The Average Senior Homeowner Will Never Pay School Property Taxes Again
Since I was first elected, my goal and dream was to dramatically cut school property taxes for everyone. This session, we made historic progress — eliminating school property taxes entirely for the average senior and delivering major tax relief to hardworking Texans across the board.
With legislation passed over the last several sessions and the new massive cut in property taxes, increasing the senior Homestead Exemption to $200,000 and to $140,000 for everyone under 65, we accomplished those goals on school taxes for the average Texas homeowner.
Most Conservative and Successful Legislative Session
On Monday, I adjourned the Texas Senate Sine Die for the 89th Regular Legislative Session. This session, the Texas Senate achieved victory after victory for Texans, passing many key conservative bills that died in the Texas House during the last legislative session under Speaker Dade Phelan.
The Texas Senate passed all 40 of its priority bills to the House by April 29, setting a bold, conservative agenda to keep our state strong. Some key Senate victories include:
- Eliminating school property taxes for the average senior homeowner with a $200,000 senior homestead exemption ($140,000 homestead exemption for homeowners under age 65) and dedicating nearly 1 out of every 4 state dollars in our budget toward property tax relief (Senate Bill 1, SB 4, SB 23, Senate Joint Resolution 2, SJR 85)
- Launching the largest school choice program in American history (SB 2)
- Reforming bail to keep dangerous criminals behind bars (SB 9, SB 40, SJR 5)
- Investing billions of dollars to ensure Texas meets its future water needs (SB 7)
- Providing the largest teacher pay raise in Texas history
- Investing $5 billion in strengthening Texas’ electric grid (SB 1)
- Placing the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms (SB 10)
- Protecting the freedom to pray in public schools (SB 11)
- Requiring county law enforcement to comply with the federal government’s deportation efforts, and establishing a homeland security division within the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) (SB 8, SB 36)
- Stopping taxpayer-funded abortion travel (SB 33)
- Providing significant business personal property tax relief
- Banning poisonous unregulated drugs sold near our schools (SB 3)
- Stopping foreign enemies from buying land in Texas (SB 17)
- Stopping AI-generated child pornography (SB 20)
- Guarding our children against inappropriate books in public schools (SB 13)
- Reforming liberal faculty control over universities (SB 37)
- Creating the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT) (SB 5, SJR 3)
- Establishing Texas as the #1 faith-based and family film producer in America (SB 22)
- Record-setting investments in children with disabilities (SB 568)
- Protecting Texas’ true treasure, the Alamo (SB 3059)
- Ending the corrupt Texas Lottery Commission and moving the lottery to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) (SB 3070)
- Renaming the Gulf of Mexico the ‘Gulf of America’
- Renaming the New York Strip the ‘Texas Strip’ – don’t mess with Texas beef (New York only has dairy cattle)
This session was a team effort. I want to thank all 31 senators and staff for their hard work and perseverance. None of these major victories would be possible without their dedication over the interim and session. I also want to thank Gov. Abbott and Speaker Burrows for their partnership in delivering major victories for Texans all session. The Senate and I look forward to delivering for Texans during the 90th Legislative Session in 2027.
Prayer Protected: SB 11 Heads to the Governor’s Desk
Religious freedom is a bedrock principle upon which America was founded, recognizing our rights come directly from God, not the government. I prioritized SB 11 to make sure religious freedom is not infringed upon in Texas, ensuring our students and educators have the right to pray on school grounds.
Bringing the Ten Commandments Back to Our Schools
Any church, group, business, or individual can present a framed 16×20 copy of the Ten Commandments—easily readable from 20 feet away—and the school is required to display it in every classroom.
This version of scripture in SB 10 matches the text on the monument on our Capitol grounds. That monument has already been approved by SCOTUS. Click here to learn more.
Live on the Air: Legislative Updates
I joined Tony Perkins on his program to discuss the progress of the Texas Legislature’s efforts to restore biblical values in our public schools—including legislation to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms across Texas. Click here to watch.
Thank you for all your support over the years and for everything you do to keep Texas red. May God bless you and your family, and may He continue to bless the greatest state of all—Texas.
Sincerely,
Dan Patrick
Lieutenant Governor of Texas