- A bill aimed at lowering property taxes is progressing through the state legislature. A Texas House committee heard the bill today. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider says the committee left the bill pending but appears poised to approve it.
Additional property tax relief is one of Governor Greg Abbott’s seven emergency items for the session. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Morgan Meyer introduced Senate Bill 4.
“Members, Senate Bill 4 will increase Texas’s mandatory ISD homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 for over 5.7 million homeowners across the state. SB 4 builds upon what we have done last session. This bill passed the Senate unanimously. SB 4 would apply beginning this tax year, 2025, and would ensure the school districts are held harmless.”
Two speakers testified in favor of the bill, and none of the committee members asked any questions. If the committee approves it, SB 4 will go to the full House for a vote. I’m Andrew Schneider in Houston.
- A Hunt County man has been convicted of the continuous sexual assault of a child under the age of 14. Bobby Joe Tipton III, 43, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Tipton was found guilty last Thursday (May 1). Tipton was arrested April 30, 2024, and has remained in custody since then. The sentence of life without parole was the maximum sentence for the crime. Tipton had a previous felony conviction for unauthorized use of a vehicle.
