(a) The real and personal property of the authority and its assets, income, and receipts are declared to be the property of a political subdivision of the state and are exempt from taxes and special assessments of the state or a political subdivision of the state. Bonds of the authority are declared to be issued by a political subdivision of the state and for an essential public and governmental purpose and to be a public instrumentality, and the bonds, the interest on them, the income from them, and the transfer of the bonds, and all assets, income, and receipts pledged to pay or secure the payment of the bonds or interest on them shall at all times be exempt from taxation by or under the authority of the state, except for inheritance and estate taxes and taxes on transfers by or in contemplation of death.
(b) This section does not affect or limit an exemption from license fees, property taxes, or excise, income, or other taxes, provided under any other law, nor does it create a tax exemption with respect to the interest of any business enterprise or other person, other than the authority, in any property, assets, income, receipts, project, or lease whether or not financed under this chapter.