A much-anticipated meeting of Texas House lawmakers originally scheduled for Tuesday is now back on the calendar, this time for today. The Texas House Public Education Committee will take up — and perhaps vote on — two of the biggest bills of the session: One on public school funding and another that would create an Education Savings Account program. That voucher plan would give parents public funds to send their kids to private schools. The Texas Newsroom's Blaise Gainey explains what’s expected at the meeting.
Lawmakers in the House Public Education committee have now been given the financial analysis they were waiting on — something that led to their previous meeting’s cancelation. Now, with that data in hand, they’re set to take up the public-school funding bill and the voucher bill. The committee’s expected to take up the Senate’s voucher bill — which already passed that chamber — and modify it with some of their own language before bringing it up for a vote. The meeting won’t have public testimony. But, given how controversial the bills have been, it’s likely debate between lawmakers will be extensive. I’m Blaise Gainey in Austin.
State senators want to let the Texas Education Agency commission peace officers to help schools with safety planning. KERA’s Bill Zeeble has more.
Senate Bill 1262 would allow the TEA to commission its own peace officers to work with districts, and to help out on campus during emergencies or school safety audits as needed. Republican Senator Robert Nichols of Jacksonville calls his bill a 'clean-up' to a two year-old state law that requires numerous security measures to make campuses safer from armed intruders. SB 1262 is still pending in committee. I’m Bill Zeeble in Dallas.
