Statement from Rep. Dwayne Bohac on Appraisal Cap Setback

Last week, the debate over House Joint Resolution 35 ended before it was allowed to begin. In a legislative maneuver designed to avoid having to debate property tax appraisal relief, an amendment was adopted that basically crippled the bill.

I am saddened to know that certain members were unwilling to even have a debate on the floor and discuss an issue that is so important to Texas taxpayers. I am disappointed to see that some members chose to listen to a handful of local government officials and paid lobbyists instead of the thousands of homeowners from around the state. It goes to show that it’s far easier to be a critic than a problem solver.

HJR 35 may have died on the House floor, but we are far from finished.

I want to thank Governor Perry for his leadership and for his hard work to bring attention to this issue. He understands, as many in the Legislature do, that this is a critical taxpayer protection measure important to so many Texans.

I want to thank the Joint Authors – Rep. Bill Callegari, Rep. Joe Crabb, Rep. Charlie Howard, Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, Rep. Joe Nixon, Rep. Robert Talton, and Rep. Beverly Woolley – for their help getting this legislation to the floor.

I want to thank the other members who fought hard to see that HJR 35 got the debate on the House floor it deserved - Rep. Leo Berman, Rep. Dennis Bonnen, Rep. David Leibowitz, Rep. John Otto, and Rep. Debbie Riddle.

Most importantly, I want to thank the thousands of Texans from across the state of Texas who signed the AppraisalCap.com petition and have supported this grassroots effort for the past two years. Because of your hard work, we’ve made it this far. Because of your hard work, we will come back even stronger and get this passed. All works of great magnitude, especially those affecting tax policies, take time to build momentum.

Last Tuesday, the members of the Texas House of Representatives were given a copy of our petition with your names on it. When this issue returns, that list will be twice as long.

As we near the final weeks of session, hope is not lost. There are still several appraisal cap bills in committee, and Senator Kyle Janek has a companion bill in the Senate, SB 1349 / SJR 4. There is also Rep. Carl Isett’s House Bill 1006, a “truth in taxation” measure that would give citizens a greater voice in how quickly their city and county property tax revenues may grow. HB 1006 is expected to come to the House floor this week and we need to support it.

Again, thank you for all your hard work and support. We will not give up until we bring home meaningful property tax relief to the taxpayers of Texas.