KSST Radio
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We see a lot of special treatment for so-called marginalized groups in this country lately. A Texas state representative decided to propose a bill that would benefit normal, every day married couples with children.
Texas state Rep. Bryan Slaton introduced HB 2889 which would give property tax credits to qualifying married couples based on the number of children they have.
“I come from East Texas. We have biblical values there where we want people to get married, stay married, be fruitful and multiply,” Slaton, a Republican, stated, reported KTBC out of Austin, TX.
KTBC calls the bill controversial. This is most likely due to the bill’s definition of a qualified married couple as “a man and a woman who are legally married to each other, neither of whom have been divorced.”
Slaton stands by his proposal by stating, “What this is doing is incentivizing and pushing a healthy family unit.”
“I think we need to incentivize more children. Yes, I am worried a little bit about our birth rate,” he continued.
The American birth rate hit a record low in 2020 after falling for the sixth consecutive year.
Part of HB2889 reads as follows:
Sec.31.038. HOMESTEAD TAX CREDIT FOR CERTAIN MARRIED COUPLES. (a) In this section: (1) “Qualifying child” means a child of any age who is: (A) a natural child of both spouses of a qualifying married couple born after the date on which the qualifying married couple married; (B) an adopted child of both spouses of a qualifying married couple adopted after the date on which the qualifying married couple married; or (C) the adopted child of one spouse of a qualifying married couple adopted after the date on which the qualifying married couple married if the child is the natural or adopted child of the other spouse and that other spouse was a widow or widower before the date on which the qualifying married couple married.
Snopes concluded that “Starting with four qualified children under the bill, a qualified married couple” would get a “40% property tax credit if they had four children. The tax break would go up by 10% for every additional child they have, with couples who have 10 or more children eligible for a full 100% tax break.”
Not at all surprising, the LGBTQ+ crowd looks at the bill as an assault on them.
Ricardo Martinez, CEO of Equality Texas, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, said in response to the proposed legislation, “I do think that there comes a point when anti-trans anti-LGBTQ animus becomes kind of a full-blown creepy obsession.”
A constitutional lawyer at Texas A&M views the bill as unconstitutional on both the state and federal levels. Dr. Eddie Carder said HB2889 is “at odds” with the Supreme Court ruling regarding marriage.
“We can have that discussion, and they can have that discussion in court,” said Slaton.
Slaton is working off data that shows that children do better in a two-parent household and hopes tax breaks will incentivize families to stay together and have more children.
