Texas Lawmakers Explore Path to Replacing School Property Taxes - Texas Scorecard

Lawmakers reviewed past relief efforts and started sketching options for round two. Gov. Greg Abbott wants to go further than tweaks. He's pushing to eliminate school maintenance and operations property taxes for homeowners entirely, a move he says would slash the average Texas homeowner's bill roughly in half. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows have both weighed in ahead of the session, signaling this fight is already shaping up as a top priority in Austin.

For homeowners here, from Tech Terrace to Raintree, the stakes are real money. A property tax bill cut in half would land differently depending on your street, your appraisal, and how much of your payment goes to Lubbock ISD versus the county or city. The bigger question hanging over the hearing is how the state replaces that lost school funding if local property taxes disappear. Committee members are still working through that math, and nothing in Tuesday's session locked in a plan.

Homeowners won't see a dime change from this hearing. The real fight starts when the Legislature gavels back in, and Abbott's already told them what number he wants on the board.