Below you will find TFR’s Platform Resolutions for 2024.
A PDF copy of each resolution is below each. Be sure to bring at least three (3) copies of each resolution with you to your convention.
Resolution in Support of a “No-Growth” Budget
WHEREAS, the State government is not limited and, in the last two decades, has nearly tripled in size, far outpacing the growth of population and inflation; and,
WHEREAS, limiting budgetary growth by the metric of population plus inflation does not limit the size of government but only slows the growth of an already bloated budget; and,
WHEREAS, in order to truly limit government, spending must be actively cut and growth stopped completely; and,
WHEREAS, the budgeting process used for the State of Texas largely leaves out the voices of the taxpayers that fund it; and,
WHEREAS, the current budgeting process starts from the previous biennium’s budget, assuming that no wasteful or abusive spending occurred by state agencies; and,
WHEREAS, state lawmakers continue to pass a state budget for the next biennium that does not deliver substantial and permanent property tax relief and instead prioritizes corporate welfare schemes and increased spending on state agencies, thereby growing government bureaucracy; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the __________ support freezing the growth of the state budget completely, until wasteful agencies and programs have been abolished and a sustainable size of government is restored.
Approved this __ day of March, 2024 at the Precinct # __ Convention located in Texas Senate District # __
Resolution in Support of Eliminating the Property Tax
WHEREAS, a property tax has been levied by various governments on Texans since before its independence from Mexico; and
WHEREAS, a Texas property owner never truly owns their property and instead is subjected to perpetual rent to the government based primarily on subjective valuations of appraisal review boards and tax rates established by local taxing entities with little feedback from those whom the tax is being imposed upon; and
WHEREAS, the property tax is immoral and regressive while ultimately impacting low and fixed-income Texans the most due to the cost of property taxes compounding over time; and
WHEREAS, just in the last decade, the total property tax burden on Texans across jurisdictions has nearly doubled. Moreover, in the years between 1998 and 2023, the property tax burden exponentially increased, rising 338%, far outpacing the rate of population growth plus inflation of 136% during the same period. This growth happened despite Republican majorities in the state legislature during most of that time; and
WHEREAS, The Tax Foundation reported in 2023 that Texas had the 6th most burdensome property tax in the United States, while other states that also lack a personal income tax, such as Florida and Tennessee, ranked 26th and 37th, respectively; and
WHEREAS, in recent polling, 82% of Texans indicated that property taxes are a serious issue, and 3 out of 4 Republican primary voters in the 2022 Republican primary voted that they wanted to eliminate property taxes altogether; and
WHEREAS, in the most recent Texas Legislative Sessions, the Legislature only passed $12.7 Billion in new property tax relief, less than half of the State’s surplus, which resulted in only slowing the growth of the property tax burden, with overall property taxes still increasing across Texas; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, _______ supports eliminating the property tax system and the idea of paying perpetual rent to the government; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, _______ supports finding other sources of existing revenue to fund important government services, including but not limited to, cutting government spending and using existing budget surpluses.
Approved this __ day of March, 2024 at the Precinct # __ Convention located in Texas Senate District # __
Resolution in Support of a Ban on Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
WHEREAS, local governments spend Texas taxpayer money to hire lobbyists on contract who in turn often advocate against taxpayer interests in support of growing government bureaucracy and regulation; and
WHEREAS, nearly $75 million was reportedly spent by local governments to lobby state lawmakers during the 87th legislative session; and
WHEREAS, by comparison, in 2017, nearly $41 million was spent by local governments to hire lobbyists to lobby the state legislature; and
WHEREAS, recent polling indicated that more than 7 out of every 10 Americans believe lobbyists have too much power and influence over lawmakers; and
WHEREAS, recent polling also indicated that most Americans rank lobbyists as the least trustworthy profession; and
WHEREAS, a 2020 Republican Primary Ballot Proposition successfully passed by nearly 95% of Republican primary election voters in favor of banning the practice; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the __________ support eliminating the ability for tax dollars to be used to hire lobbyists that lobby against the interests of taxpayers; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the ___________ supports a ban on the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying.
Approved this __ day of March, 2024 at the Precinct # __ Convention located in Texas Senate District # __
Resolution in Support of Curtailing Local Government Spending
WHEREAS, Texas taxpayers cannot hope to achieve sustained property tax relief and the elimination of property taxes altogether without also addressing the runaway local government spending that necessitates such egregious taxation; and
WHEREAS, many local government jurisdictions continue to increase spending at alarming rates using a combination of faulty budget practices and indebtedness, ensuring less prosperity for future generations of Texans; and
WHEREAS, the property tax is immoral and regressive, while ultimately impacting low and fixed-income Texans the most due to the cost of property taxes compounding over time; and
WHEREAS, just in the last decade, the total property tax burden on Texans across jurisdictions has nearly doubled. Moreover, in the years between 1998 and 2023, the property tax burden exponentially increased, rising 338%, far outpacing the rate of population growth plus inflation of 136% during the same period. This growth happened despite Republican majorities in the state legislature during most of that time; and
WHEREAS, The Tax Foundation reported in 2023 that Texas had the 6th most burdensome property tax in the United States, while other states that also lack a personal income tax, such as Florida and Tennessee, ranked 26th and 37th, respectively; and
WHEREAS, in recent polling, 82% of Texans indicated that property taxes are a serious issue, and 3 out of 4 Republican primary voters in the 2022 Republican primary voted that they wanted to eliminate property taxes altogether; and
WHEREAS, in the most recent Texas Legislative Sessions, the Texas Legislature only passed $12.7 Billion in new property tax relief, less than half of the State’s surplus, which resulted in only slowing the growth of the property tax burden, with overall property taxes still increasing across Texas; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, _______ supports imposing a spending cap on all local government jurisdictions that are bound by the metric of population and inflation, much like the state government is supposed to abide, as government should not grow beyond the population it is intended to serve; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, _______ supports lowering the voter-approval tax rate in relation to property tax to that of the No-New-Revenue tax rate; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, _______ supports freezing the school district Maintenance & Operations (M&O) tax rate until compressed to zero.
Approved this __ day of March, 2024 at the Precinct # __ Convention located in Texas Senate District # __