Capitol Watch Alert Archive
2024 Senate Interim Charges Released
The Lieutenant Governor’s Office has released the 2024 Legislative Interim Charges for the Texas Senate. Some of the charges related to public schools are below. No hearings on the charges are posted at this time, but we anticipate they will begin in a few weeks....
Primary Election Get-Out-the-Vote Resources
Because voter turnout in primaries is traditionally very low, we have put together some resources to stress the importance of voting among your staff and other supporters of public education in your community. These resources do not advocate on behalf of a specific...
Important SHARS Deadline
Notice of Informal Review to Appeal SHARS Reimbursements Due Tuesday, January 16, to HHSC TEA sent a TAA last week (January 11) related to reimbursement changes related to SHARS. The TEA correspondence included important information on the deadlines related to...
Texas House Passes School Safety Legislation
On Friday, November 17, the Texas House passed both HB 2, with amendments, and HJR 1, on second reading. They will now go to a vote on third reading, and if passed, over to the Senate for consideration. HB 2, which passed with a 145-2-1 (yes-no-present, not voting)...
Action Alert: House Floor Debate on HB 1 Voucher/ESA Bill Set for Friday, November 17
The House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity & Enrichment voted out HB 1, the omnibus ESA voucher and school funding bill, November 10. The bill is scheduled for floor debate in the House this Friday, November 17. The House will convene at 10 a.m....
Education Bills Moving Quickly through Both Chambers
Both the Texas Senate and House are swiftly moving their respective bills related to Gov. Greg Abbott's fourth called special session agenda through the legislative process. Texas House On Friday, November 10, the House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity...
Friday’s Hearing Now on School Safety, Not HB 1
When the House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity & Enrichment convenes at 9 a.m., Friday, November 10, it will hear testimony only on a bill and a resolution related to school safety. Originally, both the committee's November 9 and 10 hearings were...
Buckley Files 2nd Omnibus Education Bill that Includes Taxpayer-Funded ESA/Voucher Program
On Tuesday, November 7, the first evening of the fourth called special session, Chairman Brad Buckley filed HB 1, a 177-page dense bill that was referred to the Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment. A hearing on the bill will be held Thursday,...
Governor Announces 4th Special Session Agenda
Late afternoon on Tuesday, November 7, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Special Session #4 and issued a proclamation identifying agenda items for the special session that began at 5 p.m. the same day. In the announcement, Abbott is quoted as saying: "I am immediately...
Governor Adds School Funding to Special Session Call
On October 31, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he had issued a proclamation expanding the Special Session #3 agenda for universal school choice to include additional school finance, such as teacher pay raises, school safety, and special education. According to the...
House Files Omnibus Education Bill that Includes Taxpayer-Funded Voucher Program
Late in the day Thursday, October 19, House Public Education Committee Chair Brad Buckley filed HB 1. The 184-page bill covers myriad topics, including an education savings account (ESA) voucher program. A hearing on HB 1 has not been scheduled because all the other...
Voucher Bill Voted Out of Senate Education Committee
The Senate gaveled in briefly October 10 for day two of the Third Called Special Session before Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced that the Senate would stand at ease until Thursday, October 12. The Senate Education Committee then met and heard hours of testimony on SB 1,...
Voucher Bill by Sen. Creighton Filed
SB 1 by Sen. Brandon Creighton was filed Monday evening. The $500 million program would be funded out of General Revenue and administered through the Comptroller’s office. Other provisions of the voucher bill include: $8,000 per eligible student annually to pay for...
SB 2 Relating to School Funding Passes Out of Senate Finance Committee
On Monday, October 9, Sen. Brandon Creighton, chair of the Senate Education Committee, filed SB 2, which includes the following: Provides for a one-time Teacher Retention Payment for this school year that will be considered a bonus payment and extended after this...
Initial Interim Report Released by House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment
On August 11, 2023, the Texas House Select Committee on Education Opportunity and Enrichment released its initial interim report to the 88th Texas Legislature. The committee made a host of recommendations in response to its three charges: Charge 1: Ensuring all Texas...
Texas House & Senate Pass Property Tax Relief
On Thursday, July 13, after a weeks-long impasse, both the House and Senate passed property tax relief measures. The two bills are now headed to the governor’s desk. SB 2 and SB 3 include the following: Compress tax rates by 10.7 cents ($12 billion) Increase the...
Meeting July 11-12: House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity & Enrichment
The House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity & Enrichment will meet in Room 140 of the John H. Reagan Building (northwest of the Capitol) starting at 10 a.m., Tuesday, July 11, and starting at 9 a.m., Wednesday, July 12, to hear invited testimony on:...
Speaker Creates Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment
Texas Speaker of the House Dade Phelan announced Monday the creation of a new Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment, noting it was done with "a special session on education matters all but certain." The select committee will be composed of the...
Education Bills Passed by the 88th Texas Legislature
The following bills related to K-12 education have been passed by the 88th Texas Legislature and sent to and/or signed by the governor. For bills sent to the governor within 10 days of final adjournment, which is May 29, 2023, the governor has until 20 days after...
TASA Participates in Press Conference on Vouchers/Funding
TASA Executive Director Kevin Brown participated in a press conference called by public education supporters Monday morning at the Capitol. Brown spoke alongside Christy Rome, executive director of the Texas School Coalition, and Nancy Humphrey, president of the Plano...