Texas Property Tax Standoff Causes Veto Frenzy and Alarm in School Districts

Conservative politicians in Texas are pushing to eliminate school property taxes altogether, with an influential think tank ranking the goal among its top 2023 priorities. However, the idea has generated opposition from school districts and even some Republican leaders, who fear loss of independent authority over their finances and the potential for major cuts when the economy takes a downturn. Legislative leaders plan to spend at least $12.3 billion on new property tax cuts, but worries persist about whether the strategy of slowly shrinking school property taxes will bleed school districts dry in the long-term.