Tax relief for elderly passes

State Rep. Leo Berman voted to pass House Joint Resolution 1 and House Bill 2. These bills extend last session's property tax relief to elderly and disabled homeowners, and provide the necessary funding to Texas public schools to replace local revenues. Berman is the author of HJR 1, which was substituted on the House floor by SJR 13, which had already passed in the Texas Senate.

"This is an historic moment," Rep. Berman said. "My fellow lawmakers and I delivered on our promise to provide the largest property tax cut in state history while increasing the state's share of public education spending."

SJR 13 is a constitutional amendment that affords elderly and disabled homeowners the same property tax relief that other homeowners received during the 79th Legislative Session. Currently, the Texas Constitution has frozen senior citizens property taxes in order to protect them from future increases. This constitutional provision was passed without taking into account the possibility of future property tax relief.

HB 2 appropriates $14 billion in revenue to the Texas Education Agency for school funding.