Governor Greg Abbott and other state leaders attended a roundtable discussion with local business owners in Lubbock.
He was joined by Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) and State Senator Charles Perry (R-Lubbock).
Though affordability was the main topic, Abbott highlighted his guidelines for AI data centers, saying Texas has the most strict requirements to protect rural communities.
While affordability was the main subject, the governor started off highlighting his guidelines for AI data centers. He said Texas now has the most strict requirements for them to protect rural communities. “One thing most people in rural Texas don’t want is a data center popping up in their back yard. One of my conditions for these AI data centers is they cannot build them in neighborhoods or rural communities that do not want them,” Abbott said. Concerning property taxes, Abbott said the state has to limit spending of any property taxing jurisdiction, and no property taxes should go up without the citizens having a say in it. Abbott noted that anytime there is an attempt to raise property taxes there must be a vote and require a two-thirds vote margin before taxes can increase. Abbott called for a lower cap on much property tax values can rise and suggested one appraisal every five years should be considered.
According to Burrows in a post on X social media, the next legislative session will focus on affordability and that the governor and lawmakers are already working to deliver property tax relief, cut regulations on businesses, and make college and workforce training more affordable.
Across the state, city, county and school districts are facing budget shortfalls that are mostly attributed to the state’s efforts to lower property taxes for homes and businesses.
Though Abbott highlighted the state’s $8 billion investment in education the past year, schools say it isn’t enough.
Meanwhile, Comptroller Don Huffines is requesting that state lawmakers increase funding for education savings accounts to more than $2 billion for the next biennium.