State Rep. Jim Keffer Talks: Margins Tax Moves Toward Extinction Texas Again Leads on Pro-Life Issues

The Margins Tax is being cut 25 across the board and I think is on its way to extinction. AUSTIN Texas (Texas Insider Report) And toward (property tax cut) transparency we in the legislature get blamed all the time for property taxes going up. Yet since Ive been in the legislature weve had two major Property Tax cuts said Jim Keffer the former Ways & Means Committee chair who now leads the House Natural Resources Committee. What taxpayers need to understand is that a lot of times folks never see those property tax cuts because theyre almost immediately used up unfortunately by their local School Districts IDSs or City or County governments where most of the taxing occurs" Keffer tells Insiders Jim Cardle. On a totally separate and major issue I believe that the pro-life issue is frankly the foundation of our civilization. Texans should be confident we were  successful on a lot of the pro-life issues as well Keffer said.

Dont miss this Inside update with State Representative Jim Keffer chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.    

For instance the Judicial Bypass the strengthening of parental rights on the end of life issues we were able to get all the groups together to the point that I think we had a very good pro-life session said Keffer a longtime champion for the pro-life issues.

But I just want to tell people ... Texans by themselves cannot end abortion. Texas by itself cannot do away with Roe vs. Wade. The facts of life are  and Texas is in a leadership position on this whole effort but the facts of life are that we are now bumping Roe vs. Wade. What this means is that yes we as a state can still work around the edges and do what we can. But until we elect a president that will take the issue on and have the backbone to do that and with his or her support appoint Supreme Court Justices that will overturn Roe vs. Wade were going to have abortion in this country unfortunately Keffer said.

So we have to look at the big picture too the overall picture ... we have to continue to elect people who are pro-life to eventually get away from that scourge. I believe that. But its something that Texans need to know ... where those lines are and not to expect more than their state legislator can provide. Its Roe vs. Wade. We have to overturn that law Keffer said. So overall this 2015 Session we were looking toward the future and trying to be as conservative as we can spending our money wisely. But at the same time we also have to move our state forward ... you can choke it you can choke all that progress and positive growth. Its a fine balance between keeping money for the future and also having a vision for what the state needs to look like down the road said Keffer who chaired the powerful House Ways & Means Committee a decade ago during the last School Finance Special Session debate. We legislators were having negotiations and debates between the House and the Senate on which taxes to cut which I think is the kind of conversation you like to have. And Texas has again recently been named the #1 place in the nation to set up a business. With the tax cuts we were able to do that position is just reinforced.

We kept the State Budget under the Constitutional Spending Cap again ... so you know there are going to be critics out there who criticize. But I just hope that the majority of Texans will see what the truth is know what the facts are and I think they can be very proud of this 2015 Legislative Session and how we did our business said the well-respected committee chair. But again we at the state level are trying to protect Texas taxpayers from some of the locally controlled taxes that they pay. But understand since the State Legislature does not control the local governments  where their local School Districts or City or County government taxes occur unfortunately those property tax cuts could be used up unless taxpayers use all those tools in their tool boxes" Keffer said.

I thank and congratulate the leadership of Gov. Abbott Lt. Gov. Patrick and Speaker Straus and all those who worked very hard on these issues. We have made good strides and in fact tremendous progress in these and other efforts.