Nathan Macias - Texas State Representative District 73

Re-Elect Nathan Macias - Heart for Service, Heart for Texas

	TEXAS REPRESENTATIVE NATHAN MACIAS DISTRICT 73: Serving Bandera, Comal, Gillespie, and Kendall Counties
	For Immediate Release February 20, 2007	Contact: Adam Bell 512-463-0325

MACIAS VOTES FOR HISTORIC PROPERTY TAX CUT AND SCHOOL FUNDING MEASURE PASSED BY HOUSE
~House adopts measure providing property tax relief and $14 billion to public schools~
Austin, TX - Today, Representative Macias voted to pass Senate Concurrent Resolution 20 to adjust the constitutional spending limit to provide $14 billion to local school districts to pay for the largest reduction of property taxes in state history. SCR 20 was the final piece of the complete property tax relief and education funding package that also includes HB 2 and SJR 13.

"Today's vote by the House is a huge victory for Texas property owners," Rep. Macias said. "The previous legislative session promised to increase state funding to schools and to lower property taxes, and today we delivered on that promise."

Taxpayer groups lauded today's historic action by the House. "The Texas House has taken the right step in ensuring meaningful tax relief for all Texans," said Michael Quinn Sullivan, President of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. "Legislators fulfilled their commitment to taxpayers," said Peggy Venable, director of Americans for Prosperity-Texas. "The Texas Legislature promised taxpayers a one-third school property tax reduction as part of the school finance reform…This will be the largest tax reduction in the country, and Texans will welcome property tax relief."

In the 79th legislative session, the legislature lowered local property taxes and committed to use surplus state revenue to replace lost local revenue, resulting in a tax decrease for Texans. Today's vote was necessary because the Texas Constitution technically considers the provision of property tax relief as spending.

Yesterday the House passed House Bill 2, the school funding proposal that appropriates $14.2 billion for public schools. Had lawmakers not voted to adjust the spending cap for this session, they would have been constitutionally barred from appropriating the additional funding that schools were promised. House members also voted yesterday to approve SJR 13, which extends property tax relief to elderly and disabled homeowners.

"This marks an important day in history for Texas taxpayers and public schools," Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Midland), said. "I would like to thank Rep. Macias for his hard work in fulfilling our promise to Texans."

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