2023 REALTOR(R) Day at the Texas Capitol
March 23rd, 2023
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What an amazing day! Yesterday, I, along with more than 3,500 Texas REALTORS® worked together to ultimately meet with all 181 legislators to discuss real estate issues on REALTOR® day. We came not as red or blue, but united as purple to fight for solutions that work for homeowners and private property rights. I rode on one of the six buses that left from the greater Houston area to bring hundreds of HAR Realtors to Austin. We woke up at dark:30 to get on the bus by 6 am for a three-hour ride to the state capitol.
I personally got to visit with four offices and each of the meetings were unique and eye opening in different ways.
- House Member State Rep District 24 Greg Bonnen.
- We met in Dr. Bonnen's office. Dr. Bonnen was very personable and impressed with our turnout. He gave us insight on how the floor works and how he shows up to rally support for his bills. He encourages that we listen to the live feed.
- State Senator District 128 Briscoe Cain
- Mr. Cain's office was in the extension underground, and we met in front of his office in the hallway. Mr. Cain listened to our presentation for infrastructure, housing development, and housing affordability.
- House Member State Rep District 29 Ed Thompson.
- Mr. Thompson was initially in a meeting and we spoke with one of his aides. He was very young but receptive and savvy. He was able to secure Mr. Thompson after the meeting to take a picture with us in the rotunda, with time to get to know our issues and spoke in detail about infrastructure and water development funding.
- State Senator District 11 Mayes Middleton
- Mr. Middleton was in a meeting, and we spoke to two of his aides who were quite knowledgeable about water rights and shared that Middleton was very receptive to our issues, already voted in support, and shared that one of our issues, SB4 had just passed- additional school property tax rate compression). Our Texas Senate had just unanimously approved $16.5 billion in property tax relief! Standing right there in the capitol as this was happening was so exciting!
We handed a simple pamphlet to each office so that they could have a written list of to our priorities, including quite a few specific bills Texas REALTORS® are supporting this year. Our priorities included:
- Property taxes - increase homestead exemption; increase over 65 exemption
- Infrastructure - water development funding
- Housing affordability - reining in private transfer fees to protect Sellers; create a state housing advisory committee
- Economic and job development
- Property rights - continued HOA reforms
- Transactions - clarify PID disclosure; include PID info in CAD property searches, and much more.
I am honored to have been a part
of this effort along with many members of the Houston Association of Realtors
HAR.com, the HAR Governmental & Political Affairs Committee, TREPAC, and many others who lead volunteers and work hard on a daily basis to be in contact with the State Representatives & Legislatures. Yesterday was a long and tiring day, but well worth it.
Special thanks to our TREPAC rep Karen Driscoll and HAR Dir. of Social Media Cristina Schaeffer who led the Realtors coming from Houston Bay Area and helped us show up- because if you don't make time to be a the table, you are on the menu.
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Disclaimer : The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Houston Association of REALTORS®
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