The feud in Austin continues between Governor Greg Abbott, and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, who have had their differences in the past, but this is different.
"The public side of it was never as big as we are seeing now" said Brandon Waltens, managing editor with Texas Scorecard, "You have the Lt. governor essentially going on a statewide tour to call out the Governor, and accuse him of not wanting to give homeowners the biggest property tax decrease that you can."
Governor Abbott responded to Patrick's public criticism with 76 vetoes, which is a new personal high. More than half were done due to the property tax fight.
"This is going to end somehow" Waltens told KTRH, "Eventually we're going to see some sort of compromise. I will say it's hard to tell right now who's going to blink first? Only time will tell, but certainly we're going to see another special session, we'll probably see multiple special sessions throughout the year."
As for the rift, is it bad blood between the governor and lt. governor? And is Dan Patrick really just posturing to replace Abbott in the future? Political analyst Luke Macias says no.
"I don't think that this is Dan Patrick trying to posture for the next political office" Macias told KTRH, "I really do think that ultimately he has been a long-standing proponent of a homestead exemption. I don't think it's about the next office, he's already considered the most powerful state politician, I don't think he needs to be governor."
What Texans really need is property tax relief, and both Macias and Waltens, said it will come eventually. But instead of dispersing over $20 billion of the record high surplus back to Texas taxpayers, we will all have to settle for the $12 to $13 billion, that lawmakers left after all of their spending.
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