does it include aftermarket conversions?

How long do I have to live in Texas to become a resident?

12 months.

Awesome! It seems like Texas is becoming a leader also. First, T.Boone Pickens announced the billion dollar wind farm (wasn't he governor?), and now this tax credit for PHEVs (if it passes). Now, if we can just get California to match the offer.

In the couponing world people would be asking if the offers are 'stackable' -- meaning can both TX and federal credits be taken advantage of. Time will tell, if the bill passes into legislation.

I imagine there will be pressure to write the bill so that only domestic manufacturers can take advantage of it, and bills I have seen in the past that subsidized green tech capped the total amount the government spent.

All in all, interesting news item, but the devil is in the details.

Well, as a life long Texas resident and current Prius owner, all I can say is I might believe it when I see it. My first reaction was that this was some sort of a ploy to suggest a credit, which has not been passed, to purchase a car, which is not available to purchase in order to escape taking any real measures to deal with the looming EPA regulations to address our pollution problems in the State. Perhaps I am just a cynic, but I find I am more often right than wrong being a cynic in this State

Oh well, it could be worse. I could be living on the North side of the Red River

Couldn't have said it better meself.

Rick Perry is no environmentalist. This thing smells.

T. Boone Pickens was never Governor of Texas. He is a investor that currently runs a hedge fund that trades in energy futures.

You should be familiar with him from California Proposition 10 on the Nov-08 ballot. It would have sold bonds costing $9.8 Billion to buy NGV infrastructure from his company Clean Energy Fueling Corporation.

I'm skeptical of Gov. Rick Perry's plan as well. First he is proposing a tax "incentive" not specifically a credit. This could be a tax deduction which only sees its full value if a person pays more than $5,000 in state taxes. So this could be a giveaway for those that make too much to get the federal tax credit.

Second, it is only for EPA non-attainment areas. Non-attainment areas fall under special regulation by the EPA and removes some of the grandfather clauses for industry. Factories and power plants are required to update to current regulations instead of continuing to be grandfathered to the regulation when they were built.

Third, as others have said, no PHEV is available.

It seems like he is trying for a green sound bite not implementing green policy.

I didn't know that Texas didn't have a state income tax. It would have to be some sort of rebate.

I lived in Tennessee for 7 years with no state income tax. It sounded good until I actually lived there. 10% sales tax on everything, food included. I still paid the same amount in taxes, I just don't get a deduction off my federal taxes.

im sure it will be cash back one way or the other. WA state waives sales tax (6.5%) and motor excise tax (.3%) on all new Prius purchases.

we dont have state income tax either but sales tax (6.5 state and 2.0-2.6% local tax) is more than enough

Texas has property tax instead. It is a terrible way to fund the state government - it is unfair and uneven. And we have sales tax on top of that. Income tax would be better, but since all of our Representatives have foolishly built their campaigns around "no new taxes" or "no higher taxes" they have painted themselves into a corner when it comes to increasing revenue into state coffers. They instead raise every fee the state collects to outrageous levels and then underfund things so that either counties or cities or the Feds have to pick up the slack. But they can say they never raised taxes - sweet!

Perry is the dolt who has brought us an insane new wave of toll road building in Texas because he (and his buds) won't raise the state gas tax to pay for new roads. Next he is leading the charge on the foolish Trans-Texas Corridor, a project which will seize hundreds of thousands of acres of private land and will almost surely end up being a complete boondoggle. Rick Perry is not to be trusted. Both my parents are staunch Republicans and they have wanted him gone for many years. Plus I know many other Reps who are sick of him. So it's not just me the wild man Liberal talking here. Instead of this wacky rebate proposal for cars that don't exist how about just working to bring the cities into attainment? Like maybe by adopting California's auto pollution standards? Or maybe tightening the standards on gross industrial polluters in the Houston area? Maybe doing some serious development planning or even create a state mass trasnsit master plan? Oh lordy such shocking concepts (to Texans anyway)!

My boss once said "The Texas Legislature is the best money can buy." Totally true. Lobbyists control Texas government and I am confident they are behind Perry's plug-in proposal. I hope in our next election old Ricky will end up eating his own words: "Adios, mo-fo".

Thank you.

I'll remember to drive the speed limit next time I cross Texas. I don't even want to know what a speeding ticket costs you there. AT A STATE LEVEL, this whole "reduce taxes" thing has gotten out of hand. These politicians are harming the people more than they are "serving." What they are doing is completely illogical. If you have a debt, PAY IT ! Otherwise, the interest will only compound without limit! I'll bet California tax payers pay more interest on debt every year than they save from tax cuts.

I know a great way to solve state budget deficits .... it's easy and simple ... tax the hell out of SUVs!

Did Perry specify the funding source for these rebates? Texas had a rebate program for clean vehicles when I bought my '04, but it was funded by taxes and fees on Diesels and the fund had been exhausted for years. So, no rebate. This proposal looks like the greenwashing version of Perry's usual bulldada.