Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed 29 bills last weekend in response to the state legislature’s inaction on property tax relief, which he has stated must be a priority during the special session.
The Texas governor has now vetoed a total of 77 bills, the second-most in a single year by any Texas head of state, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Rick Perry vetoed the most in 2001, with a total of 83 bills.
Following the end of the Texas Legislature’s regular session on May 29, Abbott called a special 30-day session to deal with the state’s relatively high property taxes.
Abbott reportedly plans to continue vetoing bills until a plan is created to reduce property taxes for Texas residents. He also has the power to call as many special sessions as he would like, meaning that another may be on the way once the first expires on June 28.
Some bills vetoed by Abbott had won the approval of both parties and were passed with large majorities in the Texas House and Senate. HB 2956, for instance, which would have allowed cities to annex land on both sides of a railroad track, was expected to be enacted due to the support it had in both chambers. However, Abbott chose to veto the bill in response to the inaction on property taxes.
“While House Bill No. 2956 is important, it is simply not as important as cutting property taxes,” Abbott wrote in the veto proclamation he filed with the secretary of state, Spectrum News 1 reported. “At this time, the legislature must concentrate on delivering property tax cuts to Texans. This bill can be reconsidered at a future special session only after property tax relief is passed.”
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Abbott has expressed support for the House’s property tax plan and is vetoing bills to pressure the Senate to adopt it. The House plan calls for using tax compression to send money to school districts to lower property taxes on both residential homes and businesses, NBC 5 reported.
Some have criticized Abbott for vetoing bills without providing a rationale related to the bills in question.
“The veto, as we understand it, is supposed to be related to the bill,” said Bee Moorhead, executive director of the interfaith group Texas Impact, Spectrum News 1 reported. “The time for making deals is during session. The governor typically is going to use that veto threat during session, while there is still time to negotiate.”
During regular sessions, the legislature can use the budget as leverage to negotiate with the governor, but that option is no longer available, according to the Houston Chronicle. Abbott has already signed a $321 billion budget and will not have another one on his desk until 2025.