As the Republican Party of Texas (RPT) State Convention gets underway this week at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR) is on the front lines, championing reforms that put taxpayers and families first. Since Monday, TFR’s team has been testifying in committee hearings, engaging delegates, distributing educational materials, interviewing activists and elected officials, and building momentum for key priorities that will shape the Party’s legislative agenda for the 90th Session in 2027.
Delegates from across the state have a pivotal opportunity to set the tone for conservative governance by adopting transformative legislative priorities, and a strong platform that champions fiscal conservatism.
TFR is urging support for three critical reforms: eliminating property taxes, banning taxpayer-funded lobbying, and abolishing the Texas Lottery.
These three priorities have already advanced in the Legislative Priorities Committee, making steady progress towards being presented to the delegates to vote on.
Eliminating Property Taxes remains one of the most urgent issues for Texas families. Property taxes have surged nearly 35% in the last six years, far outpacing population growth and inflation, forcing Texans to pay rent to the government, squeezing small businesses, and pricing young families out of homeownership. Texas doesn’t have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem. Local governments exploit loopholes and expand bureaucracy, while state spending has jumped roughly 42% over the last two legislative sessions alone. Elevating elimination of property taxes as an RPT legislative priority would reject recent half-measures and send a clear message to Austin.
Banning Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying is equally vital. Local governments, school districts, and taxpayer-funded entities currently use your tax dollars to hire lobbyists who push for higher spending and bigger government, and oppose conservative reforms that Texans want, like property tax elimination, immigration enforcement, and secure elections. This self-serving cycle must end with a clean, enforceable ban free of loopholes. No Texan should be forced to subsidize advocacy against their own interests.
Abolishing the Texas Lottery addresses another longstanding failure. Promoted decades ago as a boon for schools, the Lottery delivers only a negligible fraction of the education budget, enough for about three days of schooling, while fostering scandal, corruption, and predatory gambling that targets those with the least disposable income. With Texas enjoying economic growth and budget surpluses, there is no justification for government-sponsored “taxation by exploitation.” TFR’s Texas Anti-Predatory Gambling Alliance (TAPGA) calls for making abolition a top priority, signaling rejection of corruption and predatory revenue schemes.
The convention offers the grassroots a key opportunity to advance limited government and fiscal sanity. Delegates should seize it by adopting these priorities, which curb overreach and protect Texas families. We encourage you to visit TFR at Booth #209. Those unable to join can still support the effort by visiting TexasTaxpayers.com/Convention to learn more and get involved.
By standing firm for these reforms, TFR and delegates can help keep Texas a beacon of prosperity and responsibility.
Texans for Fiscal Responsibility relies on the support of private donors across the Lone Star State in order to promote fiscal responsibility and pro-taxpayer government in Texas. Please consider supporting our efforts! Thank you!
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