5:38pm @DubyaWilliamson Justin W. Williamson
One hour ago @eramshaw Emily Ramshaw
Sen. Davis tells TT the Senate Dems finished caucusing, and Republicans do not have the votes to suspend rules, bring 1811 back up. #txlege
2:02pm from Twitter @quorumreport quorumreport
The one issue that resonated with Dems this session was class-size issue. Definitely. Parents understood that. #txlege
12:45pm from Twitter @rogermgarza Roger Garza
Joint House and Senate Democratic Caucus press conference at 1:30. Keep your rally caps on, members! #txlege
12:09pm from Twitter #txlege @JennTXDem Jennifer
OBSTRUCTIONISTS! RT @mikestatesman New reports: Dems plan to demand a full public hearing on school finance in a special session.
Earlier from @agarciaditta Alexa Garcia-Ditta
Earlier from @agarciaditta Alexa Garcia-Ditta
Sen. Van de Putte (D-San Antonio) says she has "full confidence the Gov will call us back tomorrow" #txlege she's canceling this week's plans
Update: Monday May 30 – The Senate adjourned at midnight last night following a filibuster of a catch-all piece of legislation known as CSSB 1811 that includes changes, deferrals and reductions in the state's funding for public schools. Under the bill, which the House succeeded in passing late last night, school districts would lose about $4 billion in state funding in 2012-13 – in effect, passing the buck to the local school districts for another round of tax rate increases. Seven votes are needed in the Senate Monday to block the bill from a final vote. If it is blocked, expect the Legislature to go into a special session as soon as Tuesday.
4 comments:
Both chambers of the Texas State Legislature are contemplating radical, no-new-taxes budgets that take billions from public schools, Medicaid and social programs of every description.
The House and Senate want to cut around $4 billion from schools and $3 billion from Medicaid. Clearly, this budget will perpetuate Anglo privilege in Texas far more effectively than any Arizona like racial-profiling law could ever do. It will make Texas one of the nation’s most inequitable and Anglo elite states around.
Is it just coincidence that school funding is being drastically cut at a time when Texas schools are getting more “brown” at an accelerated pace?
In the last ten years, Hispanic enrollment in public schools jumped by 50 percent - almost 800,000 students. Yet 6 percent fewer Anglo students were enrolled in public schools. Most of those Anglo students transitioned to private schools. It is clear that public-school funding is now less of a priority for Anglo legislators nowadays.
Educational disparities in Texas show only 13 percent of Hispanic adults in Texas have college degrees, while 40 percent of Anglos have college degrees. How will that racial education gap narrow now that funds for public education and higher education are being savaged?
It’s much the same with Medicaid. Of the 3.5 million non-elderly Texans who rely on Medicaid for their health care, 63 percent are Hispanic; and surprise, just 18 percent are Anglo. Moreover, five times more Anglos have health insurance through their employers than African Americans in Texas. Fifty-nine percent of Texans without health insurance are Hispanic; 26 percent are Anglo. So I ask: Why is the mostly Anglo Texas legislators so comfortable with decimating Medicaid?
The proposed State budget ignores the reality that the poverty rate among both Hispanic and African-American Texans is already three times that of Anglos.
Drowning public education and health care subsidies in the Anglo Republican budget bathtub will inevitably widen that racial inequity.
I wonder if we replaced the word "Hispanic" with the word "Anglo" in the statistics outlined above, the Republican dominated Texas State Lege would not even be discussing such large budget cuts to those programs.
"Is it just coincidence that school funding is being drastically cut at a time when Texas schools are getting more “brown” at an accelerated pace?"
No, I think it is just coincidence it is being cut when the numbers are getting more in the "red".
I think Mr. Boschert's conclusion is accurate. The same segment of society is responsible for the financial drain linked to public health care and the decline in the quality of public education.
Anonymous says:
"No, I think it is just coincidence it is being cut when the numbers are getting more in the "red"."
Really?
Don't most people get in the "red" because they don't make enough money? Or are they are too stupid to use their savings to make ends meet until their economic fortunes turn around?
So why should the state government be any different? They have the rainy day fund. Why not use it if it is only about debt? Any sane family would use their savings before they throw a family member out on the street.
Why aren't these brilliant Anglo policitians acting like paternal
caretakers - rather than insensitive jerks?
Don't defend this clearly racial decision making. It is not becoming.
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