Texas House, Senate pass school finance bill mandating teacher raises and cutting taxes
The $11.6 billion school finance and property tax reform bill is now poised to head to Gov. Greg Abbott. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dennis Bonnen signs paperwork on the House floor on May 25, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas legislators had a successful session, but not a historic one
Lawmakers delivered on their promises of school finance and property tax reforms, agreeing to spend $11.6 billion on a combination of education changes and tax cuts. It's big, but is it really "transformative"? Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen are joined by state legislators at a press conference at the Governorâs Mansion on May 23, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Teacher raises and all-day pre-K: Here's what's in the Texas Legislature's landmark school finance bill
The $11.6 billion legislation is on a path to the governor's desk and includes property tax cuts, a hike in per-student funding and money to ease the state's reliance on the "Robin Hood" program. Full Story
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![Corina Pannabecker teaches first grade at Ogden Elementary in San Antonio on April 30, 2018.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas lawmakers struggling to find a lovable tax
Even in a legislative session that began with estimates of a generous increase in state revenue, lawmakers spent a lot of time talking about big, big tax bills — all the way to the end. Full Story
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![From left: Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston; Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick; Gov. Greg Abbott; House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton; and Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, speak at a Jan 31, 2019, news conference addressing property tax reform.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Can pay raises help rural Texas districts like Buffalo retain teachers?
Starting teacher pay in Buffalo is thousands below the state average, and it's hard to attract people from outside the small town. The district's superintendent hopes school finance reform will help. Full Story
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![Buffalo ISD Superintendent Lacy Freeman drives a school bus because he can't find any qualified drivers in Buffalo.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: No bills are finally dead yet, but some are starting to smell funny
One of the big bills of the session — a sales- for property-tax swap — was put on ice this week. Lots of other bills are ready for their post-session burials, too, but keep your eyes open. In the Texas Legislature, dead legislation has a way of coming back to life. Full Story
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![Bills on the House dais on May 7, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate approves school finance reform bill but opts not to fund it with a sales tax hike
The chambers will need to negotiate how to give teachers pay raises, whether to adjust how students take standardized tests and how to provide long-term property tax relief for Texans. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks from the dais in the Senate chamber on April 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Betting a whole legislative session on one big issue
The pieces are in place. There's a month to go. And the three leaders who bet big on school finance, education and property taxes are in a familiar place, imploring reluctant legislators to take the kinds of high-stakes votes that make and break political careers. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen speak at a press conference regarding property taxes on May 1, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott, legislative leaders assert confidence as deadline to cut property taxes nears
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen did not close the door on passing a sales tax swap with a simple majority instead of the current approach requiring two-thirds support of lawmakers and voter approval. Full Story
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![From left: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen speak at a press conference regarding property taxes on May 1, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: There’s more than one way to pass a tax bill in Texas
Texas legislators have two versions of their sales-tax-for-property-tax swap in motion, and if they run out of time, lawmakers have more tricks in their pocket. If they don't get the property tax cuts they want, it won't be because of end-of-session deadlines. Full Story
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![Chairman of the House Public Education Committee and state Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, on the House floor during the House School Finance plan deliberation on April 3, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
After Texas Senate committee approves school finance bill, House panel advances sales tax increase to fund property tax relief
The Senate Education Committee approved the school finance bill in a hurried meeting Wednesday. The full Senate is now expected to vote on the legislation Friday. Meanwhile, a House panel advanced a proposal to let voters decide whether a sales tax increase should fund property tax relief. Full Story
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![Senate Education Committee Chariman and state Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, during a committee meeting on Mar. 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: The Texas House is handcuffing property tax relief to education reforms
An amendment added to a Senate property tax bill ties it to school finance — a signal the Texas House doesn't want to leave the harder-to-pass education bill behind. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, meet with other state representatives on the house floor on April 11, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas Sen. Larry Taylor unveils new school finance bill, adding $5,000 teacher pay raise
The bill differs in significant ways from the version the House approved this month. Full Story
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![Senate Education Committee Chariman and state Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, during a committee meeting on Mar. 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Teacher pay raises and Robin Hood stall Texas lawmakers
The end of the legislative session — deal-making time — is looming, and the priorities set out by the state's top leaders three months ago remain undone. In fact, those centerpiece school finance and property tax measures aren't even teed up for the final negotiations. Full Story
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![Governor Greg Abott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen pet Pancake, the governor’s dog after their joint press conference. Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune. -
Texas lawmakers promised to rein in school district property taxes. What do their plans actually do?
Three quarters of the way into the legislative session, lawmakers are still juggling several proposals related to school district taxes, including some that would not provide any tax relief. Full Story
![From left: Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston; Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick; Gov. Greg Abbott; House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton; and Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, speak at a Jan 31, 2019, news conference addressing property tax reform.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Making friends and influencing people in the Texas Legislature
It's hard to gather support for the state's most persistent problems when you're also pressing forward with issues that divide and anger Republicans and Democrats. It's also business as usual in the Texas Legislature. Full Story
![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks from the dais in the Senate chamber on April 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
Can Texas’ top three Republicans muster enough support to pass a sales tax swap?
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have already signaled opposition to the proposal from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen hold a joint press conference on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion on Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
A Texas sales tax increase would hit poor people the hardest
Top Republican leaders have proposed raising the sales tax and using the money to lower local property tax rates. Wealthier Texans and businesses would likely benefit, while poorer Texans would likely pay more. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott addresses state officials at the State of the State address in the House Chambers at the State Capitol on Feb. 5, 2019. He's accompanied by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Can Texas Republicans raise the sales tax without suffering a backlash?
Lawmakers have proposed swapping higher sales taxes for lower property taxes — but leaving the final decision to voters. They don't have to do it that way, but it could move the blame from them — to the rest of us. Full Story
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![State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, in the Senate chamber on April 15, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: The Texas Legislature is stuck. Don’t worry about it.
The Texas Legislature is in its biennial spasm of drama, with big bills stuck and some state leaders saying it will take a special session to get property taxes, school finance and all of that done. But they have six weeks to go, and they often do their big work on deadline. Full Story
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![From left: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen speak at a joint press conference addressing property tax reform. Jan 31, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune