The Senate revved to life Thursday, holding committee hearings with little advance notice and advancing four bills that satisfy Abbott’s agenda.
Public Education
Explore The Texas Tribune’s coverage of public education, from K-12 schools and funding to teachers, students, and policies shaping classrooms across Texas.
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Texas Legislature 2023
School voucher critics remain largely unswayed during Texas House hearing
House Bill 1, which stagnated during the previous special session, finally received a hearing in the lower chamber, a crucial step that will decide whether the proposal gets a full vote.
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Politics
Texas schools asked voters for $18 billion in new debt to fix its campuses. They largely said yes.
The voter approval rate for school maintenance and construction costs dipped in 2021 after lawmakers required school boards to call them “tax increases.”
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Politics
Texas’ part-time Legislature has been at it all year. Now they’re heading into a rare fourth special session
A full 30-day session amounts to about $1 million in per diem payments to lawmakers, which are meant to cover their expenses in Austin.
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Politics
Abbott calls lawmakers back for fourth time to try again on school vouchers and border security
The governor announced the fourth special session would start an hour after the previous session adjourned.
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Going Beyond the Build for Rural Texas Future
By Dalila Wilson-Scott ComcastDalila Wilson-Scott is EVP & Chief Diversity Officer for Comcast Corporation and President of Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDnTFzDj4Fs Across our footprint, we strive to provide the resources needed to create the best future for individuals and their families. And we know that one of the best ways to do this is to […]
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Texas Legislature 2023
The Texas House’s new priority education bill offers concessions to sway voucher skeptics
The revised bill promises a significant funding increase for public schools and academic accountability measures for students participating in the proposed voucher program, two of the biggest requests from voucher opponents.
Posted inPolitics, Public Education, State Government
Taxes, state parks, infrastructure: Texans will decide 14 constitutional amendments today
Texans are being asked to cut property taxes, create a new fund for water infrastructure and give child-care facilities a tax exemption among other propositions. Here’s a breakdown of each constitutional amendment and what you need to know to vote.
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Public Education
Proposition 9 would increase pensions for retired teachers and public school employees
If approved by voters on Nov. 7, the proposal would allocate $3.3 billion to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, increasing pensions between 2% and 6%.
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The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit
Dark money nonprofit with ties to Texas billionaire works to defeat Midland school bond
Tim Dunn’s public policy groups have helped ensure that tax hike language is attached to every school bond ballot measure in the state. Now he is using that language to cast doubt on a bond in his hometown of Midland.