HB400, the House bill that would among other things allow for larger class sizes and furloughs and pay cuts for teachers, failed to pass before the midnight deadline last night.
The bill from Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, would have lifted the state’s student-teacher class size ratio in lower grades, changed requirements for teacher contract renewals, and authorized unpaid furloughs for school district employees — though now, the measures could live on as amendments to other bills.
After the House adjourned, Eissler said his bill wasn’t dead — and joked that he was going to move his seat up to the front microphone so that he could attach it to every bill that went by.
In other words, it’s merely dead, not really most sincerely dead. Since that the Lege isn’t going to come up with the needed money to properly fund schools, something has to give. This is the time of the session when things start moving a lot faster, and can happen without people realizing it, so keep your eyes open. If nothing happens by the time the Lege adjourns, expect this to be on the call for a special session.