considering veto on budget item - Move, to be decided Saturday, would force lawmakers to fix school finance

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NOTE from Amy: " Without an approved budget, public schools across Texas

would be unable to open in August! "

79th LEGISLATURE

considering veto on budget item

Move, to be decided Saturday, would force lawmakers to fix school finance

By Mike Ward,

Laylan Copelin

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

> Friday, June 17, 2005

Gov. Rick is threatening to veto the budget for public schools in

Texas as a way to force lawmakers to agree on reforms to the beleaguered

school finance system, as a prelude to calling the Legislature into a

special session beginning Tuesday.

Five sources with knowledge of the ongoing negotiations between , Lt.

Gov. Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick confirmed today that the

governor by Saturday will decide whether to use his veto power to jump-start

the inability of the Legislature so far to agree on a compromise reform

plan.

is to announce his line-item vetoes of the budget bill on Saturday.

Presumably, he might also issue a proclamation for the special session about

the same time.

Without an approved budget, public schools across Texas would be unable to

open in August.

" The courts aren't the only ones with a gun here to get school finance

reform done, " said one source. " This way, the Legislature will have to come

up with a budget for the schools. School finance reform should be a natural

byproduct. "

advised Dewhurst and Craddick earlier this week of his plans to veto

the public schools budget and to call lawmakers back into a special session.

According to other sources familiar with ongoing negotiations, House and

Senate leaders have moderated their positions somewhat during the past two

weeks - the Senate on upping the sales tax, the House on changes to existing

business taxes and exemptions.

Dewhurst and Craddick reacted coolly to the veto threat. A House source said

House leaders are more willing to await a state Supreme Court decision on

school finance, but two sources said Dewhurst believes legislative leaders

are close to a deal on school finance.

However, a Senate source said, " for three months, we've been telling you

we're close. It's embarrassing. "

A lobbyist familiar with the negotiations said Craddick is willing to wait.

" It's like two people living in a house. One wants to build a new house and

the other is happy to continue living there until the place is condemned and

they have to move, " the lobbyist said.

Politically, 's veto of school funding and call for a special session

would at least partially eclipse Saturday's scheduled announcement by

Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn of her political plans - presumably to

challenge in the GOP primary in 2006.

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Find this article at:

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/shared/tx/legislature/stories/06/18spe

cial.html

Thank you,

Amy A. Sosa, Principal Consultant

asosa@...

Do what you can, for whom you can, with what you have, and where you are.

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