Category Archives: Budget ballyhoo

Thousands attend the Save Texas Schools rally

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Our voices have been heard. Whether we are listened to remains to be seen. Parents, educators, and students from across the state marched to the Capitol Saturday for the Save Texas Schools rally to express their concern over what could … Continue reading →

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Huffman says nothing about public education

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Republican State Sen. Joan Huffman writes an op-ed in the West U Examiner about public education that manages to say absolutely nothing of substance. As the mother of a public school student, I am a firm supporter of Texas public … Continue reading →

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Perry lies about teachers being fired

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There’s really no other way to characterize this. At a press conference this morning to discuss states’ rights, Gov. Rick Perry was asked about the thousands of Texas teachers expected at the Capitol this weekend to protest legislative proposals to … Continue reading →

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Going through the couch cushions

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

“Taxes” may be a dirty word, but the Lege is busy looking for revenue in other places. “Right now, there is a tremendous amount of effort being invested in identifying new revenues that avoid being called a tax bill,” said … Continue reading →

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Hochberg’s “Let’s get real” bill

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Scott Hochberg has filed a school finance bill that he himself wouldn’t vote for. It’s to make sure everyone realizes what the proposed cuts to public education really mean. Under HB 2485, all school districts would be treated as … Continue reading →

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Push for HB275

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

HB275 is the bill by Rep. Jim Pitts to spend money from the Rainy Day Fund to close the budget shortfall from the 2010-11 biennium. Here’s an update about it from a group called Spring Branch Speaks, sent to me … Continue reading →

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Teachers and the economy

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Some familiar themes in this story. Gov. Rick Perry can’t quit talking about jobs. He used the word 19 times in his recent state of the state address and has made it a top spending priority. But if Perry realizes … Continue reading →

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Horse racing folks feeling good about gambling’s chances this time

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

They always say that, but maybe this time they’re right. The chief executive officer at Retama Park expressed cautious optimism Thursday that the state could one day allow slot machines at horse racetracks, a move that has long been deemed … Continue reading →

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How about those tax exemptions?

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot of them, and they cost the state big bucks. A 68-page report released by Texas Comptroller Susan Combs on Monday offers a detailed look at billions of dollars in state tax exemptions and could fuel renewed discussion … Continue reading →

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Comptroller states the obvious about the deficit

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Obvious if you’ve been paying attention, anyway. The Texas comptroller told the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday that she can’t imagine solving the current budget crisis through cuts alone. Susan Combs spoke at a hearing designed to be a reality … Continue reading →

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Legislation to allow slot machines filed

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Fresh from the inbox: BI-PARTISAN LEGISLATION FILED TO ALLOW STATEWIDE VOTE ON SLOTS AT TEXAS TRACKS, INDIAN RESERVATIONS AUSTIN, Texas — Texas State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (D-McAllen) and Texas State Representative Beverly Woolley (R-Houston) filed legislation today to allow … Continue reading →

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Rural hospitals fear Medicaid cuts

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As well they should. Childress is about 110 miles southeast of Amarillo and 225 miles northwest of Fort Worth on U.S. 287. The obstetrics division at the Childress hospital wouldn’t be the only one affected if the Medicaid cuts are … Continue reading →

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Activists for the disabled protest in front of Perry’s office

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Go for it! About 35 Texans in wheelchairs, denouncing proposed state budget cuts, staged a sit-in outside Gov. Rick Perry’s Capitol office late Tuesday. Protesters with the disability rights group Adapt of Texas vowed to stay until they were removed … Continue reading →

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Budget cuts are bad for the economy

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In case you missed this last week. Texas’ cuts-only approach to its budget shortfall won’t solve the state’s long-term fiscal problems, according to Standard & Poor’s, a major bond rating agency. “We believe that a balanced approach that includes both … Continue reading →

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Ogden on board with Pitts about Rainy Day Fund

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

State Sen. Steve Ogden, the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, joins with his House counterpart Rep. Jim Pitts in endorsing the use of the Rainy Day Fund to at least close the deficit from the 2010-11 biennium. Senate Finance … Continue reading →

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Ellis and Hobby on class size limits

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

State Sen. Rodney Ellis and former Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby hit all the high points in writing about the 22:1 class size limit and the effects we’d see if it were lifted. The simple truth is that the 22-1 ratio … Continue reading →

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Pitts endorses using at least some of the Rainy Day Fund

