The Elder Tax Switcheroo
Dan Patrick's property-tax victory lap comes with a classic Austin trick: promise relief, then keep the school-finance levers in the Capitol.
The postcard version sounds simple
SB 23's official caption says it relates to increasing the school-district residence-homestead exemption for people who are elderly or disabled, and protecting school districts against certain losses in local revenue.
That is the postcard version: tax relief on the front, school-finance machinery on the back.
Patrick loves a lever
Dan Patrick's political superpower is making Austin control look like local relief. Texans hear "property tax cut." The bill caption also points to school districts being protected against certain losses in local revenue, which means the state is still standing at the valve.
That is not automatically evil. It is just very Austin: announce freedom, keep the knobs.
Signed, sealed, still complicated
TLO's history page shows SB 23 was signed by the governor on June 16, 2025. The enrolled PDF is the record to read before anyone pretends a tax headline explains the whole school-finance picture.
Relief can be real and still be politically packaged. Patrick's packaging department never sleeps.
Vote for plain dealing
Texans deserve tax policy explained in full sentences, not victory-lap confetti.
Vikki Goodwin is the named alternative here: fewer magic tricks, more honest math, and no more pretending the Capitol's control panel is a backyard barbecue.
Sources
Meet the alternative: Vikki Goodwin
Texas has a choice. State Rep. Vikki Goodwin is running for Lieutenant Governor on a platform of fully funding public schools, protecting the grid, and keeping government out of small businesses it doesn't understand. If you're tired of Dan Patrick's priorities, there's somewhere else to put your vote.