Texas House and Senate strike agreement on property tax cuts
On Monday, during the Texas House Ways and Means Committee, Chair Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas, announced there won't be a repeat of last session.
'We have reached an agreement with the Senate as it relates to tax relief,' Meyer announced from the dais. He had just left a pair of bills increasing the homestead exemption — Senate Bill 4 and Senate Joint Resolution 2 — pending in committee. '[Senate Local Government Chair Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston will] lay out a committee substitute for Business Personal Property (BPP) exemption — we'll be doing that at $125,000. Then we are passing these homestead exemption bills from Senator Bettencourt as is.'
State of Texas: Lottery on 'life support' as Lt. Governor calls for ending commission
Meyer's House Bill 9 initially proposed to increase the BPP exemption to $250,000 from $2,500. Bettencourt's updated version was sent to the Senate floor with a 9-0 vote on Monday. The BPP exemption allows homeowners to write off parts of their property if used for their business.
'It's only Monday, but a great start to small business week at the Capitol! Proud to sponsor HB 9 & HJR 1 by House Chair @MorganMeyerTX in committee today, and passing them out on unanimous 7-0 votes!,' Bettencourt posted on X. 'This helps all Texas businesses by dramatically increasing the BPP (Business Personal Property) exemption from $2,500 to $125,000— delivering ~$2,500 in avg. savings per @txbiz and my estimate, but especially for small business owners saving them their time as well as their money!'
Bettencourt has two bills currently pending in Meyer's committee. SB 4 increases the general homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000, which will save Texas homeowners an average of $363.44, according to Bettencourt. Senate Bill 23 increases the additional homestead exemption for elderly and disabled homeowners from $10,000 to $60,000. Bettencourt estimates an extra $454.30 average savings for senior and disabled homeowners.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Saskatoon man hits $1.4M VLT jackpot, then covers everyone's bill at Boston Pizza
Winning Vault Breaker left Marc Lepage stunned, and generous Marc Lepage walked into a Boston Pizza for a quick bite, and walked out a millionaire. The Saskatoon local was grabbing a meal at the Nelson Road location on April 29, when he decided to try his luck on a nearby video lottery terminal (VLT). Within moments, he'd won the grand jackpot on the popular Vault Breaker game, landing a massive prize of $1,455,892.44. 'I didn't know what to do,' said Lepage. 'So, I paid the bills for everyone else in Boston Pizza and called the lottery office.' The spontaneous decision to play turned into a life-changing moment for Lepage, who can now enjoy life debt-free. 'There is something about being debt-free in this day and age — what a gift!' he said. With his winnings, Lepage plans to keep it simple: pay off bills, go on a family trip, and relax. 'I'm going to pay some bills and take my family on a holiday,' he said. The game that changed Lepage's life is part of a province-wide system you'll find in hundreds of local establishments. What is Vault Breaker? Vault Breaker is a wide-area progressive jackpot available through the Saskatchewan VLT program. The game connects more than 4,200 VLTs across roughly 570 locations in 270 communities, giving players the chance to win one of the three mystery jackpots. The grand jackpot starts at $500,000 and pays out before it reaches $1.5 million. There's also a regional jackpot that begins at $5,000 and pays out before it hits $25,000, as well as a local jackpot that starts at $100 and maxes out at $500. Any Vault Breaker game spin could trigger a win from one of these tiers. Since launching in 2017, the province-wide grand jackpot alone has paid out more than $50 million to 51 lucky players. With Lepage's recent win, the grand jackpot has now been reset to $500,000 and is once again up for grabs. Tools to stop gambling If you're looking to take a break from gambling, self-exclusion programs can be effective tools. See here for resources that are available across Canada. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
False statement gets consultant probation in 'dark money' probe
LANSING — A fundraising consultant has been placed on probation and fined for giving a false statement in a "dark money" investigation conducted by Attorney General Dana Nessel. Sandra Baxter, 65, of Caledonia, was initially charged with perjury, which is a felony, in February 2024 but pleaded guilty in June to knowingly providing a false statement to law enforcement, which is a misdemeanor, Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a Wednesday, Aug. 13 news release. Ingham County Circuit Judge James Jamo on Aug. 13 sentenced Baxter to three months of probation, 20 hours of community service, and a $2,500 fine, Nessel said. Baxter gave a false statement during Nessel's investigation of the "dark money" financing of the Unlock Michigan campaign of 2020 and 2021, aimed at overturning Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's emergency orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. In announcing criminal charges in February 2024, Nessel accused Baxter and another political operative of enabling and lying about a scheme to allow donors to secretly provide financial support to a ballot initiative, where public disclosure of donors was required by law. Heather Lombardini, a Lansing-area political fundraiser and consultant, still faces multiple criminal charges of violating Michigan campaign finance law by soliciting contributions for the petition drive utilizing two nonprofits tied to former Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, in order to skirt disclosure requirements. M.L. Elrick: I'll show you the money — and reveal why it's nearly impossible to say where it came from Opinion: How Michigan voting reforms screwed up campaign finance disclosure 'The Unlock Michigan investigation shed light on corruption in campaign finance that was long considered common practice," Nessel said in a news release. "Fair elections depend on transparency and honesty, and attempts to skirt the system or mislead law enforcement and the people of Michigan will not be tolerated.' An attorney for Baxter did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment. Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@ This story was updated to add a video. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Consultant gets probation for false statement in 'dark money' probe Solve the daily Crossword
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
Schumer gives profanity-laced response to whether Dems will help extend DC police takeover
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had harsh words Wednesday when asked whether Democrats planned to go along with President Donald Trump's request to extend his control over Washington, D.C.'s police force. Schumer made the comment during an appearance on "The Parnas Perspective" with host Aaron Parnas. The top Democrat made it very clear that his party would do everything in its power to prevent Trump's move from going beyond the current 30-day period. "No f‑‑‑ing way," Schumer told Parnas when asked about the extension. "We'll fight him tooth and nail. … He needs to get Congress to approve it, and not only are we not going to approve it, but there are some Republicans who don't like it either." "This is, again, just a distraction. He's afraid of Epstein," Schumer continued. "He's afraid of all that, and we are not going to give up on Epstein." Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he is asking Congress to extend his control over the Metropolitan Police Department beyond the 30 days afforded by the Home Rule Act. Trump nevertheless claims he can unilaterally extend the period by declaring a national emergency if Congress doesn't cooperate. "Well, if it's a national emergency, we can do it without Congress. But we expect to be before Congress very quickly. And again, we think the Democrats will not do anything to stop crime, but we think the Republicans will do it almost unanimously. So we're going to need a crime bill. That we're going to be putting in, and it's going to pertain initially to DC. We're going to use it as a very positive example," Trump told reporters at the Kennedy Center. "You can't have 30 days," he said. "We're going to do this very quickly, but we're going to want extensions. I don't want to call a national emergency, but if I have to I will." Trump announced his D.C. crime and homelessness crackdown last week, calling in the National Guard and federal law enforcement in addition to federalizing the MPD. Law enforcement has arrested more than 100 people since Aug. 7, which includes 43 who were arrested Tuesday, a White House official told Fox Digital on Wednesday. The arrests are part of Trump's March executive order, which established the Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force.
