80th Legislature: Democrats Put Human Needs Above More Bogus Tax Cuts

When House Republicans tried to cram another $2.5 billion in unnecessary tax relief down the throats of the House today, Texas Democrats stepped up to the plate and put human needs above all else.

Led by House Democratic Leader Jim Dunnam (D-Waco), Democrats passed an amendment with bi-partisan support that put a $6,000 a year teacher pay raise in the card by diverting that $2.5 billion toward that purpose.

After all, a whopping $14 billion property tax cut was already approved earlier this session.

“I voted for the big property tax cut, but additional property tax cuts cannot be our 1st, 2nd and 3rd highest priorities for the state. Today, a bipartisan Texas House majority stood up to Tom Craddick and said that improving our public schools is more important,” said Dunnam said.

Most of the record $14 billion surplus had already been eaten up with a one-third property tax reduction, which was put above all other needs including education, teachers, and CHIP. And, that expensive of a tax cut wasn’t even necessary for this session! It could have been spread out.

The Dunnam amendment made raising teacher pay to the national average a requirement for putting the additional rate cut into effect.

“Nothing is more important to our children’s future and our state’s economic future than making sure every child has a qualified teacher in the classroom,” Rep. Dunnam said.

“With Texas teacher pay lagging almost $6,000 below the national average, the House said today that Texas schools are an important priority and rejected the leadership’s plan to
spend almost every last penny of a record state surplus on big tax shifts that primarily benefit wealthy political contributors.”

Rep. Garnet Coleman (D-Houston), Chairman of the Texas Legislative Study Group, noted that the new business tax bill authored by the state Republican leadership in 2006 is falling billions of dollars short of paying for the property tax reductions already in place, and that additional tax rate cuts would drain off state funds needed to restore critical program cuts made in 2003 when there was a state budget shortfall.

“House Bill 2785 would have sent the few who benefit from the proposed tax cuts to the front of the line for state dollars and sent everyone else to the back,” Rep. Coleman said.

“Today’s vote made it clear that our children’s teachers, full CHIP restoration, access to higher education, and other important priorities are just as important as property tax
cuts.”

Rep. Pete Gallego (D-Alpine), Chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, observed that the House leadership was prepared to dedicate $2.5 billion more to property tax cuts when, just yesterday, the leadership had insisted there was not sufficient revenue available to fund a $3 billion cancer research fund and delayed full funding for cancer research until 2010.

“The legislative leadership’s budget priorities are not only morally wrong, they also don’t make any sense financially,” Rep. Gallego said.

“A House majority said today that if money is available to set aside for tax relief tomorrow, there is also the money to use today to improve our schools, restore CHIP and fund cancer
research,” Rep. Gallego concluded.

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