Gov. Abbott expands third special session agenda to include public school funding, teacher pay raises
AUSTIN (CBSNewsTexas.com) — With a week remaining in the third special session at the Texas Capitol, Governor Greg Abbott expanded the agenda to include public school funding and teacher pay raises.
The governor said his announcement comes after productive discussions with Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dade Phelan.
Abbott said in a news release, "Working with Speaker Phelan and his House leadership team, the Speaker and I reached an agreement on school choice for Texas families, and I am expanding the agenda for Special Session #3. I look forward to working with both chambers of the Texas Legislature on getting this legislation to my desk to sign into law."
Speaker Phelan's press secretary Cassi Pollack issued a statement, saying "Speaker Phelan and his office have worked daily with the governor and his team to get the call for the current special session expanded so that a discussion on these issues can take place in the House. Speaker Phelan thanks the governor for expanding the call and looks forward to having robust discussions on school funding, teacher pay and other critical education issues with his House colleagues. All members will have the opportunity to make their voices heard."
The governor's decision to do so on Tuesday is a reversal and a change in tactics.
Until now, he said he wouldn't include public school funding and teacher raises until after the legislature passed a bill to provide taxpayer subsidies so students can attend private school.
But that didn't work.
At a news conference Tuesday, some House Republicans celebrated the governor's newly expanded special session agenda.
Representative Brad Buckley (R-Salado) said, "Today is an important day for Texas and it's an important day for the Texas House."
Buckley introduced House Bill 1 Oct. 19, but he didn't refer it to his committee for a hearing.
Many of the provisions of that legislation were not part of the governor's original agenda: including giving school districts more money and teacher pay raises.
But now the governor has called for providing billions of dollars more for public schools, teacher pay raises and school security.
In addition, there would be universal eligibility for all K-12 students in Texas to attend private school.
It would be voluntary participation and students selected would receive $10,400 per year from taxpayers in their education savings accounts.
The state would also phase out the STAAR test and replace it with another student assessment system.
Buckley told reporters, "It's important to this body, it's important to Texans that we take up teacher pay, that we take up school safety, that we increase the basic allotment and we reform an accountability system that better informs parents."
Gov. Abbott had campaigned across the state to pass school choice, but some rural House Republican lawmakers still didn't like the idea because they worry it will hurt public schools.
Democrats, including Representative James Talarico of Austin, remain opposed.
He told CBS News Texas, "This is a cynical effort by Governor Abbott to try to force legislators to pass his private school voucher scam that will ultimately defund our public schools, so we're not going to fall for this bribe."
The Senate has previously approved Senate Bill 1, its version of taxpayer subsidies for students to attend private school.
It was referred to a House committee, but a hearing has not been held on the legislation.
Senators also approved Senate Bill 2, which increased funding for public schools and provided additional payments for teachers.
This measure has not been referred to a committee.
House Republican leaders accused Democrats of intentionally not showing up for the full session Tuesday so they could prevent a quorum.
That would have allowed them to accept the governor's proclamation for the newly expanded agenda.
But Democrats such as Talarico denied that, saying some Republicans didn't show up either.
The House will meet again at 6 p.m. Wednesday.