HB-5

Below in an exert i pulled off the Texas website. I can understand that we need to reform our taxes to help pay for the schools. What i don't understand is why they can't curb their spending. When the lottery was legalized in Texas they talked about how much money it would create and how they would spend it on the school system. Where did all that money go? HB 5 is going to penalize me because i use tobacco products. I don't think it is fair to single out a group of people and make them pay for the inadequacy of our elected officials. This really burns my butt. I promise you one thing, Rick Perry, you do not have my vote.

I am sick of hearing how smoking is bad for me. No shit! I am aware of this. It is my life and if i wish to smoke, shut up. I can't smoke in public, in bars, in restaurants or anywhere else but i can finance the school system? If i am paying all this extra money to smoke, then give me my respect. I am tired of all the commercials demonizing tobacco use. Give it a rest.

On May 15, 2006, the Third Called Session of the Texas Legislature was gaveled to a close. This special session was called in response to the Texas Supreme Court's ruling that the Texas school finance system was effectively an unconstitutional statewide property tax because the $1.50 cap on school property taxes did not give school districts meaningful discretion to set local property tax rates. The Court gave the Legislature a June 1, 2006, deadline to reform the school finance system. Following the Court's ruling, Governor Perry created the Texas Tax Reform Commission to develop proposals to modernize the state tax system and provide long-term property tax relief as well as sound financing for public schools. Their proposals were filed as a package of four bills at the beginning of the special session, along with a fifth bill that created a property tax reduction fund. Following is an overview of those bills:

HB 5 increases the tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products excluding cigars. The cigarette tax will be raised by $1.00, while the tax on other tobacco products will increase from 35.213% to 40%. It is estimated that the bill will raise over $430 million for fiscal year 2007 and between $600 and $700 million in subsequent years. The bill takes effect January 1, 2007.