Topic: Funding

Property tax cap bill moves toward full Senate without answers to key questions about loss of local funding

Publish Date: February 12, 2019

Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa questions SB 2 author Sen. Paul Bettencourt on why the tax cap should be as low as 2.5 percent. With no additional public testimony, the Senate Committee on Property Tax voted yesterday to advance a bill that will cripple local government budgets, including school districts. SB 2 would cap property tax revenue growth at 2.5 percent,...

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Senate budget discussion highlights need for more public education funding

Publish Date: February 11, 2019

Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee heard from the Legislative Budget Board and the Texas Education Agency about the Senate’s proposed budget. Unlike the House budget proposal, the Senate provides less new funding for schools, and the funding it does provide is contingent on a classroom teacher salary increase ($3.7 billion) and legislation to slow growth in local property taxes and...

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Texas House releases initial look at budget with billions of new money for public education

Publish Date: January 15, 2019

Both chambers of the Texas Legislature signaled this week their serious intent to increase state funding for public education. This auspicious, yet preliminary, start reflects the public’s strong statement at the ballot box that Texas must do more to fund our public schools. In today’s Hotline, we’ll focus on the House proposal, with information about Senate in tomorrow’s edition. A...

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