Texas Gov. Greg Abbott promises largest property tax cut in state history

AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott was sworn in for a 3rd time period on Tuesday promising to show a $33 billion surplus into the largest property tax cuts in Texas history. The Republican additionally joined a broad conservative push for parental selection in public colleges, whereas railing towards “indoctrination.”

“Schools should not be pushing social agendas,” Abbott declared in a speech on the steps of the Capitol.

Abbott’s remarks broke no new ground, and his coverage targets largely mirrored his marketing campaign pitch to voters. He solid Texas as an financial bastion, the place individuals are coming to flee “the oppression of high taxes” and pink tape. The three-term Republican directed his sharpest assault strains at President Joe Biden, persevering with with accusations that the Democrat has did not safe the nation’s southern border with Mexico.

“With the Biden administration missing in action, Texas is using every tool to protect our state,” Abbott stated to scattered applause from lawmakers, lobbyists and members of the general public in the viewers.

Abbott, 65, sails into one other four-year time period recent off a convincing re-election victory over Democrat Beto O’Rourke and as questions swirl over his political future.

Abbott has been coy about whether or not he’ll mount a 2024 presidential bid, search a record-breaking fourth time period because the state’s governor or retire from elective politics altogether. There aren’t any time period limits in Texas, and political watchers say Abbott can have a watch towards cementing his legacy after spending the previous few years dealing with a pandemic and the state’s lethal energy blackouts.

Brandon Rottinghaus, a political scientist on the University of Houston, stated lawmakers need to Abbott’s lead as a result of he’s now on the apex of his political energy.

“He has a lot more credibility, the ear of the Legislature and political posture to back it up,” Rottinghaus stated. “With that comes more responsibilities.”

In a 13-minute speech, Abbott sketched out an agenda of property tax cuts; “school choice;” bolstering street and port infrastructure; and felony justice, which he enlarged to embody a much less porous U.S.-Mexico border. But the Republican gave few specifics about learn how to accomplish these targets. Aides have stated Texans ought to search for extra detailed proposals in his state of the state speech subsequent month.

He is working with robust GOP majorities in the House and Senate, whose leaders are usually in alignment with Abbott’s high degree properties. The largest supply of debate will probably be how precisely to spend or save a record-breaking $33 billion surplus.

Abbott stated the cash ought to return to Texans in the type of property tax reduction.

The Republican additionally pledged to proceed together with his personal multi-billion greenback border safety crackdown that has mobilized 1000’s of Texas National Guard members and initiated development on a border barrier.

House Democrats stated Abbott failed to stipulate a plan to assist Texans handle the skyrocketing prices of utilities, groceries and insurance coverage.

“Texas Republicans have controlled this state for nearly 30 years and 30 years later costs for Texas families have never been higher,” stated San Antonio Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, who chairs the House Democratic caucus. “House Democrats will lead on cutting costs for Texas families and we will work with anyone that’s ready to work with us to deliver for Texans.”

Abbott boasted about highschool commencement charges, however supplied no specifics on how training {dollars} ought to develop or be redirected. He emphasised dad and mom ought to have a selection in their kids’s training, however stopped wanting explicitly endorsing vouchers. He additionally struck a typical conservative chorus, by declaring colleges are for “education, not indoctrination.”

“Schools should not be pushing social agendas,” he stated, with none elaboration.

In his personal inaugural handle delivered simply minutes earlier than Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick struck the same notice. Patrick named property tax reduction a precedence in the type of elevating the homestead exemption on faculty levies to $70,000, from $40,000 now. He additionally referred to as for a trainer pay increase and obtained much more particular than Abbott about serving to dad and mom ship college students to personal colleges, whereas repeatedly saying the 2 state leaders are on the identical web page.

“To the naysayers that say school choice hurts rural Texas, the governor and I will have a plan to protect those schools financially and to make sure those parents have choice also,” he stated.

The emphasis on training comes as college students wrestle with studying loss after the pandemic and public colleges are hemorrhaging academics, who complain of low pay and stress from conservative assaults on their jobs. It’s additionally the primary legislative session because the state’s deadliest faculty taking pictures at Robb Elementary in Uvalde.

Neither Patrick nor Abbott made any specific point out of the bloodbath that killed 19 kids and two academics. Abbott named faculty security as a precedence, and proposed increasing psychological well being providers for college kids with none point out of the gun management measures proposed by sufferer’s households.

“We will not end this session without making our schools safer,” Abbott stated.

Abbott prevented any point out of liberal California, and shunned overt posturing with fellow GOP governors, like Florida’s Ron DeSantis, with whom he typically attracts comparisons.

While persevering with to explain the electrical grid as mounted, Abbott promised extra funding because the state’s inhabitants continues to develop. His emphasis on infrastructure developments could possibly be a degree of bipartisan settlement after a tense legislative session in 2021 when Democrats fled Austin in an try to dam a contentious elections invoice.

The occasion occurred amid tight safety as temperatures soared to 80 levels. Audience members used their vivid pink applications to dam the solar’s glare.

Expected to value greater than $3 million, the ceremony and associated celebrations in Austin Tuesday is bankrolled by non-public donors giving to the Texas 2023 Inaugural Committee. A full accounting fo their contributions has not been launched, however in keeping with a program, the “Diamond Sponsors” that gave $100,000 or extra embody power corporations, H-E-B and Las Vegas Sands.

Austin Bureau Chief Robert T. Garrett contributed to this report.