Texas bill would make registrants inelegible for right granted all Texas citizens
By Sandy . . . Texas HB 3499 , authored by Rep. Vincent Perez, will remove the homestead exemption from the property tax responsibility of Texas’ registered citizens—every one of them homeowners occupying the property. This piece includes what was sent to Rep. Perez the morning of Feb. 28.
This bill will hurt children and families. Many registrants, and especially those who own the property where they live, have families. Any financial support taken from these registrants will mean less financial support for their families and the children of those families.
While statistics show that approximately 95% of all registrants will never commit another offense, registrants who have become homeowners are the most likely to have fully integrated into their communities as stable, contributing, responsible, law-abiding citizens. This legislation is a slap in the face to them and suggests to them that they have embraced their lifestyles in vain.
Legislation providing homeowners an added measure of protection is well ingrained in Texas’ history. The first homestead act was passed in 1839 to encourage home ownership and protect families from foreclosure. It is one of the oldest and most comprehensive homestead protection systems in the United States. The amount of the homestead exemption granted Texans for their property taxes is increased on a regular basis, showing the value placed by government on home ownership in Texas.
There is no rational connection between public safety and this legislation. Registrants often have difficulty finding suitable housing; to remove from them an incentive for becoming home owners is unconscionable. It flies in the face of rehabilitation and all evidence-based data. It is driven by choosing the most hated, identifiable group possible and singling them out as the basis for increasing their taxes.
This proposed legislation starts to tear down something that is part of Texas’ heritage. This legislation serves two purposes: to increase the amount of taxes paid to the state and to punish even further a group of citizens who have already, some 30 or more years ago, accepted responsibility and been punished for their crimes through a criminal justice system that has rehabilitation as its end goal. This legislation is wrong on so many levels.
It is just plain wrong.
More spite work. Pettiness and crass measures just to retaliate and appease the low-brow citizens.
Just like changing Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of “America.” Promoting false patriotism, elitism and “exceptionalism.” I’m tired of all the bluster and “America first”propaganda.
A lot of good it does making English the “official” language when the majority of Texans speak broken English and murder the pronunciations. You need a “southern drawl” translator if you visit the Bible belt.
I have to comment on this one. I live in Texas and have done so for almost all of my life. The majority of Texans, both native born, American born, and our welcome neighbors from across the border, speak English with fluent-to-average enunciation skills and excellent pronounciation. If you live in Texas, I would be interested in knowing where. I have lived in and around almost all the major cities and many of the little towns and country and have always found that to be the case. Many have a “Texas accent,” but that is part of the charm.
Sandy
My comment wasn’t meant to ruffle feathers, it was stating the outrageous nature of an Executive Order making English the “official” language of America when English is not even native to America. It hailed from the United Kingdom which this country adopted because of the …. wait for it.. invaders, or colonists that set up camp on this territory before being DIVIDED into enclaves. I’m calling out the silliness and pretense of it all. I live in a southern state and the local dialects vary from barely audible coherence to “JEET-YET” (did you eat yet)? Adopting English as a fulcrum point for appeasement is just a veiled form of racism and xenophobic aggression Not to mention a feel good distraction and an underhanded jab at those “dirty foreigners” that don’t understand or speak ENGLISH.
LOL; I have no disagreement with your main point at all.
This bill is further proof of the economic terrorism that is perpetually being waged against us.
Do they actually think this bill (or soon to be law you can count on it) will incentivize a homeowner into kicking out the person forced to register and that neighborhood will then be “cleansed?”
These laws introduced are just pile-on hate and “get even” tactics. And of course it’s “bi-partisan” because ya know.. they have to placate and assuage parent’s insecurities for votes!
Maybe everyone forced to register should start yelling: “VOTE YOU OUT!” Like they’re currently doing to Keith Self (R).
We all know this as nothing to do with keeping people safe at all. Just another excuse to get people violated or back to jail so we can lock people up bullcrap. Oddly enough there was a story a couple of days ago where I live that a ex felon (non-S.O.) was working at a child welfare place (I believe) and the reporter was investigating why was this felon near kids. Even on T.V. asking “Why was this felon near kids?!?” I wonder how long before they pass a bill that’s going to be not useful to all non-SOs. It’s just fear to put into the public eye. Wondering how long will it take to pass more stupid bills that do nothing. How about a homeless bill that helps or get better into society bill or something useful….
Yeah, I live in Texas as well, and this is just… wow. To be honest, I’m not that surprised that our legislature is doing this to people forced to register. It’s just par for the course at this point for them to keep adding and piling on more and more laws we are expected to know or face incarceration again. I’m so sick of it, it will never get better. This only keeps going further and further into a draconian cesspool of oppression.
Last session of the legislature was disheartening as well.