Sam Harless State Rep District 126

Sam Harless, an effective, common sense leader, is currently the State Representative for District 126

[Team Bettencourt @TeamBettencourt]

I don't know whether to LAUGH or be HACKED off OR BOTH for the taxpayers after this utterly Preposterous claim made by Harris County Judge @LinaHidalgoTX where she claims to be a "fiscal conservative..." 🤯

It was Judge Lina that led a 👀 "maximum smash" against taxpayers in 2024 driving a "Mack Truck" through the disaster exemption code, (I changed the law in #txlege) when she claimed a 15% Property tax revenue increase was only an 8% increase, totally stretching the truth as that was the old rollback tax rate...! The voters were told the wrong information, and it barely passed the VATRE, the largest ever Harris County property tax increase.

This hid the fact that the average homeowner got walloped with a County $312 tax bill hike, and why are Commissioners @HCP4__Briones, @RodneyEllis, @AdrianGarciaHTX thinking about voting for the 2nd largest Property Tax increase in the Counties' history, per Commissioner @TomSRamsey2?!

Depending upon it being a 5 or 6 cent tax rate increase, any Harris Co. homestead will pay $188/yr to $220/yr MORE on average!

It is MYSTIFYING that "Affordability" for nearly a million homeowners is not at the TOP of their agenda, like it is EVERYWHERE else in this Frothy mid-term election year!

-Sen Paul B

PS Want to hear preposterous propaganda?... Hit the button and hear Judge Lina say it in her own words!

[Sam Harless State Rep District 126 @SamHarless126]

My choice also.

[Team Bettencourt @TeamBettencourt]

In a clarion call to Republicans voters, LtGov @DanPatrick strongly states why both he and Attorney General @KenPaxtonTX are voting FOR Sen. @mayes_middleton in the #GOP Runoff for Attorney General! Two Strongest Conservative voices FOR President @realDonaldTrump in Texas are making it CLEAR the choice in the AG's race is "MAGA" Mayes Middleton, and not his opponent @chiproytx.

LtG Dan lists his 7 reasons well worth reading below, plus "Uncle" Paul knows that voting FOR Mayes Middleton will give us the BEST American First Team in the Country! The choice is YOURS!!
#TEXASGOP #TexasRepublicans

[Sam Harless State Rep District 126 @SamHarless126]

Me too

[Dustin Burrows @Burrows4TX]

I am proud to endorse @JimWright4Texas for reelection to the Texas Railroad Commission.

Commissioner Wright has helped keep Texas at the forefront of American energy. His leadership has strengthened the industry that powers our economy—supporting well-paying jobs, advancing our nation’s energy independence, and ensuring Texas stays the best state in America to do business.

Jim Wright has delivered for Texas, and he’s the conservative voice of experience and integrity we need on the RRC.

[Toni Barcellona @BarcellonaToni]

Citizens of #HD126…you’ve built a life and a future for your kids and grandkids that must be protected.

Vote for @kellypetersontx - THE constitutional rights, conservative candidate.

@kellypetersontx is joined by highly respected @PollyforTexas; two tough leaders working together for a stronger economy, safer communities, and a better future. #FixFM1960

🗳 Early Voting: May 18–22
🗳 Election Day: May 26
Take friends with you to vote for Kelly!

Your vote is your voice. Make it count!
#TexasGOP #txlege #HarrisCountyGOP runoff

[Team Bettencourt @TeamBettencourt]

The 2026 Houston Live Stock @RODEOHOUSTON Show set the record straight on another bizarre personal action by Judge @LinaHidalgoTX. This whole "Rodeo-gate" is foolishness and reckless behavior unbefitting the elected County Judge of the Nation's 3rd largest county.

She should resign period! Repeatedly asking for $9k of tickets, then blaming others for her own bad behavior in writing is simple unconscionable.

I think the public agrees this is NOT about "Women", "Hispanics", "White men", or any other charge Judge Lina made! Its about a person not mature enough to listen to the word: NO in the 1st place...

PS if anyone asks, of the number of rodeo tickets requested by Senator Bettencourt, the answer is ZERO.
#txlege

[KHOU 11 News Houston @KHOU]

UPDATE | Rodeo officials now say Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo was told before the show that she wouldn't be allowed on the ground level, or chute seating. Hidalgo’s leadership position has also been revoked -> https://t.co/dq4hm2R5SI

[Sam Harless State Rep District 126 @SamHarless126]

Wow

[Team Bettencourt @TeamBettencourt]

🚨Here's my opinion when asked about Harris County being sued over the closing #CD18 🗳️early voting polls Sunday and Monday as reported in this Chronicle Story:

The problem is that while Harris County Clerk @TeneshiaHudspe1 can order the closing of early voting polls in the CD-18 runoff election, she does not have the authority to extend the number of early voting days past Tuesday as a "make-up" day, AKA, as a school system does, for example.

So there's a lawsuit to extend the end of early voting past Tuesday, and whomever the district judge is picked to hear the case today probably drove in on nearly ice-free roads, past grocery stores, banks, business of all types that are open, (some with a delayed start), but not the County Election Polls in a special election.

So, I agree with the opinion of the two congressional candidates quoted @CDMenefee & @AKEdwardsTX, in this story that more days to vote are probably important to voters in a congressional runoff election, but its up to a District Judge's ruling.

The overarching problem is that shutting down Counties, Cities, Schools, in advance of an overnight Ice Storm that may or may not happen is prudent, but that closing should NOT extend to following day when it really didn't create hazardous conditions!

Never heard Judge @LinaHidalgoTX 's justification for today's closure on her conference call, but Harris County is the nation's 3rd largest, and an important center of commerce in the US, so closing government unnecessarily is not the right public policy.
#txlege

[Sam Harless State Rep District 126 @SamHarless126]

Happiest birthday to you

[Texas House Republican Caucus @TXGOPCaucus]

Wishing Speaker of the House @Burrows4TX a very happy birthday from the Texas House Republican Caucus!

