The champion of tax cuts, Gov. Greg Abbott, is at it again. On Nov. 4, Texas voters will get a final say in the 17 constitutional amendments being passed within the House — including a staggering $51 billion in tax cuts. But this monstrous figure may come back to haunt the state.
Among the propositions suggested are cuts to school property taxes, with Texans living in homes valued at $302,000 or more expected to save around $490 a year. On paper, this sounds like a welcome break. However, officials across Texas warn that local budgets are already stretched thin, leaving fewer resources for public schools, infrastructure and other essential services.
President Donald Trump’s trade war, falling oil prices and reduced immigration have slowed the demand for goods, tanking sales tax revenue — one of Texas’s primary funding sources. When added to the worsening housing crisis, the $490 annual savings begin to look less like relief and more like a distraction from deeper financial strain.
Fiscal policy experts, economists and lawmakers warn of the lasting effects these constitutional propositions could have on Texas’ waning economy. According to Every Texan’s Invest in Texas Director Shannon Halbrook, “The state and local governments could face a hard time paying for public services such as education, health care, and infrastructure needs in the future,” as a result of the tax cuts.
The current funding is not enough to keep the sinking ship afloat. Rice University’s Kinder Institute study found a whopping 73% of Texas schools are underfunded, affecting the 7.5 million children growing up in Texas. Nearly 5 million Texans are uninsured, leaving them helpless when medical care is needed. Rural hospitals continue to shut down due to financial instability, threatening almost 200 counties’ access to critical healthcare.
For a state that prides itself on economic independence and prosperity, it hesitates to invest in the very future that sustains it. Tax cuts might win elections, but they cannot fix underfunded classrooms or repair collapsing roads. Texans deserve more than temporary relief; they deserve a sustainable plan that invests in the future rather than hollowing it out for short-term applause.
If these constitutional propositions are passed, it would take a new election and a majority-approved state legislature to undo their effects on public funding.
Before voters bite into this $51 billion treat, they should ask themselves whether it will satisfy the state’s appetite for prosperity — or leave Texas with lasting scars.
