#TXLEGE: Abbott Endorses Committee Chairman who Killed Property Tax Reform

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
1 Corinthians 15:33

Oh good grief:



The endorsement itself is bad enough, but it's all the more galling due to the lie that Bonnen includes in the announcement.

Specifically, Bonnen claims: "we collaborated to bring our homeowners vital property tax reform that would have given voters veto power over large local property tax increases."

Except that, as anyone old enough to remember a point in ancient history called "August" can remember, no such thing happened.

Here's what happened on property taxes during the Special Session of the 85th legislature:

• The Texas Senate passed a compromise bill that nevertheless represented a tangible step in the right direction on July 26th.

• Dennis Bonnen gutted said bill in committee on August 1st.

• Bonnen sat on gutted bill for two additional days before sending it to Calendars on August 3rd.

• Calendars sat on the bill for a week.

• Calendars eventually set the gutted bill for second reading floor debate on August 12th.
• Note: Remember the stunt they tried with the gag rule?!?

• Then, oh yeah, remember when they postponed third reading by a day.

• House very belatedly passed gutted bill on third reading on August 14th.

• With two days left in the special session, Senate requests a conference committee to restore minimally acceptable; house responds by lawlessly adjourning sine die.

• Senator Bettencourt has a good recap of events here.

Bottom Line: Do these people think we've forgotten events from four months ago?!?