Current Speaker of the Texas House Tom Craddick has been a vigorous proponent of structural changes to the property tax system. Under his leadership, hearings were held during the summer to formulate legislative changes. Last night's election returns, however, may have had a significant effect on the property tax agenda for next spring. As of this writing, Republicans hold a slim 76-74 majority in the Texas House, with some races closely decided and subject to recount. Speaker Craddick was unpopular with some members of his own party before the election, however, he did have some support on the Democratic side of the aisle. The first order of business for the House when it convenes on January 13, 2009 will be the election of a Speaker. If a new Speaker is elected, property tax reform could take a backseat to other matters, and numerous candidates for the position of Speaker are coming forward.
John Brusniak, Jr. and
Joshua Estes
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