Austin, TX

Big three leaders in Austin say state lawmakers have tax cut deal

Published

10 months ago

May 7, 2025

Big three leaders in Austin say state lawmakers have tax cut deal

Major Republican leaders in Austin have struck a deal on how to spend part of their budget surplus. They aim to pay down property and business taxes for millions of Texans.

Monday night, Gov. Greg Abbott announced the framework of a deal online, posting pictures with Senate and House finance leaders.

“We have reached an agreement with the Senate as it relates to tax relief,” said Rep. Morgan Meyer, R-University Park, chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and the author of the business cut package. Monday, he passed the Senate’s property tax relief package out of his committee.

“All of us working together to provide meaningful property tax relief. I’m glad we got this job done,” said Meyer.

The same day, the Senate Local Government Committee approved Meyer’s business tax cuts.

“The homestead exemption bills are moving, too, and that means we have home and business tax relief on the way. And that’s a happy day,” said Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, the Senate’s main tax bill writer.

This is much different from two years ago, when a fight between the chambers brought on several costly special sessions. The main dispute was whether to spend billions raising the homestead exemption or to “compress” tax rates across the board.

This year, there’s a new speaker of the Texas House, Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, who followed Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, after he chose not to seek another term as speaker following intense Republican pushback.

Also, this year, it appears the “compression” idea to buy down taxes across the board is not part of the deal struck by state leaders.

Lawmakers plan to raise the homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 a year, saving someone roughly $500 if they own a $300,000 home, according to an analysis by The Texas Tribune. They aim to raise the exemption to $200,000 for seniors or those with a disability.

The association representing Texas Realtors was one of the main speakers in support on Monday during the committee hearing.

“We really want to protect that senior lifestyle and overall affordability, and protect the vulnerable population on fixed income. We believe in homeownership for life, so thank you for this bold move,” said Christy Gessler, from Texas REALTORS.

Also as part of the agreement is a proposal to raise the business inventory tax exemption from $2,500 to $125,000, saving small businesses a significant amount.

Both proposals appear to have bipartisan support. However, a potential issue looms: both use state money to buy down taxes for Texans. The state budget could face problems if an economic downturn hits the Lone Star State, potentially forcing lawmakers to backtrack on the cuts or reduce services.

The Republican-led Legislature largely believes that risk is worth taking to deliver property and business tax relief to Texans this year.

Source link

Austin, TX

Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?

Published

53 minutes ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?

Austin had a particularly itchy and drippy cedar fever season to start the year. Many winter days, from late December into February, had high or very high ashe juniper (aka cedar) pollen counts.

Central Texas has a year-round allergy season with mold popping up at any time. For the more traditional spring and fall allergy seasons, forecasters at AccuWeather are predicting some of the allergens across the country will be worse this year than average.

Texas, though, is a different story.

For grass allergies, which happen now through September, AccuWeather estimates Austin will have an average season. However, just west of the Interstate 35 corridor in the Hill Country to almost El Paso, that season is expected to be worse than normal.

“Texas may experience above-average grass pollen for a few weeks,” AccuWeather’s allergy report said, “though the season could be shorter-lived compared to northern areas.”

It all depends on the weather

How much rain we get in the next six months and the perennial Texas heat will all affect the growing season for grasses and weeds, as well as the amount of pollen trees produce. The Farmers’ Almanac and the Old Farmers Almanac are both predicting a wetter and warmer spring.

Rain helps plants grow, which can increase pollen production over time. However, rainfall during allergy season can also bring temporary relief by washing pollen out of the air. That’s what we’re expecting this weekend, with our first meaningful rain chance in nearly three weeks. Tree and weed pollen levels might briefly drop, but mold could spike because it thrives in damp, humid weather.

If spring continues with excessive heat like we saw in February, it could limit the growth of some plants and trees. Extreme heat can reduce how much they grow, and how much pollen they produce. On the other hand, if we get a healthy balance of rain and only slightly above-normal temperatures — not extreme heat — pollen counts could climb. That’s especially true as we head into April, typically our windiest month of the year, which helps spread pollen more easily.

How can you treat allergies in Austin?

If you are feeling the effects of allergies, here are some things you can do to lessen them:

Start taking allergy medication at least two weeks before your allergen’s season is supposed to start. Keep taking your allergy medication throughout your allergen’s season, even on low-pollen days.
Vary your allergy medication. You can take a nasal spray, an eye drop and an oral antihistamine at the same time to treat the different symptoms. If one kind of allergy medication isn’t working, consult your doctor about whether you should add a second one or switch out the medication.
Take a shower before going to bed.
Take off outside clothes or shoes when you get into the house.
Do a daily nasal wash such as a neti pot or saline spray.
Consider seeing an allergist to get drops or shots to lessen your reaction to the allergen.

Consider these household tips to improve your chances of keeping allergens away:

Change the filters in your house regularly during cedar fever season.
Vacuum and sweep regularly.
Change your sheets, especially your pillow regularly.
Keep doors and windows closed.
Clean out the vents in your home.
Have your home tested for indoor allergens such as mold.
Wash and brush the animals in your house to lessen the amount of allergens in the air.
Wear a mask outside or inside while you are trying to lessen the pollen or mold indoors.

Source link

Austin, TX

Texas Primary: Breakdown of Texas races

Published

13 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Democrats tried to stop a mid-decade redistricting effort, but were unsuccessful. Now, we are starting to see some of the candidates emerging in those newly drawn districts. FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski gives a full breakdown.

Posted March 3, 2026 10:32pm CST

Source link

Austin, TX

Remembering Jorge Pederson: Minnesota MMA fighter killed in Austin, Texas, shooting

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Remembering Jorge Pederson: Minnesota MMA fighter killed in Austin, Texas, shooting

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – A shooting on West Sixth Street in Austin, Texas, early Sunday morning, killed three people and injured more than a dozen others, according to the Austin Police Department. APD confirmed one of the victims was 30-year-old Jorge Pederson, a Minnesota man who worked as an MMA fighter for the Med City Fighting Championships.

“You meet tons of fighters and there are people that stand above the rest that you find you enjoy or find the most amusing,” MCFC Co-Owner Matthew Vogt said. “He was definitely one of them.”

According to Vogt, Pederson was also the owner of a Minnesota business called Metro Movers. Vogt said the MMA competitor touched everyone’s hearts since his first day of fighting professionally in Rochester.

“As soon as we met him when it was the weighing time, we just loved the guy already because he had a great mission or spirit about him,” Vogt said. “He was a funny guy and great fighter.”

Vogt told KTTC when he first saw the news that Pederson was killed, he could not believe what he saw.

“I was looking, like, ‘Wait a minute. Is this one of his shenanigans or did something actually happen there?’” Vogt said, recalling the moment he saw a social media post regarding the shooting in Austin. “I confirmed with a few people and I’m just like, sometimes, some things happen that you don’t even like, you don’t even know how to respond to it because it’s just so out of left field that you don’t immediately have a response to it.”

MCFC confirmed there is an online fundraiser dedicated to supporting Pederson’s family. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than $10,000 has been raised.

“He was someone that always could make anybody laugh,” Vogt said. “Support his family through the fundraiser and take a look at his Instagram especially to see how funny he was.”

Find stories like this and more, in our apps.

Source link