HEWITT, Texas — The candidates for Texas House District 56 were out in McLennan County on Friday for the last day of early voting.
Republicans Pat Curry and Devvie Duke were on hand at the Hewitt Public Library to meet voters and break down the issues facing the state and Central Texas region.
Curry said having a ranch on the border, he understands the importance of securing the area, as well as a push to further reduce property taxes and revamp school financing.
"We need to reduce property taxes for renters because they didn't get a break in the $18 billion tax cut that we've just done, so that's increasing inflation," Curry said. "We have to decrease that to be able to pay our employees because that's passing straight over them."
Duke said the state has to get spending "under control" to fully address her push to lower property taxes.
"We had a surplus budget, part of that was used in property taxes and part of that was used in general funds and was spent," Duke said. We have to bring spending under control in this economy and if families are suffering from inflation then our government has to do that to help them."
Duke said she hopes to get the state to a point where "we can phase out property taxes" altogether.
Curry said being a strong voice for the community and bringing local issues to the forefront in Austin, such as mental health and other inequities facing the Central Texas region, is one of his plans for the HD-56 seat.
"We have good leaders here and they all have their own budgets and getting them together is important and one of the jobs of a state representative," Curry said.
Curry said school financing remains one of his top issues that ties directly into addressing property tax rate growth.
"The basic allotment needs to be increased so more money is coming from the state to the school districts which should lower property taxes," Curry said.
Duke said ensuring party chairs and representatives vote in line with their party and the needs of their constituents is another challenge she hopes to tackle.
"We vote Republicans into Austin as citizens and we expect Republicans to go down there and lead, and not hand over powerful committee-ships to Democrats who end up killing meaningful legislation," Duke said. "Republicans in majority assigning Democrats to chairs – that’s what’s happening now with the current leadership."
Polls in McLennan County were open until 7 p.m. for the last day of early voting.
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