SENATOR KONNI BURTON APPLAUDS SEVERAL ABBOTT PRIORITIES
FORT WORTH, TX – Today, Sen. Konni Burton released the following statement on Governor Greg Abbott’s State of the State Address:
“I have taken a few days to thoroughly review the State of the State Address delivered by Gov. Abbott, and I am extremely supportive of several of the positions he laid out.
First, as a member of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, I was pleased to see the CPS crisis facing Texas children named an emergency item by Gov. Abbott. I believe we are here to solve the ‘big’ issues which plague our state, and there are arguably none bigger than this.
I was also pleased to see the ban on sanctuary cities named as an emergency item, as it is past time the state of Texas stepped in to ensure our political subdivisions respect the rule of law.
The Texas Senate is acting quickly on both of these issues, which is a testament to the work of Chairmen Schwertner and Huffman, respectively.
I was also greatly encouraged to hear Governor Abbott reiterate support for ending the onerous business franchise tax. While we made significant progress on this front last session, I continue to support the full elimination of this tax. I am pleased to see Chairman Nelson’s filing of Senate Bill 17, which, even in a tighter budget cycle, takes us closer to our shared goal.
Gov. Abbott’s support for reforming our local property tax system is extremely important. I sat on several of Chairman Bettencourt’s hearings for the Select Committee on Property Tax Reform & Relief throughout the interim, and taxpayers are hungry for systemic reforms which will bend the cost-curve down on their ever-rising tax burden. The work of that committee is reflected in Senate Bill 2, and I look forward to getting real reform done this session.
Finally, Gov. Abbott’s insistence on a budget which does not utilize the Rainy Day Fund is greatly appreciated. While we have less revenue than last session, the state is in a strong position to fulfill its obligations without raiding the fund we must rely on in the rare case of true calamity, like a hurricane or other natural disaster. We must live within our means, and I plan to support a budget which achieves this.
I stand ready to do the work the voters of Senate District 10 expect out of their State Senator, and I thank Gov. Abbott for his leadership on these issues and his service to our state.”