League of Women Voters election survey: Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, candidate for re-election to the Texas House Rep. - District 105

by Staff of League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters of Dallas sent a questionnaire to every candidate running for public office in Dallas County. The election on November 4th features a number of local races to decide state and national Senate and House of Representatives seats.

The responses of Rep. Linda Harper-Brown (R), who is seeking re-election for the Texas House of Representatives - District 105 seat, appear below. Harper-Brown is running against Bob Romano (D) and James G. Baird (L).

LWV: Please describe the training and experience that qualify you for this office.

Harper-Brown: For more than two decades, I have been working to improve my community by assisting local charities, working on the Chamber of Commerce, and serving as a school board trustee and city councilmember. Since 2001, I have proudly served Irving as State Representative.

LWV: The Texas Legislature in 2007 overhauled business taxes to provide property tax relief for homeowners, but many small business owners in Texas now claim that their property tax decrease was far less than their business tax increase. What measures should be taken to maintain adequate state tax revenues without unduly burdening individual taxpayers or small business?

Harper-Brown: Irving is blessed with dedicated teachers committed to excellence and we should continue providing more money to our classrooms and educators, including higher pay. Our business community should assist with school funding especially when it reduces the property tax burden on homeowners. But, the new business tax unfairly targets small businesses. We should limit this tax on small business and look for savings in other areas of government to put more money in the classrooms.

LWV: Texas deregulated electricity rates with the promise that competition between suppliers would lower consumers’ electric rates, yet rates in Texas remain well above the national average. What measures should be taken to ensure electric power reliability and affordability in Texas?

Harper-Brown: Texas needs to lead the way for developing cheaper, safer, cleaner and more reliable energy sources that help protect our families from the rising cost of electricity. I think our first step starts with wind energy, which obviously is based on renewable resources. And, I believe we need to dramatically slow down the permitting process for coal fired power plants ­there is no way that “fast tracking” should be allowed.

LWV: According to the most recent published data of the Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel, insurance industry losses in Texas have decreased by 85%, yet homeowners’ rates have fallen by only 4%. What reforms would you support to lower homeowners’ rates in Texas?

Harper-Brown: Now is the time to consider tougher regulations on the insurance industry in Texas. A strong first step would be to consider a formula that ties actual insurance rates for homeowners to the profits or losses of big insurance companies in Texas. Our state government has helped insurance companies recover from their recent losses ­ now they need to return the favor to Texas homeowners.

LWV: The Texas legislature has not increased the gas tax since 1991, and also diverts millions of dollars of transportation funds to other areas of the state budget such as education and the Department of Public Safety. The public has voiced much disapproval of toll roads and public/private partnerships to build new roads. How would you fund construction of new roads and maintenance of existing roads and bridges?

Harper-Brown: The answer is not higher gas taxes. TXDOT must be reformed to reduce expensive bureaucratic mistakes and we must stop using transportation funds for non-traffic related projects. I¹ve been critical of TXDOT since they waste millions of dollars each year in­ revenue that should be used to improve our roads.

LWV: If diversions from the State’s transportation fund are stopped, how would you pay for those items that are currently funded by gas tax monies?

Harper-Brown: With a state budget of $160 billion, I am confident that we can find savings in others areas of government, especially since we are estimated to have a $15 billion surplus.

LWV: Currently, sales prices of most residential property are disclosed while those of commercial property are not. Do you support public disclosure of commercial real estate sales prices so as to ensure fair and accurate appraisals?

Harper-Brown: Yes, we need to do everything we can to relieve the property tax burden from homeowners and that should start with making sure that commercial, retail and business properties are appraised correctly by the Dallas County Appraisal District.