Special session – Senate takes up state budget, school finance, health care

Most districts will probably set their budgets in August, but will begin finalizing expenses as soon as they know the exact details of the Legislature’s new school finance plan

____________________

Update 2:20pm, Texas Tribune – The Center for Reproductive Rights, a national abortion-rights advocacy group, has filed suit over Texas' newly-signed abortion sonogram law, alleging it violates the First Amendment rights of the doctor and the patient . . . The Center also charges that the law discriminates against women by "subjecting them to paternalistic 'protections' not imposed on men." The challenge was filed in U.S. District Court in Austin.

From the Texas Democratic Party – Remarks delivered in front of the Capitol by Rebecca Forest, founder of the Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas and a prominent Tea Party leader:

“If you want to know why we can’t pass legislation in Texas it’s because we have 37, no 36, Hispanics in the Legislature. All of the states that have passed legislation have a handful and I mean literally, some of them have NO Hispanic legislators, well, maybe 3 or 5 or something. . . . during the debate on “sanctuary cities,” several Hispanic legislators testified that their grandparents and their parents were migrant workers who came over here to work and that THEY even worked in the fields. And some of them even admitted that they had been here illegally and that they came illegally. So the problem is these Hispanic legislators…is that it’s too close to them and they, umm… simply cannot vote their conscience correctly."

TDP's response: “ . . . This legislation being debated today is yet another attempt by Republicans to pander to the Tea Party by attacking Hispanics. Cowardly Republican politicians like Rick Perry, David Dewhurst and the legislative majority have shown they are willing to trample the rights of Hispanic Texans in order to score points with their Tea Party base . . . "

___________________

From Politico.com – "The pro-business conservative group Americans for Job Security has bought up online ads in New Hampshire, touting Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s work enacting “loser pays” tort reform laws."

___________________

Update, 3:30pm – Senate has recessed until Tuesday 3pm. State funding, school finance and health care bills have been assigned to conference committees. Senators are expected to debate SB9 on Wednesday

Now – Livestreaming, Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee reconvening public hearing, sanctuary city legislation SB9 . . . requires RealPlayer

Facing cuts, will schools raise local taxes?

Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, is the latest lawmaker to say it: A $4 billion shortfall in state financing does not have to mean teachers lose their jobs.

Across the state, school districts are considering the last option (a "tax ratification election"). But will the same public that sent lawmakers to Austin in November with an overwhelming no-new-taxes imperative accept paying more locally to preserve programs and jobs?

. . . “It’s not a matter of if we are going to have a TRE — it’s a matter of when,” said Joe Smith, a former superintendent who runs texasisd.com, a clearinghouse of news and information for school officials.

* Stop Formula 1 state subsidies, and Central Texas water grab SB 341

Contact Linda Curtis at ljcurtis@indytexans.org to join the conference call

In the midst of budget cuts on ordinary citizens, the state legislature has not yet seen fit to cut the billionaires at Formula 1 racing, who do not need a subsidy. (Comptroller Susan Combs continues to push this $290M ($25M per year for 10 years) tax dollar giveaway. It must be matched by either the City of Austin or the County of Travis by $4M per year.

You can watch this video of Susan Moffat's testimony to the Austin City Council on Thursday (who's husband co-owns South by Southwest Music and Film Festivals, that's brought hundreds of million of dollars to Austin without a handout) or read the article by Pulitzer Prizing winning journalist, David Cay Johntson, to see what a turkey this deal is.