Action Update - Issue 71 :: May 10, 2006
Where Are We? School Finance Update 
by Will Lutz, Lone Star Report
[Here] is a quick summary Austin action:
SB 6 (technical fix to HB 3) -- Still pending before the Senate Finance Committee. Chairman Steve Ogden wants to vote it out early next week, but the bill will likely not see the light of day in the House.
HB 5 (cigarette tax) -- left the Senate Finance Committee Friday. The effective date of the increase is pushed back to Jan. 1, 2007. Amendments phasing in the tax are eligible when the bill hits the senate floor.
HB 4 (liar's affidavit) --
Both the Texas House and Texas Senate adopted conference reports today on HB 4, the "liar's affidavit" portion of the Perry-Sharp tax proposal. The bill creates a presumptive value for sales tax purposes on private sales of used cars based on databases such as the Kelley Blue Book value. The vote in the Senate was 21-10. The bill must now be signed in the presence of both chambers, a formality likely completed within the next couple of days. Then it goes to the governor.
HB 3 (revised franchise tax) -- Sent to the governor Friday, who has ten days (excluding Sundays) to sign, veto, or allow to become law without his signature.
HB 2 (dedication of new revenue to property tax relief) --
The Texas Senate sent HB 2 back to the House, 20-10. It has minor changes to the language, which bill sponsor Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands) said is intended to fix the House’s parliamentary concerns. The Senate version of the bill still dedicates one-third of new revenue from the Perry-Sharp tax plan to education, once the tax rate for school maintenance goes down to $1.00 per $100 of valuation. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst overruled a two subject point of order raised by Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos (D-Austin). The Barrientos point of order is similar to the one that sent the bill back to the Senate. Assuming the new Senate version of HB 2 is not killed by point of order, the House can now concur in Senate amendments or go to conference.
The new language in the bill reads as follows (designed to replace page 1, lines 43-48 in the last Senate version of the bill):
One third of the money appropriated from the fund may be appropriated only for the purpose of increasing the level of equalization of school district enrichment tax effort to the extent that limits reliance by school districts on local property tax effort and decreases the enrichment tax rates of districts.
CSHB 1 (property tax relief and education spending) -- left the Senate Finance Committee Friday, but the committee substitute is in trouble because of a fight over recapture and equity. Sen. Florence Shapiro (R-Plano) told reporters she has the votes to stop the bill from coming to the Senate floor unless concerns about recapture are addressed. (T4T: for a discussion about property tax relief hear Senator Kyle Janek discuss taxpayer protections with the Texas Public Policy Foundation)
Lt. Gov. Dewhurst says he is bringing the bill to the floor on Wednesday. (T4T: if the Senate cannot deliver this - they should be ready for a taxpayer revolution!)
Tax Bill Score Card -
Groups supporting the Perry Sharp plan include:
- American Forest and Paper Association
- Automotive Parts and Service Association
- Association of Chemical Industry of Texas
- Greater Houston Partnership
- Hispanics for Opportunity, Progress and Education
- Non Profits for Tax Fairness - Texas
- Texas Airline Association
- Texas Apartment Association
- Texas Association of Builders
- Texas Association of Businesses
- Texas Association of Manufacturers
- Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce
- Texas Association of Realtors
- Texas Credit Union League
- Texas Chemical Council
- Texas Council of Engineering Companies
- Texas Forest Industries Council
- Texas Industrial Areas Foundation Network
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The Consortium of Texas Certified Nurse Midwives
- Edu Care Community Living Corporation
- The Greater Texas Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
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The Houston Area Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
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The Private Providers of Texas
- Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists
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Texas Chiropractic Association
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Texas Coalition for Nurses in Advance Practice
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Texas College of Emergency Medicine
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Texas Dental Association
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Texas Federation of Drug Stores
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Texas Health Care Association
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Texas Hospital Association
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Texas Medical Association
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Texas Nurse Practitioners
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Texas Optometric Association
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Texas Orthopedic Association
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Texas Pharmacy Association
- Texas Society of Architects
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Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians
- Texas Motor Transportation Association
- Texas Oil & Gas Association
- Texas Restaurant Association
- Texas School Alliance
- Texas State Association of Firefighters
- Texas Taxpayers and Research Association
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas
- Tom Pauken
- Ray Perryman
- David Hartman
Those against the Perry Sharp Tax Proposal:
CONTACT INFORMATION :
Janelle Shepard, Executive Director
Texans for Texas, Inc., 815-A Brazos St #384, Austin, TX 78701-9996.
© 2004 Texans For Texas, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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