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May 05, 2004

They Finally Passed Something Now

By Byron LaMasters

Except it doesn't provide enough money to pay for fully financing our schools (but did anyone expect that anyway?). The Austin American Statesman reports:

School finance legislation that relies on a sales tax increase rather than gambling and payroll taxes to fund schools was given final approval Wednesday by the House. The focus now shifts to the Senate.

The approval followed several days of contentious debate between lawmakers. Some said they would not approve any bill that allowed state-taxed slot machines at horse and dog tracks. Others opposed a payroll tax in Texas, one of nine states without a broad-based income tax.

House leaders rewrote the bill Tuesday to remove those provisions, choosing instead to raise the sales tax from 6.25 percent to 7 percent, along with increasing the cigarette tax to $1.41 and imposing a $1 tax on pro sports tickets. Critics say those taxes won't generate enough money for Texas' more than 1,000 school districts.

"The bill spends us into the red. Revenue doesn't match income," said Rep. Pete Gallego, an Alpine Democrat, as he pleaded with House members to allow more debate over amendments to the bill.

The House cut off debate and voted 75-68 to pass the revised bill.

[...]

The House bill would lower property taxes for school operation to $1.20 from $1.50 in appraised land value. The previous plan reduced property taxes to $1.05. It would also extend the sales tax to include newspapers, magazine subscriptions, bottled water and billboard advertising.

Donna New Haschke, president of the Texas State Teachers Association, said the House leadership "turned its back on the school children, parents and teachers of Texas" when it passed the watered-down legislation.

The original bill would have raised an estimated $1.35 billion for public schools. The current bill is $300 million short of proposed expenditures.

"Collectively, they walked away from their responsibility to pass a bill that would make sure that public schools had the financial support necessary for Texas and our children to prosper," she said.


I'm with Charles on this one. By far, the best outcome for this session is that the special session will expire after thirty days with nothing passed.

Posted by Byron LaMasters at May 5, 2004 08:06 PM | TrackBack


Comments

I am about 80 percent sure that they're going to pass something and, if they do, there's a 100 percent chance that they will claim to have solved the education problem.

Although I think there is at least a 50 percent chance at this point that they are going to take public education out back, kill it, and claim that doing so "solved the education problem."

It concerns me greatly that a significant number of state representatives appear to agree with the line about "marxist public education coming straight from hell." Or whatever it was that lady representative said.

Posted by: Jim D at May 5, 2004 08:46 PM

You missed the best part.

The House then went on the HJR 1, the related proposed Constitutional Amendment. The increased sales tax was stripped out, the standard homestead exemption was raised to $45,000 (not a typo) and the House was on its way to selling everything it owned and giving it back to the citizens before the Speaker mercifully ended debate and called for a vote.

The measure fell slightly short of the 100 votes it needed -- 74 votes short, in fact. But 26 brave House members gave their blessing to HJR 1.

In 18 years at the Capitol, I've seen plenty of proposed Constitutional Amendments come up short of 100 votes. But receiving only 26 votes! That HAS to be a record.

The House decided to take a long break, and the Senate will start anew tomorrow and take a stab at this baby.

Posted by: notgonnatell at May 5, 2004 09:55 PM
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