Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick defended his property tax plan during a press conference in Austin on Tuesday while lambasting House Speaker Dade Phelan for refusing to negotiate and deliver tax relief for Texans.
Patrick maintained that the Senate plan for property taxes will provide more relief for homeowners than the plan supported by the House and Governor Greg Abbott, adding that eliminating property taxes entirely is “a fantasy.”
Patrick said if the governor continues to disagree with his plan, he will invite Abbott to a “Lincoln-Douglas style debate” next week.
He also clarified that he does not blame the governor for supporting what he thinks is an inferior proposal, asserting that he thinks Abbott is receiving “very bad information” either from his staff or “someone on the outside.”
Patrick noted that both chambers, along with the governor, agree on setting aside about $17.6 billion for property tax cuts.
However, the major distinction between their plans is that the House “want[s] to take 100% of the $17.6 billion and give it to everyone,” while Patrick wants to reserve 30% for homestead exemptions.
The “everyone” Patrick refers to includes “businesses, all property owners, [and] people who own property in Texas [but] live out-of-state.”
“If you take $17.6 billion and give it to everyone, then the homeowners’ tax cut is diluted,” he said. “Our plan simply says … we just want to take 70% and give it to everyone. We want 30% to go [toward giving the] homeowners who deserve it the most an extra tax cut.”
Patrick asserted that while Governor Abbott has been vocally supportive of the House’s compression-only plan, he has made no public statement regarding whether he supports homestead exemptions.
“Under … the Governor and House plan, the average tax cut is about $740 and it’s not permanent,” he continued. “Under the Senate plan, our tax cut is between $500 and $700 a year more.”
He said the Senate plan provides an average tax cut of between $1,225 and $1,400 every year.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the House passed its version of property tax relief last week before adjourning the special session called by the governor.
Abbott praised the House’s bill in a statement, saying, “The Texas House is the only chamber that passed a property tax cut bill that is germane to the special session that I called to provide Texans with property tax relief.”
“It provides more cuts to property tax rates than any other proposal at this time,” he said. “It is supported by the most respected tax think tank in the state, as well as more than 30 homeowner, consumer, and business groups across the state. I look forward to signing it when it reaches my desk.”
However, Patrick argued on Tuesday that House Speaker Dade Phelan has been difficult to work with and is obstructing legislation from being passed, having called for the House to adjourn.
“How can you pass a bill when you get up and leave and walk out of the Capitol?” he said, encouraging members of the House to “come back” to the Capitol to work not only on property tax relief but border security legislation as well.
“We have no one to work with,” Patrick asserted. “The Senate continues to work, and the House continues to stay home.”
“Come back to work,” he said to the House. “We’re working. We’ll be here. We’ll wait next week [to] see if you come back.”
Patrick claimed that Phelan has refused to cooperate, at one point throwing up his hands and saying, “I’m outta here,” during a meeting with Patrick and Abbott.
“He left one meeting in a huff. He left another meeting in a huff, and if you saw him gavel out the other day on sine die, I thought he was going to break the gavel,” he said. “It’s just tough to negotiate with someone when they keep walking out and not doing their job.”
As reported by The Dallas Express, Phelan has recently embroiled himself in controversy, causing his approval rating to decline among his voters.
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