Texas Senate

Subject: Broadband Socialism, House Joint Resolution 125 (HJR 125)

• Author: State Rep. Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin)
• TFR Position: Oppose
• Background: HJR 125 proposes a constitutional amendment to create the broadband infrastructure fund to assist in the financing of broadband and telecommunications projects. HJR 125 has a negative fiscal impact of nearly $436 million through the biennium and attempts to transfer $5 billion from the Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF) or “Rainy Day Fund”. Continuing on efforts from the previous legislative session, collectivizing the building of broadband infrastructure by using taxpayer money, while the private sector is simultaneously making that technology obsolete is not only a terrible use of public funds but an egregious use of the Rainy Day Fund. The ESF was not designed as a slush fund for the pet projects of lawmakers. For these reasons, TFR opposes HJR 125

Subject: Broadband Socialism, House Bill 9 (HB 9)

• Author: State Rep. Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin)
• TFR Position: Oppose
• Background: HB 9 is the enabling legislation for HJR 125. HB 9 seeks to create a broadband infrastructure fund to assist in the financing of broadband and telecommunications projects. Continuing on efforts from the previous legislative session, collectivizing the building of broadband infrastructure by using taxpayer money, while the private sector is simultaneously making that technology obsolete is not only a terrible use of public funds but an egregious use of the Rainy Day Fund. The ESF was not designed as a slush fund for the pet projects of lawmakers. For these reasons, TFR opposes HB 9.

Subject: Pro-Taxpayer, House Bill 422 (HB 422)

• Author: State Rep. Gary VanDeaver (R-New Boston)
• TFR Position: Support
• Background: HB 422 seeks to allow Juvenile Courts to conduct remote proceedings, leading to cost savings for things like transportation. For this reason, TFR supports HB 422.

Subject: Hotel Occupancy Tax for Wise County Courthouse & Fairgrounds, House Bill 1034 (HB 1034)

• Author: State Rep. Lynn Stucky (R-Sanger)
• TFR Position: Oppose 
• Background: HB 1034 seeks to allow Wise County the ability to use Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) revenue for the purpose of preservation and restoration efforts for the Wise County Courthouse and to promote, expand, and maintain the Wise County Fairgrounds. The continued use of HOT to finance projects is antithetical to free enterprise. The use of such things lacks accountability. There is no reason to create new taxes and grow the government to build buildings not crucial to infrastructure. For this reason, TFR opposes HB 1034.

Subject: Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act, House Bill 2837 (HB 2837)

• Author: State Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler)
• TFR Position: Support
• Background: HB 2837 seeks to prohibit the use of a merchant category code for a firearms retailer. There is a significant risk, given recent changes in standardization, that governmental actors, in conjunction with banking institutions, will have access to unprecedented information with regard to the activity of citizens seeking to purchase firearms and ammunition. That information could potentially be used in a way contrary to the support of both the federal and state constitutional right to keep and bear arms. For these reasons, TFR supports HB 2837.

Texas House of Representatives

Subject: Eliminating Tenure at General Academic Institutions, Senate Bill 18 (SB 18)

• Author: State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe)
• TFR Position: Support
• Background: SB 18 seeks to not allow institutions of higher education to grant tenure or any type of permanent employment status starting on September 1, 2023. Tenure is a policy that works against free enterprise and makes it exceptionally hard to hold professors accountable, especially since they get paid with tax dollars. Ending lifetime contracts is pro-taxpayer and encourages both competition and accountability. For these reasons, TFR supports SB 18.

Subject: Property Tax Relief, Senate Bill 3 (SB 3)

• Author: State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston)
• TFR Position: Support/ Amend
• Background: Provides property tax relief to some Texas taxpayers in the form of an increase to the homestead exemption. SB 3 would use $3.4 billion to increase the homestead exemption from $40,000 to $70,000. Using an additional $0.5 billion, SB 3 would also increase the homestead exemption by an additional $30,000 to $100,000 total for seniors/disabled. In total, SB 3 would use $3.9 billion. This would result in an estimated annual savings of about $800 for a $350,000 home. For this reason, TFR supports this bill, although we encourage amendments to increase the amount of the exemption to at least $100,000 for all of those who have homestead property.
• Note… House has made the bill stronger by adding more compression and increasing exemption to $100k for homesteaded taxpayers. They are now only $4B away from the largest property tax cut in Texas history. We encourage an amendment to increase the compression to 20 cents.

Subject: Property Tax Exemption at Expense of Other Taxpayers, Senate Joint Resolution 64 (SJR 64)

• Author: State Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas)
• TFR Position: Oppose
• Background: SJR 64 seeks to allow counties and municipalities to provide property tax exemptions for childcare facilities. Although well intended, property tax exemptions ultimately hurt those that do not qualify for such an exemption, shifting the burden. The priority of the legislature should be to provide as much tax relief as possible to Texas taxpayers and SJR 64 will ultimately result in higher taxes for everyone else. For this reason, TFR opposes SJR 64

Reminder: Vote Notices are provided to both Texas state lawmakers and the general public in advance of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility’s position on issues to be rated as part of the Fiscal Responsibility Index prior to votes being taken in each legislative chamber.

Disclaimer: We reserve the right to consider amendments to legislation that may be introduced without notice as a part of issues to be rated as part of the Fiscal Responsibility Index. We will make every effort to provide notice on amendments that are pre-filed.