Texas House Lawmakers Postpone Meeting on Key Education Bills
The Texas House Public Education Committee was set to discuss two major bills on Tuesday, but the meeting was cancelled late Monday night. The bills in question are House Bill 2, which focuses on public school funding, and Senate Bill 2, which proposes an Education Savings Account (ESA) program. The ESA program would allow parents to use public funds to send their children to private schools.
Background on the Bills
The ESA program has been a top priority for Governor Greg Abbott since 2023. The Senate has already passed SB 2, and House Speaker Dustin Burrows believes the House will follow suit soon. Burrows expects the House Public Education Committee to pass both bills and send them to the floor for a vote.
Reason for the Cancellation
The meeting was cancelled because committee members did not have enough time to review changes to the bills. Committee Chairman Brad Buckley announced that the meeting would be rescheduled for Thursday, citing a commitment to give members "ample time to review and digest the changes in the committee substitute and the district runs."
What are "District Runs"?
The "district runs" refer to a fiscal analysis of how the changes in the school funding bill would impact Texas school districts. This information was not available to lawmakers until late Monday night, and most members did not receive it until Tuesday morning.
Concerns from Democrats
Democrats on the House Public Education Committee had previously expressed concerns about voting on the bills without having access to the fiscal analysis. Rep. John Bryant (D-Dallas) stated that it would be "unthinkable" to vote on the bills without knowing the impact on individual school districts.
What to Expect from the Rescheduled Meeting
When the committee meets on Thursday, Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D-Austin) expects Republicans to insert language from the House’s own voucher proposal into SB 2. This means that the bill would still be a version of the House’s proposal, despite being called SB 2.
Conclusion
The postponement of the meeting may delay the passage of the bills, but it is likely that they will still be passed in the near future. The fate of the Education Savings Account program and the public school funding bill remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the outcome will have a significant impact on the education system in Texas. As the committee prepares to meet on Thursday, lawmakers and citizens alike will be watching closely to see what happens next.
