Good morning, 

Here is the Texas Minute for Thursday, July 21, 2022.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Apologies… In yesterday’s Texas Minute, I mentioned Texas State University using taxpayer funds to offer a ridiculous course on “Harry Styles and the Cult of Celebrity,” but then failed to include a link. Check out Emily Wilkerson’s article.

Higher Property Taxes Coming…

• With home values skyrocketing, Erin Anderson reports Texans must look to their local government officials for any hope of relief from punishing property taxes that are based in part on those values. 
     
• Unfortunately, many local spending plans—which drive property taxes—are “wildly out of step” with what Texas taxpayers can afford, resulting in tax bills that are driving Texans out of their homes and businesses.
      

• What can taxpayers do right now to keep their property tax bills from skyrocketing? They should start by demanding their local officials adopt a budget based on the “no-new-revenue” tax rate, according to Texans for Fiscal Responsibility.
     

• “Local governments need to use the no-new-revenue rate as their starting point when formulating budgets,” Corsicana City Councilman Chris Woolsey told Texas Scorecard. “Any rate higher than the no-new-revenue rate is a tax increase.”
     

• “Taxpayers don’t have the luxury of granting themselves a raise every year to offset rising expenses in their household; they have to make hard decisions on what to prioritize and what to cut. Our local governments need to be run the same way.” – Chris Woolsey

Joining The Democrats In Protecting Gay ‘Marriage’

• U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales was the only Texas Republican to vote with Democrats in codifying same-sex marriage into federal law. The U.S. House’s “Respect for Marriage Act” calls for the repeal of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that recognized marriage as exclusively between one man and one woman. Juliana Berg has the story.
      
• Gonazles was one of 47 Republicans joining 220 Democrats to protect gay marriage. The other 23 Republicans in Texas’ congressional delegation opposed the leftwing measure.
     
• The Texas GOP has historically opposed gay marriage. This opposition was clearly affirmed in the party platform, which was updated just last month. 
     

• Chris Hopper, president of the Texas Family Project, told Texas Scorecard that despite efforts to downplay the vote, the outcome reveals a major issue in the Capitol.
      

• “Republicans who claim to be pro-family, we are watching. Republicans who ran on a platform defending the Biblical definition of marriage, we are watching.” – Chris Hopper

Pro-Gambling PAC Gives Big Money to the Big Three

• The Las Vegas Sands Corporation, one of the world’s largest casino operators, has been aggressively lobbying to expand their operations into the Lone Star State. This year, the company’s Texas Sands PAC gave $150,000 each to Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dade Phelan. Emily Wilkerson has more details.

Why is The House GOP Caucus Threatening Conservative Members?

• In the latest episode of his podcast, Luke Macias explains why the Texas House Republican Caucus is punishing certain conservative members.
     
• The Republican leadership is aggressively targeting three incumbent GOP members, in part, to send a chilling message to incoming freshmen like Carrie Isaac, Terri Leo-Wilson, Nate Schatlzine, Mark Dorazio, Ellen Troxclair, and others.

Texas DEMs Push Biden To Attack Texas’ Pro-Life Laws

• Texas Democrats – congressional members, state lawmakers, and organization leaders – are petitioning the White House to do everything in its power to circumvent Texas’ laws against abortion. Jake Peterson has the story.
   
• They want Biden to declare a public health emergency to protect doctors and hospitals who want to provide abortions.
     
• Republican Party of Texas Chairman Matt Rinaldi responded: “Texas Democrats’ contempt for state law continues to be on full display. Republicans should not give them any power during the legislative session and seek to strengthen our laws from unconstitutional federal overreach.”

Subsidizing Solar

• Taxpayers in Georgetown are subsidizing a solar company, reports Katy Drollinger. 
       
• For the next 10 years, GAF Energy will enjoy tax abatements ranging from 50 to 75 percent. In total, the City of Georgetown provided $3.24 million in tax cuts and grants to the solar panel company.
     
• This is not Georgetown’s first entanglement with “renewable” energy. The city signed 20-year contracts with wind and solar companies to buy large amounts of energy at a fixed price. But as the market shifted, taxpayers were on the hook for much higher prices. The city ended up paying $26 million more than they originally estimated, lost millions of taxpayers’ dollars, and consequently, raised residents’ utility prices.

A Billion Dollars… For What?

• The Austin Independent School District wants taxpayers to take on either a $1.5 billion or a $2.1 billion package to rehab either 14 or 21 school properties. As Adam Cahn reports, this translates to more than $100 million per campus.
     
• Note: The proposals only list the principal debt and do not include interest projections. Either package will actually cost the taxpayers a lot more money.
    
• The proposals come even as the district’s enrollment continues a long-term decline, and skyrocketing property taxes have fueled an exodus of working-class families from the urban core.

Your Federal & State Lawmakers

The districts displayed here should reflect those recently redrawn by the Legislature. Though the new lines do not take representational effect until 2023, they will appear on the 2022 ballot. Please note that your incumbent legislator and/or district numbers may have changed.