AUSTIN (WBAP/KLIF News) — The Texas House has ended its part in the special session in Austin.
State representatives adjourned for the end of their session Tuesday night. The House and Senate had been negotiating a bill that would require cities to get voter approval to increase property taxes, but the two chambers never agreed on how much those collections could increase before a vote is triggered.
The author of the bill in the House said he wouldn’t have enough time to appoint another conference committee to iron out the differences.
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick held a press conference to express his disappointment in the House not passing property tax reform.
“A great bill that was passed that would have brought over $200 million in tax relief to Texans, businessmen, homeowners, and businesswomen, was turned into a pile of mush,” Patrick said.
Also not making it through the special session was the controversial bathroom bill, which would have forced people to use the restroom associated to the sex listed on their birth certificate. Though it was failing to pass the property tax bill that left Patrick the most upset.
“With 27 hours to go, they walked off the job,” Patrick said of the state house. “We appointed conferees. We wanted to look at this bill. In the House, they didn’t have the chance to amend the [property tax] bill.”
During the 30-day session, Governor Greg Abbott signed two bills dealing with abortion. One of them requires doctors to report more complications, and the other requires women to buy additional insurance to cover abortions.
