The Texas Commission on Public School Finance met today in Austin to cover an agenda focused on tax policy. The day included invited testimony from a series of witness representing both out-of-state entities and Texas-based stakeholders.

National representatives offered individual assessments of the Texas taxing structure as well as perspectives on various reforms. The representatives hailed from the Tax Foundation, Tulane University's Murphy Institute, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Their individual presentations centered around a variety of policy reforms, including revisions to the property tax, an expansion of the sales tax base, changes to corporate taxing, better tax transparency policies, an update to the gas (or vehicle usage) tax, and a focus on more targeted relief over broad based relief. The broad look at tax policies seemed to drive an overall message that some combination of reforms is the best approach.

The commission also heard from the Texas Education Agency and the Comptroller's Office regarding Texas's current sources of funding for public education. The high-level presentation focused on the coordinating chart, which identified the Foundation School Program appropriations and their 2018-2019 biennium levels.

Texas-based entities invited to testify included a range of stakeholders. While many of the same broad tax policy reforms mentioned by the national panelists were addressed, the group offered perspectives more narrowly focused on the Texas taxing and school finance systems. For example, one testifier highlighted a lack of taxpayer transparency with regard to how certain tax revenues are directed. While some education funding is diverted to other budget areas, other revenue is used to supplant the state's share of education funding when those dollars are intended to be supplemental funding.

Links to the witnesses presentation materials can be found here and a recording of the meeting can be viewed here. The commission's Working Group on Expenditures will meet tomorrow morning and will hear invited testimony on the cost of education index, compensatory education, and the transportation allotment.