Texas Political Priorities !

Lawmakers flunk school test
Agreement on finance sought before court date
By Associated Press
May 31, 2005
AUSTIN - Texas lawmakers accomplished the one job they were constitutionally required to do - passing a state budget.
They also placed more restrictions on abortion, gave Texas voters a say in banning gay marriage and declared the chuck wagon the state's official vehicle during their 140-day session that ended Monday.
But Texas schoolchildren will have to wait.
On the marquee issue of 79th Legislature - pumping more money into public schools while replacing Texas' share-the-wealth education funding system - lawmakers failed to agree.
The education community's focus turns next to the state's high court, which will take up the confounding issue of public school finance in the face of the Legislature's failure to solve the recurring quandary.
Until then, teachers won't get a pay raise, homeowners won't get a school property tax cut and schools won't get money to buy the textbooks they need.
''We're putting our faith in the Supreme Court and hoping they'll rule the way we think they should rule and put a deadline,'' said Clayton Downing, executive director of the Texas School Coalition. ''That's the only way the Legislature reacts.''
Despite a last-minute surge of activity, House-Senate negotiations petered out over the weekend. The two Republican leaders, House Speaker Tom Craddick and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, were at loggerheads, and the finger-pointing began.
''We are all in this together,'' Republican Gov. Rick Perry said, as the final talks were taking place. ''I'm not interested in assigning credit or blame, but getting a good result for taxpayers and schoolchildren.''
State District Judge John Dietz last fall ruled the current system unconstitutional and ordered that school funding problems be fixed by October 2005, or state money for schools would cease. The ruling was appealed to the Supreme Court and a July 6 hearing has been set for oral arguments in the case.
''Basically it looks like we have to limp along until courts deal with this and we get a special session,'' said Richard Kouri, a lobbyist for the Texas State Teachers Association. ''All in all, this was a very disappointing session for public schools.''
The court could uphold the Dietz decision or give the Legislature a deadline.
Gov. Rick Perry could call lawmakers back to Austin for a 30-day special session to take up the issue. But, without an agreement beforehand, or guidance from the court, it's not likely that he will.
Perry met with education leaders from both chambers separately on Monday, discussing possibilities to move forward.
''The governor is encouraging members of the House and Senate to continue working on (the school funding package) and to continue working toward an agreement,'' said Perry spokeswoman Kathy Walt. ''If we reach an agreement, the governor will consider bringing the Legislature back. Members made significant progress and were near agreement when the clock ran out.''
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said senators are ready to continue working toward a compromise.
''The Legislature ought to be deciding on school finance, not the courts,'' Dewhurst said. ''I think the people of Texas elected us to come up to Austin and take care of the people's business.''
House Speaker Tom Craddick argued that, since 1948, no school funding bill has been adopted in Texas without a special session or under a court order. The current system, known as Robin Hood, was designed in response to a court order.
Dietz said that because so many districts are at the maximum taxing level without room to generate more tax money, the school property tax amounts to statewide property tax, which is banned by the state constitution. Dietz also said that schools would need about $1,100 more per student to provide an adequate education required by the constitution. That amounts to $4.7 billion.
On Monday, a group of freshmen Democrat lawmakers called for more time to work on the issue.
''As much as each of us would like to get home to our families and our constituents, we believe the governor should issue an immediate call for a special session focused exclusively on public education,'' said Dallas Democratic Rep. Rafael Anchia. ''The negotiations that seemed to begin in earnest only in the last week should continue until we have a resolution.''
The special session Perry called last year failed.
Writers Kelley Shannon and April Castro contributed to this report
http://www.reporter-news.com/abil/nw_state/article/0,1874,ABIL_7974_3818476,00.html
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GOP needs more issues
Without the threats of gay marriage or gay foster parents, what issues will Texas Republicans use to scare us into voting for them?
When they run out of their religious-based agenda, maybe they'll have to address important issues like education, tax reform, protecting the environment and protecting us from lewd cheerleader behavior. (Oops, the cheerleader issue has already been fixed.)
Kudos to another successful Republican-led session of the Texas Legislature.
Roger Gragg, Dallas
source: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/letters/stories/053105dneditueletters.fd086473.html