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The Texas House passed two signature education bills this week: HB 2, the House's $7.7 billion school finance bill; and SB 2, a $1 billion school voucher bill.
In a press conference before the House convened Wednesday, House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) highlighted the school finance bill, which would add $3 billion in new funding for teacher salary increases and $1.5 billion in new funding for special education. The bill, which passed on a final vote of 142-5 today, had broad bipartisan support. It now moves to the Senate.
In the school voucher debate Wednesday, lawmakers voted down an amendment that would have required a public vote on the voucher proposal. A number of other amendments by Democrats aimed to hamstring the bill also failed on party lines.
After hours of debate, the House gave initial approval to SB 2 on an 86-63 vote early this morning. Final passage came this afternoon, with an 86-61 vote. Only two Republicans voted against the bill, Rep. Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) and Rep. Gary VanDeaver (R-New Boston). Click here to see how your lawmaker voted. (RV #286 is the first vote and RV #300 is the final vote.)
SB 2 is expected to go to a conference committee to address differences between the House and Senate voucher plans to create a final version of the bill to be sent to Gov. Greg Abbott.
Click here to read more about the school finance and voucher bills.
To learn more about the conference committee process, click here.
House approves school discipline bill
In other action this week, the House passed a student discipline bill Tuesday. HB 6 expands the ability to suspend students below third grade in certain serious situations.
An amendment to HB 6 added a 30-day minimum DAEP placement for students who make terroristic threats or assault a school employee. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. Click here to read more.
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