3 Republican leaders and the property tax reduction bill still stalled in the Texas legislature

The once joyful process of re-bating surplus tax dollars to Texans has eroded into Republican-on-Republican acrimony pitting House Speaker Dade Phelan and Governor Greg Abbott against Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, leader of the Texas Senate. The $17 billion dispute breaks down like this Patrick and the Senate want to raise the homestead exemption from $40,000 to $100,000 permanently. Speaker Phelan and the Governor want to cut Texas businesses and corporations in on the rebate by substantially paying down their share of local school taxes for at least the next two years.