Rep. Nate Schatzline has called for major cuts to the State of Texas’ budget.
“If we’re serious about eliminating property taxes and buying down the M&O portion, then we must CUT 5-10% in the Texas state budget in the 89th! Trust me… WE CAN! LET’S MAKE TEXAS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AGAIN! #txlege #reformthetexashouse,” Schatzline (R-Fort Worth), who is also the pastor of Mercy Culture Church, posted on X.
Tax cuts have been on some people’s minds lately. Shelley Luther, the Dallas salon owner who was jailed for defying COVID lockdown mandates and later defeated incumbent Rep. Reggie Smith (R-Sherman) in the 2024 primary, posted, “@TxDOT… the tolls have to come off. Double taxation is not the road to prosperity. #txlege.”
.@TxDOT… the tolls have to come off. Double taxation is not the road to prosperity. #txlege pic.twitter.com/3WPuMNNHS4
— Shelley Luther (@ShelleyLuther) August 21, 2024
She attached a letter addressed to Texas Department of Transportation Commissioner Bruce Bugg Jr. in which she and other Republican nominees condemned TxDOT for using nearly $2 billion in taxpayer money to purchase a private toll road and then failing to issue a schedule for when the tolls would be removed.
The post received just over 45,000 views on X. The Dallas Express heard numerous groups excitedly discussing the letter at a Day of Action meeting for various groups supporting former President Donald Trump’s bid for the presidency and incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) bid for reelection.
However, Schatzline and Luther are not the only prominent figures with ambitious visions for Texas’ tax regime.
“If Texas eliminates the school property tax, EVERYONE will see an unimaginable tax cut. Rental rates will fall. First-time home buyers can qualify for a mortgage. Businesses will hire hundreds of thousands of workers,” former Texas Sen. Don Huffines posted in June 2023. “Tens of billions of dollars will be put to work by millions of Texans expanding the economy and pursuing their own happiness. Prosperity and liberty will flourish.”
In April 2023, he posted, “Texas has received an unprecedented amount of your money this year. Taxpayers have overfunded the government by $62 billion. This massive surplus should be returned to all Texans by eliminating the school property tax.”
Texas has received an unprecedented amount of your money this year. Taxpayers have overfunded the government by $62 billion. This massive surplus should be returned to all Texans by eliminating the school property tax.
Unfortunately, some in government want to divide Texas…
— Don Huffines (@DonHuffines) April 5, 2023
Though Huffines no longer holds office, he remains an influential thinker in right-leaning circles in North Texas. He is frequently invited to host events, such as the post-film Q&A he moderated after a screening of the documentary Fluoride on Trial about an ongoing lawsuit against the EPA to prevent the fluoridation of water.
Large changes in the Texas tax code have happened in recent years. Texas voters went to the polls in November 2023 and authorized the state to expand the homestead exemption for property taxes from $40,000 to $100,000 of their home’s assessed value.
Greater changes appear to be on the horizon as a new class of Republicans will enter the Texas House of Representatives after the November general election. Fifteen left-leaning Republican state reps were defeated in their primaries after months of turmoil, given their unsuccessful attempt to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, one of the most popular Republicans statewide.
