Gov. Abbott Unveils Major Affordability Plan In Lubbock

Last week, Governor Greg Abbott visited Lubbock as he unveiled a bold plan addressing affordability across the state. Abbott was joined by Speaker Dustin Burrows and Senator Charles Perry as they tackled one of the most important and top-of-mind issues affecting Texas citizens.

Watch the full coverage of Abbott's visit from his office's YouTube page:

Affordability in Texas

Gov. Abbott touched on several key points under the issue of affordability: property taxes, cost of higher education, health care, and others.

Lowering Property Taxes

On the topic of lowering property taxes, Abbott revealed that he wants to cut the property tax bill by 50%. How will he do it? A triple-threat approach that includes requiring two-thirds voter approval for tax increases, encouraging voters to roll back taxes, and by capping appraisal growth at 3% every year.

Eliminating school property taxes was also included in his list.

Affordable College Degrees

As Gov. Abbott approached the topic of affordable higher education, he emphasized three-year degree programs for fields that are in high demand across the state and discounted summer courses.

Lower Health Care and Other Costs

These are the talking points about health care included in Abbott's recent visit to Lubbock:

• Lower home insurance premiums
• Unveil a good-driver discount for low-risk drivers
• Speed up permitting for building new homes
• Cap inhalers and EpiPens at $55/month
• Create new insurance policy that covers essential needs like a primary care physician, preventative care, and emergency room costs

Will Data Centers Impact This Plan?

Before wrapping up the visit in Lubbock, Gov. Abbott touched on the fears that many Texans have about data centers affecting affordability throughout the state.

The Governor took this opportunity to shout out his recent regulations that require data centers to adhere to certain prohibitions. A prime example of this is prohibiting data centers from using necessary water and energy needed by communities.

Gov. Abbott targeted the lower costs of electricity from data centers by requiring them to generate more energy to the power grid and allowing them to buy down electricity costs for Texans.

Once again, visit Greg Abbott's YouTube page to watch the full coverage of his visit in Lubbock, and keep up with his social media team to see his next stop in the state.