Here is food for thought from the Texas Citizen Action Network (Texas CAN) about four issues currently in our Austin legislature. The issues are: Robin Hood school financing, The Education Agenda, Tort Reform, and Congressional Redistricting.
1) The Senate's Robin Hood School Tax Swap
The Senate voted out the School Tax Swap Bill this week by attaching their own rewrite initiative to HB 5 (the Kill Robin Hood Bill). This unusual move was necessary since the state constitution requires all tax bills to begin in the House of Representatives¡XNOT the Senate.
The plan was introduced, debated and passed in the matter of less than a week. Not much time for thoughts, comments, or analysis. According to Americans for Tax Reform¡¦s analysis, the Senate bill will cost Texans 271,700 jobs before 2008.
House Speaker Tom Craddick said Wednesday that the measure still faces strong opposition in the House and he doesn't expect the House to agree to the Senate's plan for a major tax trade-off. "It's got two strikes before it starts," he said. "There are a lot of House members that are not going to vote on a bill that basically is a tax bill and that was started in the Senate."
As Texas Citizens for a Sound Economy Director Peggy Venable said earlier in the session, "Thank God for Tom Craddick!"
- Here is an opinion piece by Janelle Shepard, TXCAN Vice President of External Affairs: "Whooaaaa, Nellie! Tax Swap?"
- See also TexasCAN's Vice President for Outreach Maria Martinez¡¦s editorial entitled "Aren't Tax Bills Supposed to Start in the House?"
- And read CSE Director Peggy Venable's Press Release of May 2, 2003 entitled "School Tax Reform This Session? Let's Look Before We Leap"
2) The Education Agenda: Let's do what's right for the kids; Empower Parents & Local School Boards
Who is representing the parents and schoolchildren of Texas? Not the education union lobby! Self-serving education union lobbyists are actively working to defeat efforts to provide more flexibility and local control to school districts. These lobbyists--led by the NEA affiliate, the TSTA¡Xare fighting for their own self-interests.
It's time citizens stand up for the parents and local officials. Read "Education Reform: Status Quo Unacceptable" by Jim Cardle.
A multi-organization coalition for education policy held a press conference Tuesday, May 6h behind a student¡¦s desk, the recently adopted history & social studies textbooks and a chalkboard. Read the news release on this event.
Endorsing legislation being considered by the Texas House of Representatives were the following representatives:
- Dr. Forrest Watson, President of Alliance for Sound Education Policy
- Brooke Rollins, President of Texas Public Policy Foundation.
- Bill Hammond, President of Texas Association of Business
- Peggy Venable, Director of Texas Citizens for a Sound Economy
- Maria Martinez, Editor at large, The Hispanic Advocate
- Jim Cardle, President of Texas Citizen Action Network
- Linda Schlueter, General Counsel of Texas Justice Foundation
- Sharon Byrd, Executive Director of BAEO Austin, Inc. (Black Alliance for Education Options Austin)
- Kyev & Martha Tatum, President of Texas CAAUSE (Coalition of African-Americans United for Stronger Education), Founder & President of The Mitchell Center
- Jeff Clark, President of National Federation of Independent Business
Alliance for Sound Education Policy
Black Alliance for Education Options Austin, Inc .
CAAUSE-- The Coalition of African-Americans United for Stronger Education
These groups came together to advocate for the Texas school children and promote innovation and improvement in the Texas school systems. They are working to counter self-serving education union lobbyists who want to defeat flexibility and options for local schools.
This diverse group complimented Rep. Kent Grusendorf, Rep. Jerry Madden and other state representatives for legislation that empowers parents and local school boards. Dr. Watson and Bill Hammond spoke in favor of innovative bills freeing charter schools (HB 2224) and exemplary schools (HB 973) from bureaucratic mandates. Hammond also commended HB 318 for addressing the teacher shortage with an alternative certification plan for skilled, degreed applicants.
3) Tort Reform
The Senate State Affairs Committee has substituted the Tort Reform Bill (HB 4) with Chairman Ratliff's bill. The medical community will have hard $250,000 non-economic caps for doctors and nurses, but the hospitals, nursing homes, and other entities will have higher sanctions for damages.
Here is a report on the tort reform legislation from the Lone Star Report¡¦s ace reporter Will Lutz: Senate State Affairs Chairman Bill Ratliff's (R-Mt. Pleasant) noted independent streak resurfaced April 30. Looming on the horizon is a fascinating conflict. As it moves through the process, will Ratliff's changes remain?
4) Congressional Redistricting: A New Map Has Emerged
The House Redistricting Committee approved the Congressional Redistricting Bill, HB 3398, this week on a 10-4 vote. The plan is in the Texas Legislative Council's "RedViewer" software package as plan 01180C. Except for some minor changes to South Texas suggested by Rep. Vilma Luna (D-Corpus Christi), the plan is identical to Rep. Phil King's (R-Weatherford) plan 01171C. The bill could be on the floor Saturday.
