In Jeff Leach, Collin County has a highly effective legislator with a moral core that is hard to find in politics these days. While we don’t agree with all of his policy positions, Leach is known for taking a thoughtful look at the issues before crafting legislation. We recommend him for reelection for Texas House District 67.
One of the main GOP proposals for next year’s session is eliminating homeowners’ school property taxes. Leach, 44, is very much in line with Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan, and as a strong fiscal conservative, he is the right person to weigh in.
Leach argues that rising property taxes are becoming unsustainable, despite previous relief efforts. He favors limiting appraisals to every three to four years to make it harder for local officials to raise property taxes. More broadly, he supports replacing public school tax funding with state revenue. This Editorial Board is skeptical the state can raise enough funds to replace local school taxes. Leach told us that Texas’ continuous growth justifies this approach.
Leach is not taking this reform lightly. He told us legislators are looking to establish an independent task force for a substantial review of the school finance system.
Running against Leach is Democrat Jordan Wheatley, a public school teacher. Wheatley, 28, does not support eliminating school property taxes. Instead, he proposes a school-funding model based on enrollment instead of attendance. We disagree. Attendance is a better measure of funding and incentivizes schools to ensure kids are in their seats. He rightly favors stronger interventions to improve reading scores, highlighting the Mississippi phonics model. Wheatley does favor the state’s Teacher Incentive Allotment, a pay-for-performance initiative that has helped improve teacher salaries and retention. We are pleased to see so many Democrats recognize this reform works.
Many of the GOP’s talking points during this election cycle have centered on Shariah, with some legislators using hateful rhetoric against Muslims. Leach, who chairs the Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence, took a more nuanced approach. He told us that judges are asking for guidance, particularly in cases where there is apparent conflict between Shariah and the Constitution. He cited a recent case in which the Texas Supreme Court ruled that a divorce granted under Shariah in Pakistan is not valid in Texas.
We have highlighted the times when Leach has stood up for principles, even at a high political cost. That includes his 2023 vote to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton and his recent criticism of Railroad Commission candidate Bo French’s racism. When we pressed, Leach did tell us, however, that he will be voting for the Republican ticket.
That level of party loyalty is a mistake, but Leach has demonstrated in his public actions and statements that he is a man of conscience despite this poor choice.