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, the House’s lead budget writer, today filed bill that would draw down nearly $4.3 billion of rainy-day money to cover the state’s deficit in the current two-year cycle. Pitts’ plan would tap a … Continue reading →

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Deadline to RSVP for March 14 Lobby Day event

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder about this. Monday, March 14th, 7 am – 7 pm: Legislative Day at the Texas Capitol in Austin, organized by Houston Federation of Teachers. HFT has invited parents to join them in meeting with as many state … Continue reading →

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Just a reminder: Save Texas Schools

Posted on February 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder: Save Texas Schools – Fund Public Education Now! Our Schools, Our Kids, Our Future Texas students are tough, but they’ve never faced a crisis like this. In every school district across the Lone Star State, the same … Continue reading →

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Murdock on the cuts to public education

Posted on February 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Not too surprisingly, former state demographer Steve Murdock thinks that the looming cuts to public education are a long-term disaster for the state. He singled out pre-K and TEXAS grants as the top two items of concern. “I am very … Continue reading →

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Consolidating school districts

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron’s Texas Politics blog has been running a feature called “Chopping Block”, in which it solicits suggestions from the audience about possible ways the stats could save a few bucks, then explores what the effect would be. As you … Continue reading →

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How about a temporary sales tax hike?

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I am deeply conflicted about this. State Rep. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, has filed a bill to temporarily increase the state sales tax by 2 cents on the dollar for two years. He estimates it would raise $6 billion, which … Continue reading →

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From the “Stuff I’d like to see happen but won’t” files

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

You may recall that one of the LBB recommendations for helping to close the budget gap was to impose a $100 surcharge on the purchase of fuel-inefficient vehicles. I said at the time that I loved the idea but thought … Continue reading →

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Where’s the money for new textbooks coming from?

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Nobody knows just yet. Neither legislative chamber’s base budget appropriates funds for any new textbooks. The primary concern in the short term is funding for science materials that reflect the 2009 curriculum changes made by the State Board of Education. … Continue reading →

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How does college tuition in Texas compare to other states?

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In a previous post, John left the following comment: Out of curiosity how much does a year at UT/A&M cost? How does that compare to Ohio St/Michigan/Cal/UVA/Washington etc. I would think this is a good time to do the revenue … Continue reading →

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The Trib interviews Garnet Coleman

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib has a too-brief conversation with State Rep. Garnet Coleman on health care and Medicaid. This is the crucial bit: TT: What do you want out of this meeting with [the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services]? Coleman: Two … Continue reading →

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From the “Tell us something we didn’t already know” department

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Texans like the idea of budget cuts but hate the specifics, proving that we’re just like everybody else. By a margin of more than 2 to 1, Texas voters believe that lawmakers should solve the state’s massive shortfall by cutting … Continue reading →

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Two more things you can do for public schools

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to the three things I mentioned on Sunday and the live HISD TV show tonight at 6:30 about the budget, here are two more things to put on your agenda for the public schools. First, via the HISD … Continue reading →

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House repeals Doggett Amendment

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This may be a partial answer to my earlier question about the status of the $830 million in federal education funds that await Texas if Governor Perry will attest that they will be actually spent on education. In the latest … Continue reading →

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Is it time for a statewide property tax?

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe. State Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, on Tuesday breathed some new life into a proposal to enact a statewide school property tax to address Texas’ persistent education funding woes. “We’ve never made a change in the school finance system without … Continue reading →

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Three things you can do to help save Texas public schools

Posted on February 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

1. First and foremost, make sure you understand the scope of the issue and how it will affect you. Here’s an email that was sent out by the Spring Branch ISD to its parents: Why should you care about the … Continue reading →

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More on Combs v. Perry over Amazon

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib has a good story that explains the background of the Perry-Combs smackdown over Amazon. There’s another player in this fight, and they’re on the Comptroller’s side: Retailers who charge sales taxes employ thousands of Texans, and some of … Continue reading →

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Rural school districts prepare for the worst

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I have very mixed emotions reading a story like this. For the residents of [the] tiny West Texas farming community [of Miles], the school district is central to their identity, history and way of life. “There’s a wonderful feel about … Continue reading →

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Higher tuition coming

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Well, what did you expect? The 63,000 students of the University of Houston System could be paying higher tuition as early as the fall semester, Chancellor Renu Khator told a Senate committee Monday. Testifying before the Senate Finance Committee, Khator … Continue reading →

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