Texas Lawmakers Struggle to Find Consensus on Property Tax Relief

Texas lawmakers have entered their third legislative session this year without reaching a deal on property tax cuts. Governor Greg Abbott called a second special session focused solely on property tax relief, giving lawmakers 30 days to reach an agreement. The main divide is between a proposal backed by Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan that benefits homeowners and businesses, and one sought by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick that provides greater relief to homeowners. The Abbott-Phelan plan would send $12.3 billion to school districts to lower tax rates, while Patrick wants 30% to go toward raising the state's homestead exemption. Lawmakers are also considering other ideas, such as tighter caps on property tax revenue growth and limiting the annual growth of individual property tax bills.