Royce West

Current roles

• Local Democratic Party: Member
• Local State Senate: Texas State Senator

Former roles

• Local State Senate: Texas State Senate candidate

League of Women Voters 2008 candidate survey

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

West: Since taking office, I have taken great strides to provide the constituents of District 23 with representation that is indicative of their best interests while fulfilling my legislative duties in Austin. But it is just as important to respond to the numerous requests that come to my Senate offices daily.

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?

West: While the complexities of this subject go beyond the confines of this forum, I’ll say simply that work remains to be done on the revised business tax. It is not fair or equitable that many large corporations were able to avoid the old franchise tax while homeowners faced taxation and user fees at every level. I supported Democrat’s proposal in 2006 that would have raised the homestead exemption as opposed to lowering property tax rates.

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?

West: Since utility deregulation, I have participated in several efforts on behalf of seniors and the economically disadvantaged that asked for reactivation of the System Benefit Fund or for a moratorium on electric utility service disconnects. While not mentioned, many gas customers have been faced with similar situations during unpredictable Texas winters. An honest and thorough review of the rate structures and profits of electric utility aggregators in this new globally competitive market is due.

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?

West: My July letter to the Sunset Advisory Commission, contained three specific requests related to the Texas insurance industry. I requested the Commission to investigate the merits of a prior approval system as our current file-and-use system has resulted in lengthy disputes when exorbitant rate hikes have been cited. I also asked for a review of states where policy reform has resulted in greatly reduced premiums. Finally, the Office of Public Insurance Council shouldn’t be abolished.

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?

West: Traditional pay-as-you-go funding saw only 36 percent of the roads needed by Texas motorists being built. While there are now more tools in TxDOT’s toolkit, such as bond financing and the Texas Mobility Fund, there is also a need for toll roads and public private partnerships in the funding mix.

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?

West: I expect gas tax diversions to be reviewed during the upcoming legislative session, but any redirection will require new funding mechanisms for their replacement. My position has opposed a sales tax increase due to its regressive nature and any gas tax increase will yield diminishing returns in the future.

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?

West: Last session, I voted in favor of a bill on this subject - SB 270 - in the Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee. The bill reported favorably from committee for consideration by the full senate. While I believe that the disclosure of commercial real estate sales prices could produce more accurate appraisals and thereby spread the property tax burden more fairly among all payers, this idea does have considerable opposition and never moved to the senate floor.