Governor's State of the State speeches, late 1990s: on Tax Reform


Jesse Ventura: Reforming property tax system a high priority

It's time to quit taxing senior citizens out of homes that they own and force them into nursing homes or assisted living. It's time to confront the inequities of how we fund public schools, and how unfair that is to children and taxpayers in communities all over Minnesota. Even well-intentioned "fixes" end up making the system more complicated, and one taxpayer's fix becomes another taxpayer's problem. Reforming the property tax system is one of my administration's highest priorities.
Source: 1999 State of the State Address to Minnesota Legislature Mar 2, 1999

George W. Bush: Eliminate certain sales and property taxes

Texas knows how to fund our priorities, balance our budget and cut taxes. I will propose consumer sales tax cuts to eliminate taxes on diapers, over-the-counter medicines and access to the Internet. I propose a small-business tax cut to provide relief to the small entrepreneurs who are the backbone of our state’s economy. I propose a research-and-development tax credit to foster innovation and keep Texas on the leading edge of new technology. Finally, I will propose a $2 billion property tax cut.
Source: 1999 State of the State Address, Austin TX Jan 27, 1999

George W. Bush: Reduce homeowner property taxes

Local property taxes are the major source of funding for our schools, and they should not be. The Property Tax Cut Act will cut school property taxes for the average Texas homeowner by 40%. I propose a constitutional amendment to increase the homestead exemption for school property taxes by $20,000 from the current $5,000 to $25,000. I also propose a twenty-cent cut in the school property tax rate in every school district in Texas. [And] we must enact strong safeguards against property tax creep.
Source: 1997 State of the State Address, Austin TX Jan 28, 1997

George W. Bush: Replace corporate property tax with sales tax

I propose we eliminate the corporate franchise tax and the school property tax on business inventory and replace them with a fair, broad-based Texas Business Tax -- a 1 1/4 percent tax on sales over $500,000, less cost of goods and less capital invested. The rate is low and should apply to all forms of business. To fund the balance [of school revenues lost from the business tax cuts], I propose a half-cent increase in the sales and motor vehicle tax.
Source: 1997 State of the State Address, Austin TX Jan 28, 1997

  • The above quotations are from Late 1990s Governor's State of the State speeches.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Tax Reform.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by George W. Bush on Tax Reform.
  • Click here for more quotes by Zell Miller on Tax Reform.
Candidates and political leaders on Tax Reform:

Gubernatorial Debates 2020:
DE: vs.Carney(incumbent) vs.Williams(D)
IN: vs.Holcomb(incumbent) vs.Melton(D) vs.Myers(D)
MO: Parson(incumbent) vs.Galloway(D) vs.Neely(R)
MT: Bullock(retiring) vs.Fox(R) vs.Perry(R) vs.Gianforte(R) vs.Stapleton(R) vs.Olszewski(R) vs.Neill(D) vs.Schreiner(D) vs.Cooney(D) vs.Williams(D)
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Gubernatorial Debates 2021:
NJ:
Murphy(D) vs.Ciattarelli(R)
VA:
Northam(D,term-limited) vs.Herring(D) vs.Chase(R) vs.Fairfax(D)

Gubernatorial Debates 2019:
KY:
Bevin(R) vs.Goforth(R,lost primary) vs.Adkins(D,lost primary) vs.Beshear(D) vs.Edelen(D,lost primary)
LA:
Edwards(D) vs.Rispone(R) vs.Abraham(R) vs.Kennedy(R,declined)
MS:
Bryant(R,retiring) vs.Foster(R) vs.Hood(D) vs.Reeves(R) vs.Waller(R)
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Page last updated: Mar 14, 2021