Texas Senate approves budget bill

AUSTIN—Members of the Senate approved without dissent Tuesday a plan that would spend $116.8 billion in non-dedicated state funds for state services through 2021. The bill sets aside $6.3 billion to cover an across-the-board public school teacher and librarian pay raise and funding to cover education reform. It also earmarks almost $3 billion towards property tax relief, a priority that must be addressed, said the Senate's lead budget writer. "We must take action this session to provide lasting, meaningful property tax relief," said Flower Mound Senator and Finance Committee Chair Jane Nelson. "The budget sets aside $2.7 billion for that purpose, and it will conform to whatever solution for tax relief is agreed to this session."

Including federal money, dedicated general state revenue and all other funds, the Senate approved $247.7 billion to cover state expenses for the next two years. "And it does so, all of that, within all constitutional spending limits and it stays within population times inflation," Nelson said. She said the Senate proposal would leave $1.3 billion in the state treasury and $11 billion in the rainy day fund.

Public education, as always, makes up the bulk of state spending, accounting for 55 percent of state general revenue spending in the Senate budget. That includes the $4 billion for the $5,000 teacher pay raise and $2.3 billion to fund the forthcoming Senate education reform bill. Education Committee chair and Friendswood Sen. Larry Taylor led the markup process for the public school budget. Though the details haven't been worked out yet, he says that funding, plus the $2.7 billion for property tax relief, represents a significant investment in improving public education. "We don't often increase anything by $9 billion," Taylor said. "What we're working on this session is landmark."

The final education reform proposal hasn't been heard in committee, but Taylor did offer previews of where he intends that money to go. In addition to more for dual-language and compensatory education, he said there will be more money for early education through third grade. "Up to third grade, kids are learning to read, then from the third grade on they're reading to learn," said Taylor. He said the education reform bill will incentivize reading proficiency for children in prekindergarten through third grade.

Read more: http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/texas/story/2019/apr/10/texas-senate-approves-budget-bill/773579/