1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,320 I'm just in Dane with a brief look at the latest news in Texas politics 2 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:11,439 and policy from the Texas Tribune. Its official governor, Greg Abbott, has 3 00:00:11,439 --> 00:00:16,280 signed an eighteen billion dollars tax cut for Texas property owners, sending the proposals 4 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:21,039 to voters for their approval later this year. The package puts twelve point six 5 00:00:21,199 --> 00:00:25,359 billion dollars of the state's budget surplus toward making cuts to school taxes for all 6 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:30,120 property owners, dropping property taxes on average of more than forty percent for some 7 00:00:30,199 --> 00:00:34,880 five point seven million Texas homeowners, and offering brand new tax savings for smaller 8 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:40,280 businesses and other commercial and non homesteaded properties. The package's marquee item is a 9 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:45,520 five point three billion dollars expansion of the state's homestead exemption from forty thousand dollars 10 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:49,960 to one hundred thousand dollars. The new exemption, combined with school tax cuts, 11 00:00:50,079 --> 00:00:54,359 could save homesteaders Texans who live in a residence they own an average of 12 00:00:54,399 --> 00:00:59,399 thirteen hundred dollars a year in property taxes. It also offers additional cuts for 13 00:00:59,439 --> 00:01:03,159 seniors property owners with disabilities, averaging about one hundred and seventy dollars more in 14 00:01:03,239 --> 00:01:08,400 savings per year. There is also a temporary twenty percent cap on appraisal increases 15 00:01:08,439 --> 00:01:14,680 for properties valued at five million dollars or lower that aren't considered homesteads. That 16 00:01:14,719 --> 00:01:19,599 would include second homes, vacation properties, rental houses, or commercial retail or 17 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:25,439 business properties. Targeted tax relief for the states three point seven million rent households 18 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:32,400 has been left out of proposals that have passed both chambers. A coalition of 19 00:01:32,439 --> 00:01:38,280 Texas bookstores and national bookseller associations filed suit on Tuesday over House Bill nine hundred, 20 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:42,640 which aims to ban sexually explicit material from school libraries. HB nine hundred 21 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:47,120 passed in the legislature and was signed by Governor Greg Abbott earlier this year. 22 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,719 It states that book vendors would have to assign ratings to books based on the 23 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:57,560 presence of or references to sex. Plaintiffs in the suit include two Texas bookstores, 24 00:01:57,719 --> 00:02:01,079 Austin Book People and West Houston's Blue Willow Bookshop, as well as the 25 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:07,879 American Booksellers Association, the Association of American Publishers, the Author's Guild, and 26 00:02:07,959 --> 00:02:12,439 the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. They're suing the chair of the Texas State 27 00:02:12,479 --> 00:02:15,759 Library and Archives Commission, the chair of the Texas State Board of Education, 28 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:22,280 and the Commissioner of the Texas Education Agency, Mike Marath. The plaintiffs argue 29 00:02:22,319 --> 00:02:27,639 that HB nine hundred violates the First and fourteenth Amendment by regulating speech with vague 30 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:31,680 and overbroad terms and targeting protected speech, and forces the plaintiffs to comply with 31 00:02:31,719 --> 00:02:37,919 the government's views. The CEOs of both bookstores say it's not possible for them 32 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:42,599 to comply with the rating system required in HB nine hundred because the sheer volume 33 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:46,800 of titles they would need to rate is too much. In a joint statement 34 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:51,639 by three bookseller associations, they said that they are not questioning that content for 35 00:02:51,759 --> 00:02:55,680 students should be age appropriate, but rather that they believe HB nine hundred does 36 00:02:55,719 --> 00:03:01,080 not accomplish such a goal. The complaint EMPHA sizes how the plaintiffs believe HB 37 00:03:01,199 --> 00:03:07,719 nine hundred will shatter small bookstores in Texas, placing additional economic pressure on them. 38 00:03:07,759 --> 00:03:12,639 The law is set to go into effect September. First, we have 39 00:03:12,719 --> 00:03:16,159 a favor to ask, would you go to Texas Tribune dot org slash brief 40 00:03:16,199 --> 00:03:21,120 survey to take a five minute listener survey. This is the best way for 41 00:03:21,199 --> 00:03:24,879 Texas Tribune journalists to know what works and what doesn't for our podcasts. The 42 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:30,639 link again is Texas Tribune dot org slash Brief Survey. There's also a link 43 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:37,080 in the show notes. We appreciate your feedback. Check for updates on any 44 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,080 of the stories you've heard today at Texas Tribune dot org, and follow the 45 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:47,080 Brief podcast for daily news updates wherever you get your podcasts. I'm just In 46 00:03:47,199 --> 00:03:53,800 Dane for the Texas Tribune. You've been briefed. Today's Brief is brought to 47 00:03:53,840 --> 00:04:00,039 you by Texas Association of School Business Officials. School finance and Operations professionals make 48 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:05,199 public schools thrive. Begin your journey in this rewarding profession. Find out more 49 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:13,120 at TASBO dot org. Here from lawmakers and policy leaders including Reuben Gayego, 50 00:04:13,439 --> 00:04:18,279 Evelyn Farkas, Aza Hutchinson, Brad Raffensberger, Lena Hidalgo, Laura Collins, 51 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:23,680 and many others. At the twenty twenty three Texas Tribune Festival, happening September 52 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:28,240 twenty first through the twenty third in Austin, a hundred newly announced speakers join 53 00:04:28,319 --> 00:04:31,639 an already stellar lineup who will debate new ideas and take on the big issues 54 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:36,720 that matter to Texans and the nation. Learn more at tripfest dot org.