calls for a special session on schools

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79th LEGISLATURE

calls special session on schools

Governor vetoes school budget; session will begin Tuesday.

By Mike Ward

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Sunday, June 19, 2005

Upping the political ante greatly in the high-stakes struggle over school

finance, Gov. Rick vetoed $35.3 billion in funding for public schools

Saturday and ordered lawmakers back to Austin for a 30-day special

legislative session to fix the beleaguered system.

's veto means schools cannot open in August unless lawmakers approve a

new education budget. The special session will begin at noon Tuesday.

Deborah Cannon/AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Despite the successes of the spring session, the Legislature needs 'to come

back to Austin and get (school funding) right,' Gov. Rick said

Saturday at the Capitol.

" This issue has been studied and debated long enough. The time has come to

act, " a somber said at a packed midday news conference at the Capitol.

" We must get this right for the schoolchildren of Texas. "

Brushing aside the political risks of the veto, said he made the

unprecedented decision to reject the budget approved by lawmakers for the

Texas Education Agency because it fell far short of properly funding public

schools, teacher pay raises, textbooks, education technology and education

reforms.

" For all the successes of this past session, job number one was left

undone, " said. " They need to come back to Austin and get it right. "

said he remains confident that lawmakers not only can agree on a new

schools budget but can provide property tax relief for taxpayers, give

teachers a raise and bolster funding for public schools.

His press secretary, Kathy Walt, echoed the sentiment: " Schools will open on

time. The governor has no doubt this can be accomplished. "

Reaction was swift and mixed. Some teachers' groups applauded the move;

others suggested that he was playing chicken with the start of the school

year.

House and Senate leaders reaffirmed that they are not optimistic that

significant reforms to school finance can be agreed upon in just 30 days,

the legal limit for a special session.

Under state law, can call additional special sessions, but doing so

would postpone local decisions on school budgets and tax rates that must be

made before the start of the school year.

Expect a contentious and politically intense session, several lawmakers and

aides to legislative leaders said privately Saturday. Lawmakers have failed

to find common ground on school finance in the past two regular sessions and

a special session last year.

Lt. Gov. Dewhurst said he was disappointed at the veto but pledged to

work for a compromise plan that can pass both the Senate and the House.

" I look forward to continuing to work with Governor and Speaker (Tom)

Craddick on a school reform plan that is good for our children and gives the

people of Texas meaningful local school property tax relief, " Dewhurst said

in a statement.

A new budget will have to be approved by a two-thirds vote in both chambers

to provide funding for the fall semester, a majority that could be difficult

to achieve considering past squabbling over the issue.

In the legislative session that ended May 30, the public school funding plan

" barely passed the House to begin with, so it's going to be a real challenge

to do it again in just 30 days, " said state Rep. Garnet , D-Houston,

the former chairman of the House Black Caucus and a frequent critic.

" It's a potential quagmire. . . . This is failed leadership. "

Lawmakers also face pressure from the courts to find a solution. District

Judge Dietz of Austin ruled the school finance system unconstitutional,

declaring that it relies too heavily on local property taxes and amounts to

a statewide property tax.

Dietz ordered state school funding to stop by October if lawmakers didn't

correct the problems, but the state appealed his decision. Oral arguments

before the Texas Supreme Court are set for July 6.

Walt hinted that other issues, such as tuition revenue bonds for

universities, will not be added to the special session agenda until school

finance is completed. By law, lawmakers can address only the issues a

governor places on the agenda.

" Today's action gives them another chance to succeed, " said. " If we do

this right, we will put $2 billion more in our schools. "

In torpedoing the proposed budget for public schools, also line-item

vetoed another $1.7 billion in specific spending proposals contained in the

state budget, including several lawmakers' pet projects. He suggested that

those savings could be better used for schools.