Few of us realize that the Texas Legislature has one Constitutional requirement - that only being to pass a state budget. Yet, for the 86th legislative session, more than 400 pieces of proposed legislation were filed by the end of day one. And by March 8, when filing closes, expect as many as 7,500 bills in the system for hearings, debates and votes before June 1. Surprisingly, or maybe not, only one in five of those are likely to pass, and those most frequently will have modifications.
The Society of Commercial REALTORS, a professional group representing the Greater Fort Worth area in matters of commercial real estate, are proud members of Texas REALTORS. Through this unifying organization, SCR, with our partners in residential real estate, focuses on protecting the interests of its commercial practitioners, which are in the very interests of property owners seeking to sell or buy.
We have a saying, "If real estate is your job, then politics is your business." And, local development conflicts, legislation we believe needs changing and property rights are why we engage in local and state politics. As a strong geographically-broad grassroots organization, we diligently follow and contribute to the discussion of the various issues affecting Texas real estate. We are committed to ensuring that our local and state economies remain vibrant.
Property tax and appraisal system issues, which seemingly dominated the last legislative session and subsequent special session, are now front and center again - and with good reason. SCR and all of our colleagues in our Texas REALTORS association advocate for transparency from local taxing jurisdictions and tax relief for property owners, especially in our urban centers like Fort Worth and Arlington.
School finance reform is a complex and, at times, divisive issue. Public school financing needs reform; the solutions to that problem vary from city to city, school district to school district. Much of the attention on the issue focuses on funding. House Joint Resolution 24 proposes a constitutional amendment that would require the state to fund at least half of the cost of funding public schools.
Other proposed legislation in which we have a strong interest are:
- Senate Bill 95, giving every Texas teacher a $4,000 pay raise
- Senate Bill 66, reducing and eventually eliminating the franchise tax
- House Bill 49, eliminating daylight saving time for Texas
- Perhaps most notably, House Bill 412, requiring the University of Texas and Texas A&M to square off in a football game annually.
Our ultimate goal is to ensure Texas remains a great place to do business, raise a family and buy, sell or lease real estate. Texas REALTORS from across the state are committed to protecting the real estate industry through strong public policy.
I encourage you to talk with the commercial Realtors in your business circles to hear their perspectives on what the legislature must do to protect the interests of property owners and to keep state regulations reasonable.
Wayne Burgdorf is president of the Society of Commercial REALTORS in Fort Worth, a regular contributor to Fort Worth Inc.