WHEREAS, the 2024 Republican Party of Texas Platform Plank 68 demands the abolition of the personal property tax; and

WHEREAS, the 2024 Republican Party of Texas Platform Plank 75 demands the Legislature to “Ax the Property Tax” for both businesses and individuals; and

WHEREAS, the 2024 Republican Party of Texas Platform Plank 76 states support for incremental steps toward the ultimate abolition of property tax; and

WHEREAS, the homestead exemption alone does not provide the largest property tax cut possible or lead Texas to a path toward the permanent elimination of property taxes; and

WHEREAS, compression leads to elimination of the school maintenance and operations (M&O) tax, which will give all private property owners the largest and most permanent tax cut possible; and

WHEREAS, “Ban Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying” is one of the eight Legislative Priorities chosen by delegates at the 2024 Republican Party of Texas State Convention; and

WHEREAS, multiple bills that did not adequately ban taxpayer-funded lobbying were filed during the 89th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature, and some bills were filed that would have enshrined the practice; and

WHEREAS, SJR 87 “Jocelyn’s Law” in the 89th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature did not receive the required two-thirds vote to send a State Constitutional Amendment to the voters to require judges to deny bail to individuals accused of violent felonies if those individuals had previously been convicted of felonies or were out on bail for similar offenses; and

WHEREAS, SJR 1 in the 89th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature did not receive the required two-thirds vote to send a State Constitutional Amendment to the voters to deny bail to illegal aliens accused of certain violent crimes; and

WHEREAS, President Donald J. Trump’s political team has met with the Texas Congressional delegation to discuss the possibility of redistricting the Texas Congressional map to support the Republican majority in Congress at the next midterm election; and

WHEREAS, an estimated 19,000 preborn children are currently killed in Texas every year via abortion pills delivered from out of state, and one in ten mothers who take these pills suffers severe medical complications within 45 days of taking these drugs; and

WHEREAS, the 89th Legislature did not adequately address the protection or privacy of girls and women in sex-separated spaces; now

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas calls for Governor Greg Abbott to immediately call a special session giving instruction to Texas legislators to pass meaningful legislation to eliminate property taxes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas supports legislation that includes:

  • The vast majority of any surplus directed toward compression of rates to lead to eventual elimination of the M&O property tax
  • A further expanded homestead exemption
  • Replacing the appraisal system with a system that values property at the purchase price; appraisal caps for both residential and commercial property; and closing the loophole called the “Unused Increment Rate,” which allows taxing entities to bypass recently added limits to increases in property taxes (all as consistent with Plank 76); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas strongly encourages the Texas Legislature and Governor Abbott to work together to pass legislation that will provide Texans with long-term property tax reform that will lead to the elimination of property taxes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas calls for Governor Abbott to instruct Texas legislators to pass meaningful legislation to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying in the special session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas calls for Governor Abbott to instruct Texas legislators to address critical public safety needs by passing bail reform in the special session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas calls for Governor Abbott to instruct Texas legislators to bolster our Congressional majority and further enable President Trump to pass needed legislation by redrawing Texas Congressional districts in the special session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas calls for Governor Abbott to instruct Texas legislators to further protect innocent preborn life by passing legislation to ban the abortion pill in Texas; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas calls for Governor Abbott to instruct Texas legislators to pass meaningful legislation to protect girls and women in restrooms, locker rooms, and other sex-separated spaces in the special session.