[Sam Harless State Rep District 126 @SamHarless126]

Thank you for having me.

[Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce @HNWCC]

Thank you to Representative @SamHarless126 for speaking at today's luncheon! We enjoyed hearing about all that has been going on in the legislative session and we are grateful for your many years of service.

[Team Bettencourt @TeamBettencourt]

🗳️ Today, October 6, is the LAST DAY to register to vote in Texas!

Texans will head to the polls this Nov. to decide on multiple statewide constitutional amendments, including major property tax relief measures:

💼 Prop 9: To raise business personal property exemption (BPP) from $2.5K → $125K.
🏠 Prop 11: To raise the 65+/disabled exemption from $10K → $60K, when combined with Prop 13, the school district exemption for seniors and disabled Texans will total $200K!
🏡 Prop 13: To Raise the general homestead exemption from $100K → $140K.

If you haven’t registered yet, there’s still time!
✅ Apply online at https://t.co/jUO4ylysg1
✅ Mail in your registration form
✅ Or visit your local county voter registrar’s office today.

📅 Early Voting: Oct. 21 – Nov. 1
📅 Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 5

Make sure your voice is heard, and get #VoteReady to shape Texas’ future! @VoteTexas #txlege

[Sam Harless State Rep District 126 @SamHarless126]

So sad we can’t have differences without killing each other

[Matt Wallace @MattWallace888]

This is one of the saddest photos ever taken

[Team Bettencourt @TeamBettencourt]

This @KleinISD statement👇 recognizes the obvious, any senseless and unacceptable remarks on social media about a murder assassination, by an employee, will result in termination. Those who are involved with the education of all our Texas students must be held to this standard. #txed @SamHarless126 @TheJMcG

[Team Bettencourt @TeamBettencourt]

As the Senate author of SB 10, Property Tax Relief, I wouldn't have thought to do this county analysis of the 2024 Trump/Biden Presidential vote unless you had posted on it at @lukemaciastx claiming Biden's Texas vote was higher than Trump's in SB 10's bracketed 51 counties. It wasn't...Trump’s was higher, of course! (See my chart)

First, this is 2025 Census data and 2024 official Secretary of State results. Whatever data source used in the post is immediately in error as Biden's total vote in all Texas Counties was only 4.835 Million per the Texas Secretary of State site, yet the total posted Biden 2024 vote in your X of just the 75k population Texas county votes was more at 4.895 Million votes! NOTE: That's 60k higher than Biden got in all 254 counties in this state, and that's simply not possible!

The attached chart of the actual 51 SB 10 counties vote numbers show President Trump at 5.154 million votes, and Biden at only 4.505 million. In fact, President Trump went on to win the entire state with 6.393 million votes, about 1.56 million more than Biden's actual 2024 vote total!

Secondly, you can logic check this simply by the fact that remaining smaller counties had a winning margin of roughly 910k votes for President Trump, but that's not his whole margin of victory of 1.56 million. If the President had somehow lost the larger counties by 202k as you claimed below, then his margin of victory would have been ONLY 708k statewide, less than half what our ever popular President @realdonaldtrump actually received!!

The reason SB 10 used a population bracket of 75k is that it is the PTAD defintion of a smaller taxing unit, and it is what was substituted into SB 10, plus it's where a large supermajority of Texas Taxpayers property tax accounts are found! #txlege.

[Sam Harless State Rep District 126 @SamHarless126]

Wow

[Sam Harless State Rep District 126 @SamHarless126]

@texasgirlnyc Out of curiosity, why would you think I would not want to punish them? When they broke quorum, I drove up from Houston to the Capitol every day, trying to establish a quorum and this isn’t the first time they did this. If anyone is irritated by them, it’s the members who stayed.

[Sam Harless State Rep District 126 @SamHarless126]

@PattyALoera I too am a property owner, pay property taxes and inflated insurance. I hate it as well and fight every day against it.

[Sam Harless State Rep District 126 @SamHarless126]

Thank you Rep.MitchLittle. Some people can’t help themselves

[Rep. Mitch Little @realmitchlittle]

Fascinating day in the legislature.

I saw someone post (lie) that HB 23 by Sam Harless is going to raise property taxes. The bill literally just codifies the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo’s property tax exemption. Their property is already treated as exempt from tax, so this is no change. That’s because we generally don’t tax nonprofits for obvious reasons. No money changed hands on the bill. Zero.

I have seen others post that SB 10 raises property taxes and that the amendments destroy its impact. Well, joke’s on you: The impact it had was mostly negative to begin with. The bill as written stood to save the average homeowner in my hometown (Lewisville, TX) a total of $10.99 annually in property tax. No, that’s not a misprint. Meanwhile, cities, towns, and counties would need to hold a costly election to get the voters to permit them to increase basic public safety services like police, fire, and EMS just to keep up with growth. The various amendments and deviation from our liturgy sent the entire chamber into a tizzy. This was, after all, a “highly negotiated bill.”

The legislature’s sin is that we strain at the gnat and swallow the camel. No one seems to want to address the elephant in the room: The bulk of your property taxes are for school district maintenance and operations and debt service.

Until we clamp down on these items and address them head-on, we are kidding ourselves. Ask yourself why we aren’t.

[Sam Harless State Rep District 126 @SamHarless126]

Thank you Commissioner Ramsey, good news

[Tom Ramsey @TomSRamsey2]

Press Conference https://t.co/CCoq8wDyez

[Tom Ramsey @TomSRamsey2]

Press Conference https://t.co/CCoq8wDyez