From Property Tax Relief to Diversity at Texas Colleges – New Laws for 2024
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
EAST TEXAS – After last November’s elections, there were some serious ballot measures approved by voters, in terms of personal property, business taxes and diversity hiring at Texas universities. Here is a look at some of the new laws for 2024.
Voters approved a constitutional amendment by a wide margin to give property tax relief to many homeowners. Proposition 4 on the ballot authorized the legislature to establish a temporary limit on the maximum appraised value of real property other than a residence homestead for ad valorem tax purposes; to increase the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district applicable to residence homesteads from $40,000 to $100,000; to adjust the amount of the limitation on school district ad valorem taxes imposed on the residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled to reflect increases in certain exemption amounts; to except certain appropriations to pay for ad valorem tax relief from the constitutional limitation on the rate of growth of appropriations; and to authorize the legislature to provide for a four-year term of office for a member of the board of directors of certain appraisal districts.
The state implemented a ban this year on measures “designed or implemented in reference to race, color, or ethnicity” at Texas colleges. Campuses will not be allowed to have DEI programs or offices. DEI refers to diversity, equality and inclusion and is an initiative recently adopted by many major universities and corporations to mandate hiring due to factors such as race or gender to create more diverse opportunities in workplaces. While democrats, along with some students and faculty opposed the measure, Republicans passing the measure said such programs hurt inclusion and are divisive.
Almost 70,000 Texas businesses will benefit from a doubling of the state’s franchise tax exemption. Only $1.2 million was available previously, but under the new law, businesses earning less than $2.4 million will be exempt from the state’s franchise tax. Business who are exempt will also no longer need to file documents stating they are exempt in an effort to save time and paperwork.
The Texas Youth Diversion and Early Intervention Act will allow judges in the state to waive Class C misdemeanors and instead sentence youth to go through the program, aimed at keeping young people out of trouble with drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, job training and self-improvement programs. Steep increases in teen vaping have also led to a new law making it a criminal offense to market e-cigarettes to minors.
New “Texas, Our Texas” license plates will also be available, marking the 100th anniversary of the state song, with the dates 1924-2024 to be displayed on the tags.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
