to have it disappear after they get elected. They always want to have a conversation about lowering property taxes but it is time for action instead of talk." – Jake Spoon
        
• "Property taxes are nothing more than extortion.  It's a gang telling you to hand over money or men with guns will come and kick you out of your home." – Randall Woodman
       
• "I do find it comical in a way that this question even has to be asked on a primary ballot. ... How many times does the GOP have to be told this before they do something about it?" – John Underwood
      
• "The school systems would be broke without property taxes. However, the property taxes should be lowered by half and then capped at a statewide millage rate." – Frank Riner
       
• "I answered no to the survey question only because it was too limited." – John Fett
        
• "I should not be renting my property from the government into eternity." – Greg Reinhart
         
• "It should be obvious that property taxes should be eliminated.  One has NO control over one's tax bill, as evidenced by people being forced out of their homes.  ...  It is rarely talked about but is very significant in respect to prices of things, including groceries.  The inventory that a business holds is subject to property tax.  Prices of everything are higher because of property tax." – Roger Taylor
        
• "With the creative ideas coming from the conservative grassroots and the already huuuuge surplus we’ve got in the “rainy day fund” there is no reason why they shouldn’t be able to eliminate property taxes in less time than that." – Walter Bowen
       
• "Ten years..? Texas already has a surplus of funds. Why should we continue to pay property taxes for another ten years! It should end this year, no wait, no lingering payments." – Bathsheba Campbell
       
• "Promising anything in 10 years is the same as doing nothing.  Eliminate all property tax on homestead, residential, family farm and ranch property now." – Thomas Williams
       
• "Why are We the People allowing the Texas legislature to 'kick the can down the road' for another 10 years? When we know what happens - 10 becomes 15, then 20 as the legislators become distracted by campaigning and corruption. Repeal property taxes now!" – Charles McCord
        
• "I picked 'no' because ten years is too long. I remember ten years ago Dan Patrick, then a radio host, taking bus loads to Austin to protest taxes. Since he got elected to first the senate and now lieutenant governor not so much." – John Coon
      
• "When I buy any other item, I pay a one time tax. Why pay for your property every year!? I pay the mortgage, maintenance, do not have kids or even grandkids in the local schools. Even if I did, the taxes should follow the child to the school of choice, not the local district." – James Lee