Category Archives: Public Education

Lt. Gov. Patrick moves on priorities

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The first week of session, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, R-Texas, declared his desire to run for re-election, dispelling rumors of a possible run for Governor next year. Patrick was also successful in keeping the three-fifths rule created last session that allows Senate Republicans to decide which bills come to the floor.

Lt. Governor Patrick has 25 priorities this session, many of which relate to public education. Some of Patrick’s education related priorities include the budget (SB 1); school choice (SB 3); banning sanctuary cities (SB 4); the Texas Privacy Act known as the “bathroom bill” (SB 6); ending inappropriate student-teacher relationships (SB 7); and ending automatic payroll deductions for union dues (SB 13). Patrick also said the state will not repeal the A-F rating system for schools and districts, but they are open to modifications. The Lt. Governor will move his priority bills out the Senate chamber as quickly as possible. You can view Lt. Governor Patrick’s full list of priorities here.

The following education-related priority bills have moved in the Senate:

SB 1: the budget bill proposed by the Senate (Last Action: Under review in the Senate Finance Committee)

SB 4: a bill that bans sanctuary cities (Last Action: Passed the Senate)

SB 6: a bill related to regulations and policies for entering or using a public bathroom or changing facility by authorizing a civil penalty and increasing criminal penalties.  Such facilities can only be used by individuals of the same biological sex as identified on their birth certificates.  Also known as the “bathroom bill.” (Last Action: Scheduled for a public hearing on March 7)

SB 7: a bill to end inappropriate student-teacher relationships and impose stricter penalties on teachers. Principals and superintendents who fail to report such incidents in a timely manner would face criminal charges. (Last Action: Heard in the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 23 and voted out of committee on Feb. 28)

SB 13: a bill to end automatic payroll deductions for teacher union dues (Last Action: Passed out of the Senate State Affairs Committee)

SB 22: a bill to create the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program (Last Action: Heard in the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 23 and left pending)

Here’s a basic guide to the 85th Texas Legislative Session

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The biennial session kicked off on Jan. 10 in Austin with the swearing-in of House and Senate members, who will convene for a total of five months to tackle the state’s business.

The Legislature meets for 140 days between January and June, every other year. The only item the Legislature is constitutionally obligated to pass is the state’s budget for the next two years.

HISD’s government relations team is in Austin full-time, educating lawmakers and staff on the most important issues affecting the district, especially the recapture payment and the pending detachment and reassignment of commercial property.

Learn More about HISD’s Legislative Agenda

The House contains 22 new members and four former state representatives returning to the Texas House. The Senate has three new members. Overall, there are 181 members of the Texas Legislature. The House has 95 Republicans and 55 Democrats (150 total). The Senate has 20 Republicans and 11 Democrats (31 total).

Rep. Straus re-elected House Speaker, cites support for school finance reform

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On the first day of session, incumbent Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, was unanimously re-elected to his fifth consecutive term as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.

A long-term supporter of public education, Straus said on opening day, “Our school finance system may meet the legal definition of constitutional. But parents and taxpayers know something different. They know that the system is broken. And, they know that it’s our job to fix it.”

One of his main goals is to reduce recapture payments school districts make to the state, a key priority for HISD this session.

With state revenue forecasts down, House and Senate propose different spending plans

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With oil and gas revenues down, state lawmakers anticipate having less money to spend during the 85th session.

In December, the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) adopted a conservative spending limit, used by the Legislature to craft the budget.  In early January, State Comptroller Glenn Hegar released his biennial revenue estimate, or forecast for expected revenues for the next two years.

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