AUSTIN, Texas — Emboldened by a historic budget surplus, Republican leaders in Texas made big promises that they’d lower property taxes.
But after six months, one regular session, and one special session, no relief is in sight.
And so far, Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have shown no signs of compromise, or even communication.
“These guys are nowhere close to, at least publicly, they’re nowhere close to getting down to really negotiating on these things that are very important to Texans," Scott Braddock told us on Inside Texas Politics. "And look, whatever you think of their various plans, they’ve got to do something,”
Scott Braddock is the editor of Quorum Report in Austin.
He thinks Republican leaders could possibly find agreement by the middle of July, if for no other reason than they know full well campaigns have consequences, and they have to deliver.
But it won’t be easy.
“I described it at quorumreport.com this week as a legislative Vietnam. They’ve made this promise to win on this, but there’s no path to getting out of it,” he said.
A second special session is underway in Austin.
The Governor placed only one item on the agenda: property tax relief.