April 28, 2015 1:27 PM

Updated: Texas House passes its tax cut package

Members cheer as Speaker Straus joins in key votes on the business tax cut

As expected and with little drama, the Texas House on Tuesday voted unanimously to cut the state’s sales tax rate and overwhelmingly to slash the business tax by 25 percent across the board.

In a rare move, Speaker Joe Straus joined in key votes on the business tax bill. Typically, of course, the Speaker does not vote. Several House Republicans began to cheer as Straus joined in the vote to table an amendment that would have raised the business tax exemption from $1 million up to $4 million. Straus also voted for passage to engrossment of the business tax cut.

That amendment about the exemption, offered by Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, was the most hotly debated of any of the amendments on either tax bill.

By Scott Braddock