Article
Last week, Senator Deuell and I hosted a town hall meeting in Fannin County, similar to the one in Grayson County held during October, to discuss property taxes and other issues related to state government. I would like to sincerely thank those who attended the meeting in the bad weather and those who contacted me to provide input on the subject.
Again, the primary focus of the meeting was to discuss property taxes in anticipation of a special legislative session regarding school finance. Currently, the education system is largely funded through the property tax. Since an overhaul of the school finance system is likely to address the funding source, property taxes, I feel it is important to receive input from the citizens in District 62 on the issue. The special session on school finance is expected to be around April of next year, but committees are currently studying the issue and forming recommendations for legislation.
As was the case in Grayson County, comments from citizens at the Fannin County meeting showed a strong concern about the current property tax system. When asked about possible solutions or reforms to the system, those attending generally felt that property taxes should be either eliminated or significantly reduced. Many thought that a shift towards a stronger reliance on the sales tax would be the way to ensure that the tax burden is spread across taxpayers more fairly. Those attending also did not favor the creation of a statewide income tax.
On another note, the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives issued interim charges for House committees to be studied during the interim prior to the 79th Legislative Session. The list includes approximately 180 issues that the committees will research and formulate proposals to be considered during the session.
In addition to the thirty-six permanent standing committees receiving charges, three new select committees were created to study specific issues. The Select Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care will examine the current child welfare and foster care system in Texas, specifically studying issues such as barriers to adoption of children in foster care, substitute care with relatives of a child who is removed from a home by Child Protective Services, and licensure requirements for foster care facilities.
The new Select Committee on Sex Offender Statutes was created to study the Sex Offender Registration Program and ways to streamline and clarify the statutory provisions relating to the program. I was appointed to the new Select Committee on Construction Industry-Related Workers' Compensation Issues which will study the complex workers' compensation system in Texas as it relates to the construction industry.
With the release of interim charges, committees will soon start meeting throughout the state. I will discuss in coming weeks some of the interim charges of interest. You can view a complete list of the charges at www.house.state.tx.us.
Gallery