Two significant bills at the Texas Capitol recently collapsed after Republicans failed to reach an agreement. These bills included a measure aimed at providing property taxpayers with additional relief and another proposing a statewide ban on THC products.
Property Tax Relief Effort Fails
Senate Bill 10, which aimed to make it more difficult for cities and counties with populations over 75,000 to raise property taxes, was a key point of contention. The bill would have required an election if these areas raised property tax revenues by 2.5% or more compared to the previous year—lowering the current threshold of 3.5%.
However, the bill faced opposition from some House Republicans and Democrats, who argued it didn’t provide enough relief and should have included smaller cities and counties. After the House amended the bill, the Senate refused to accept those changes, leading to its eventual collapse.
Republican Representative Tony Tinderholt of Arlington expressed his concern, saying, “While I fully support property tax relief, my goal was to vote no on this and push it back to the Senate to get changes added back in.”
Meanwhile, Representative Ellen Troxclair of Boerne defended the bill as a step in the right direction, acknowledging that the reduced tax rate would be a positive move toward lowering taxes.
THC Ban Faces Setbacks
The other high-profile bill that failed to pass was the proposed ban on all THC products in Texas. Despite multiple attempts by the Texas Senate, led by Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, to push the measure forward, Governor Greg Abbott vetoed it after the regular legislative session.
Even after the issue was added to the special session agenda, Abbott, House Speaker Dustin Burrows, and Patrick couldn’t come to a compromise.
Additionally, other bills that aimed to regulate or ban THC products for individuals under 21 also failed to gain traction.
What’s Next for Texas Legislation?
As lawmakers face a deadlock over both property tax relief and THC legislation, the question remains whether Governor Abbott will call for a third special session to resolve these issues. When asked about the possibility, Abbott was vague but hinted at further action, saying, “Stay tuned. Something may be happening soon.”
