A new piece of legislation in the Texas House could supply property tax relief to families of varying size, but also exclude divorced parents with children and LGBTQ couples from eligibility.
Earlier this week, state Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Texas, introduced the bill — Texas H.B. 2889 — that would provide a homestead tax credit to "certain married couples" living in Texas with either biological or adopted children of any age.
The bill states that qualifying couples could apply for annual tax relief, based on the number of children in the household.
The graduated tax-relief scale could bear the following look:
- Eligible couples with one child would be given a 10% reduction in property taxes.
- Couples with four children would be entitled to a 40% reduction in property taxes.
- Eligible couples with seven children would be slotted for a 70% reduction in property taxes.
- And hypothetically, eligible couples with 10 or more children would be in line for a 100% reduction of property taxes.
The controversial exceptions: Only couples in heterosexual marriages would be entitled to benefits in the GOP-endorsed legislation. Also, couples with at least one partner who has been divorced are ineligible.
Plus, couples who had or adopted children before they were married couldn't use those particular kids to ease their tax load.
In a Facebook post this week, Slaton wrote: "Supporting Texas means supporting Texas families. Families are the building blocks of society. We must support families by making it easier for them to have and raise kids.
"With HB 2889, Texas will start saying: 'Get married, stay married, and be fruitful and multiply,'" Slaton added, a reference to a Christian sermon on marriage.
The above quote addresses another issue plaguing American society: The increasingly high divorce rate among heterosexual and same-sex married couples.
According to the World Population Review website, between 35%-50% of first-time U.S. marriages end in divorce, increasing to approximately 60% for second marriages and 70+% for marriages after the second.
In a press release, Slaton said his bill could potentially boost the state's falling birth rate by establishing financial incentives for child-rearing.
Slaton added the proposed law models policies that have already been enacted in Poland and Hungary.
Last June, the Texas Republican Party adopted a platform recognizing homosexuality as an "abnormal lifestyle choice" and opposing "all efforts to validate transgender identity."
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