About John


	Biography



	Working For Texas



	Committees



	Legislative Accomplishments

Dr. John Zerwas

Texas State Representative

Lower Property taxes
Skyrocketing appraisals are making a mockery of legislative efforts to slow annual property tax increases. I will work to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot that will limit such increases to 5 percent a year.

Quality Education
In the last session, we reformed the school finance system, reducing local school property taxes one-third by increasing the state share of funding. We also raised teacher salaries and classroom standards. I will press for further reform to ensure that additional money goes into the classroom, not the bureaucracy, and that students are taught the basics.

Immigration Control
Due to the federal government's failure to secure our border, we expanded state efforts to cut off common crossing areas, implemented new technology to identify where the leaks are and increased penalties on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. I support increased efforts in all these areas and more, including laws that require photo ID at the polls and prevent illegal immigrants from getting Texas driver's licenses.

Property rights
I strongly supported the Republican-led efforts that limited the government's power under eminent domain to take a person's property for private development and enacted a Landowner's Bill of Rights that protects land owners from abusive government practices. I will fight any effort by local jurisdictions or the courts to circumvent these limits.

Government spending
In four years, we have erased a record budget deficit and created a record surplus, but our work is not done. We must limit government's ability to grow faster than the combined rates of inflation and population growth, ensure greater transparency in budgeting and spending, and prevent revenue raised from a specific tax from being used on anything other than its intended purpose.