Senate Passes Education Appropriations

The Senate approved a measure today that would restore funding to the state's education system. The original budget was vetoed by Governor Rick Perry in June, prompting the current called session. House Bill 1, sponsored by Bryan Senator Steve Ogden, would provide money to keep the state's education system running through the next biennium. According to Plano Senator Florence Shapiro, the bill also would provide resources to purchase new textbooks for the 2005 school year.

Although it seems likely that school finance reform will not pass the Legislature this special session, lawmakers on both sides continued work on bills to improve public education and lower local property taxes. The conferees on the education reform bill, HB 2, are reported to have signed off on the final version of the bill. Perry has said that he will call another special session, beginning as early as Thursday, if the House and Senate cannot come to an agreement on public education and property tax reform by midnight Wednesday.

The Senate will reconvene, Wednesday, July 20, at 10 a.m.

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