Supreme Court of Texas

School districts alleged use of a state ad valorem tax in violation of Texas Constitution article VIII, section 1-e, and dismissal was improper where the state failed to establish that the mere existence of local-option exemptions precludes as a matter of law the allegation that school districts are forced to tax at maximum rates.

Appellate Information

• Argued 03/27/2003
• Decided 05/29/2003
• Published 05/29/2003

Judges

• Justice HECHT delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Chief Justice PHILLIPS, Justice OWEN, Justice O'NEILL, Justice JEFFERSON, Justice SCHNEIDER, and Justice WAINWRIGHT joined.

Court

• Supreme Court of Texas

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Haynes & Boone, L.L.P., Nina Cortell, Carrie L. Huff and Charles G. Orr, Dallas, W. Wade Porter, Austin, Mark Ryan Trachtenberg, Houston, and George W. Bramblett, Jr., Dallas, for Petitioner.


• For Appellees:
  
• Greg Abbott, Atty. Gen. of Texas, Andy Taylor, First Asst. Atty. Gen., Jeffrey S. Boyd, Office of the Atty. Gen., Toni Hunter, Office of Atty. Gen. of Texas, Julie Caruthers Parsley, Office of the Solicitor Gen. of Texas, Barry Ross McBee, Office of the Attorney Gen., Rafael Edward Cruz, Office of the Atty. Gen., Austin, Randall Buck Wood, Doug W. Ray, Ray Wood & Bonilla LLP, Austin, Leticia Marie Saucedo, Nina Perales, Selena Norah Solis, Albert H. Kauffman, Joseph Berra, Mexican American Legal Defense (MALDEF), San Antonio, for Respondent.