Texas House Momentum Builds for Abbott Property Tax Plan

Estimated Time to Read: 6 minutes

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) has begun assembling a growing coalition of Texas House lawmakers behind a proposal aimed at structural property tax reform. In a recent announcement, Abbott released a list of dozens of incumbent and incoming House members who have publicly “co-signed” his plan for property tax relief.

The number and geographic diversity of these lawmakers suggest the governor’s approach is gaining traction within the Texas House well ahead of the 90th Texas Legislature, which begins in January 2027.

Property taxes remain one of the most persistent economic pressures facing Texas homeowners and businesses. Despite multiple rounds of tax relief legislation in recent years, rising property valuations and expanding local government spending have continued to push property tax bills higher across the state.

Abbott’s proposal attempts to address those structural pressures through changes to appraisal policy, local spending limits, and stronger voter oversight of tax increases.

The early show of support from House lawmakers indicates that the debate over property tax reform will likely be a central issue in the next legislative session.

Abbott’s Approach Moves Closer to Structural Property Tax Reform

Texas Policy Research (TPR) has long argued that lasting property tax relief requires structural reform rather than temporary adjustments to exemptions or appraisal formulas.

As outlined in the Texas Liberty Compact, meaningful reform requires reducing government’s reliance on property taxes through the phased elimination of school district Maintenance and Operations property taxes, combined with disciplined state budgeting and enforceable limits on local spending growth.

Abbott’s proposal does not fully implement that framework. However, the governor’s focus on spending limits, voter approval requirements, and appraisal policy moves the conversation in a direction that parallels many of the structural reforms Texas Policy Research has advocated.

Those ideas recognize a basic reality of the Texas property tax system. Property taxes are driven primarily by rising local government spending and increasing property valuations. Policies that fail to address those structural drivers tend to produce only temporary relief.

In that sense, Abbott’s proposal represents a shift toward a more structural conversation about property tax reform in Texas.

Patrick’s Property Tax Strategy Stands Apart

The governor’s proposal also highlights a continuing policy divide between Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R).

Patrick’s previous and current proposals have largely focused on expanding homestead exemptions and other targeted tax benefits. While those policies can reduce tax bills for some homeowners in the short term, they do not directly address the underlying drivers of property tax growth.

Exemption-based relief shifts the tax burden within the system rather than restructuring the system itself. As property values continue to rise and local budgets expand, the relief provided by exemptions can be gradually absorbed over time.

Texas Policy Research previously examined Patrick’s proposal and found that this approach risks repeating the same cycle that has defined many previous property tax debates in Texas. Lawmakers expand exemptions, homeowners experience temporary relief, and rising appraisals and local spending eventually erode the benefit.

In contrast, Abbott’s proposal attempts to focus on the structural factors that drive the system.

A Growing Coalition Ahead of the 90th Texas Legislature

Abbott’s announcement included nearly 60 Texas House members who have publicly supported the proposal.

The list includes both incumbent representatives and incoming lawmakers preparing to serve in the next legislative session. Their early support suggests that the governor is working to build a legislative foundation for property tax reform before lawmakers return to Austin in 2027.

While endorsements alone do not determine legislative outcomes, the growing number of House supporters indicates that Abbott’s framework may shape the property tax debate in the next session.

As of this publication, the following are the incumbent and potentially incoming House lawmakers who are publicly supporting the Governor’s proposals:

Current Lawmakers (59)

Potential Lawmakers (15)

• Brad Bailey (R-HD 15)
• Cheryl Bean (R-HD 94)
• Alan Blaylock (R-HD 93)
• Jorge Borrego (R-HD 118)
• Scott Bowen (R-HD 129)
• Tom Butler (R-HD 128)
• Ray Callas (R-HD 21)
• Ellen Fleischmann (R-HD 96)
• Dennis Geesaman (R-HD 85)
• Jay Hardaway (R-HD 71)
• Holly Jeffreys (R-HD 86)
• Armin Mizani (R-HD 98)
• Chris Spencer (R-HD 1)
• Stan Stanart (R-HD 126)
• Rocky Thigpen (R-HD 9)

If Reform Is Urgent, Why Wait Until 2027

The expanding coalition behind Abbott’s proposal also raises a practical question about timing.

If structural property tax reform is truly an urgent priority for Texas taxpayers, there is little reason to delay the conversation until the next regular legislative session in January 2027.

The Texas Constitution gives the governor authority to call lawmakers into special session and set the agenda for legislative consideration. A special session could allow legislators to begin debating structural reforms immediately rather than waiting another legislative cycle while property tax bills continue to rise.

If the goal is to seriously address Texas’s long-standing property tax problem, the policy discussion does not have to wait.

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