Rick Perry proposes sending unused state taxes back to Texans

Texas Governor Rick Perry. / CBS News/Brian Montopoli

Gov. Rick Perry, R-Tex., wants to send unused state taxes back to Texas citizens, he announced today, addressing the Texas state legislature for his annual "state of the state" speech in his 13th year as governor.

The governor, who launched a failed bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, spoke for more than a half hour before Texas lawmakers, touting accomplishments and job creation, education, and innovation while also insisting that the "burden" Texas places on its residents must be lightened

Part of his plan for doing so involved getting rid of "the practice of using dedicated funds and specific fees for anything other than the purpose for which they were intended" -- specifically when it comes to taxes.

"If we don't need taxpayer money for that purpose, let's not collect it at all," Perry said. "We've never bought into the notion that if you collect more you need to spend more.

"Today, I'm calling for a mechanism to be put in place so when we do bring in more than we need, we'll have the option of returning tax money directly to the people who paid it. Currently, that's not something our constitution allows. We need to fix that."

Perry has not yet announced his political intentions going forward, though speculation has swirled around both the possibility of another bid for reelection and/or another presidential bid. In his remarks today, the longtime governor reiterated popular Republican themes, including calls to "put our financial house in order," "scrub the budget for any waste and redundancies," and encourage economic growth by letting people "keep their money," rather than raising taxes.

He also called for moving $3.7 billion from the so-called "Rainy Day Fund" for a one-time investment in infrastructure programs.

Notably absent from his speech, however, was any discussion of immigration reform -- an omission made even more prominent by the fact that President Obama is delivering a major address on the subject today in Nevada.

[WHAT-IS-HE-SMOKING]

And sweet pea, how do you give back the tax money that tourist pay?

[pjklocek]

Tourists don't pay state income tax, sweet pea. If they do, that's their own strange choice. But the sales taxes that are raised go, mostly, into the county coffers and are used for local infrastructure which the tourists use as well.

[Gecko5]

pjklocek - since Texas desn't have a personal income tax neither do Texs residents.

[OldTimeTruth]

Have you ever heard "dumb as a box of rocks" well Perry you take first prize.

[Gecko5]

What is dumb about 1)using tax money only for the purpose it was collected for and 2) returning what isn't used back to those who paid it in the first place? I'm no fan of Governor Perry but I can't see anything wrong with this proposal.

[wildemanne]

rick perrys lack of a working brain never ceases to amaze even the simpletons like republicans, WE DON'T HAVE A STATE INCOME TAX? I GUESS HE'S GOING TO GIVE ALL THE MEDICAID MONEY FOR THE POOR & INDIGENT, TO HIS FRIENDS WHO DON'T NEED IT, SO HE CAN STEAL IT, THEN COLLECT IT BACK WHEN DAVIE BOY, HIS CRONIE, INSTITUTES A STATE INCOME TAX WHEN RICK FINALLY GETS OUT OF HIS TAXPAYER FINANCED HEAVEN!

[MartyKZ1]

Texas took $24 billion stimulus - window.state.tx.us/recovery/

[tsigili]

He also failed to mention that Texas has no income tax, so the taxes he is talking about, would have to be either property, or other taxes, and not income taxes.

[wilinot]

Texas already gets back more than they send in.

[Filmguy870]

This guy is a troll...clearly in touch with unreality. Sounds familiar....hmmm...could it be...could it be...GOP???

[boforillo]

That money would build a lot of fence along the border.

[tsigili]

You should simply put that into the rainy day fund.

Texas still has plenty of needs, that have largely gone unaddressed, in the depression, and that can only go on, so long, before action is going to be necessary.

[wildemanne]

his rainy day fund is actually all the money the fed sent to tx for the poor low income indigent hes been hoarding it trying to come up with a way to legally steal it from the poor