Texas governor Greg Abbott has said he plans on capping property tax increases in cities that move to defund their police departments.
Abbot made the announcement in a joint press conference with LT. Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker of the Texas legislature Dennis Bonnen. The proposal states that any city that defunds its police department will have its property tax revenue frozen at the current level. From the official release:
“Part of our job as state leaders is to ensure the safety and security of all Texans, and we will not allow this core function to be undermined by cities that seek to defund and dismantle law enforcement agencies that have a sworn duty to protect our communities,” said Governor Abbott. “Defunding the police puts Texans in danger and invites lawlessness into our cities, and cities that endanger their residents should not be able to turn around and raise more taxes from those same Texans. I strongly urge the Texas Legislature to take up this important issue next session to protect their constituents and ensure law enforcement have the resources and support they need to protect their communities.”
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It’s too bad other states can’t or won’t do this. It would seem to be the perfect way to prevent more cities from bowing to the mob.