Republican state Rep. Jay Dean of Longview recently proposed a bill to replace school maintenance and operations property taxes with a value-added tax. The news might sound like music to the ears of Texas property owners, who have vociferously spoken against property taxes as their tax bills have continued to climb.

Lawmakers on a key Texas Senate panel Friday advanced a proposal to put a tighter limit on how much more cities and counties can collect in property taxes each year without asking voters.