Tuesday, April 22, 1997
Rep. Hunter supports overhaul plan
By RICHARD HORN Staff Writer
State Rep. Bob Hunter said Monday he supports a major tax overhaul
plan and refused to sign a petition circulated by some Republican
lawmakers trying to postpone today's vote.
"Under the circumstances," the Abilene Republican
said, "I think this bill is one of the fairest I have seen
for developing a school funding system over the long haul that
will grow with our economy and reduce the property tax burden."
The Texas House is scheduled today to consider a select committee's
proposal to cut school property taxes by about 50 percent, though
53 conservative Republicans want the vote delayed.
But Hunter said delay will only give lobbyists more time and
power to whittle away at the dramatic proposal, which would boost
the state's share of public education funding from 47 to 80 percent.
"Instead of lawmakers writing the legislation after an
intensive 10-week endeavor," he said, "every day we
delay the vote, the lobby will write the bill.
"Of course we would all like a lot longer time to read
bills and consider the subject," Hunter added, "but
we've had 10 weeks to go to the meetings, review the legislation
and come up with the very best possible bill we can."
But freshman state Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, did sign the
petition. Lawmakers only received copies of the legislation Thursday,
he said, and he's forwarded information to the schools in his
district.
"When you've got this bill that's going to change radically
the scope of education funding, I'd feel a lot more comfortable
getting as much feedback as I can," he said.
"They keep telling us we've been studying this for 10
weeks; well, it's been changing almost every day during that 10
weeks," he added. 'THROWING DARTS'
To pay for the property tax cut, the bill would expand the
state business tax, increase some taxes, add to the list of goods
and services subject to the sales tax and commit about $1.3 billion
in additional state funds to education.
Keffer stressed he's all for property tax reduction, as are
other lawmakers, but he also wants to make sure the tax changes
don't penalize businesses.
"They say businesses won't leave Texas and maybe they
won't," he said, "but it might prevent business from
coming in. We've got the atmosphere in Texas of being fair to
business and we want to make sure that continues.
"It's easy to throw darts but let's just make sure we
know what the ripple effects are," he added.
State Rep. David Counts, a Knox City Democrat, said he's ready
to vote on the bill and believes it is the best option available.
"The message I get from my district dictates we just go
on and pass this bill," he said. "It's a fair bill.
It's always of some concern that schools have enough funding,
and we do have for two years. That's all that one legislature
can bind another legislature to.
"The property tax relief is there," he added. "It's
not as much as I would have liked but without being over-burdensome
on raising and expanding the tax base, it's a first step."
SPREADING TAX BURDEN
Critics of the bill, including some in the Abilene school district,
fear the plan will all but do away with local control and put
local districts at the mercy of the state lawmakers' willingness
to fund programs. Other critics warn the measure will hurt the
state's business economy by adding new taxes.
But Hunter said the state can no longer risk burdening property
owners with increasing taxes. The proposed system, he said, is
more stable and the burden is spread more evenly. It is also better
equipped to grow with the economy in coming years.
"Schools under this bill will get no less than they are
getting now, and will in fact get more," he said. "It
is up to school officials and school boards to work with citizens
all over this state to elect representatives and senators who
will do right by the schools.
"To some people," he added, "local control is
all about just continuing to have the opportunity to raise local
property taxes more and more. That's what we're trying to avoid."
He expects a great many amendments to be debated today, and
he said he would support one to remove what he called "a
bureaucratic burden" on owners of rental property. The current
proposal would require rebates to renters so they can share in
the property tax cut.
"We want to try to help renters but not put a lot of onerous
burdens on rental owners to have to send money to the state and
have it sent back and all that," he said. "We're going
to try to insist on relief, that savings should be passed along
to renters and I think that's a system that will work."
Hunter stressed that if the tax proposal ultimately passes
the Legislature and is signed into law, voters will have a say
this fall in a constitutional amendment election.
"They'll be able to decide whether they want to continue
to put up with escalating property taxes or whether they will
want this property tax relief and pay taxes in other forms to
spread the burden around."
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Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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