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This Week in the Legislature: Budgets on the Move, Alongside Gov. Abbott’s Voucher Scam
Texas Budget Update: Public & Higher Education in Focus This week, both chambers of the Texas Legislature advanced major budget proposals, with public and higher education taking center stage. The Texas Senate unanimously passed a $336 billion budget for the 2026–27 biennium. The proposal includes $71 billion for the Foundation School Program, the main source of pre-K-12 public education funding,...
Read MoreBills to Watch Next Week: ‘Teacher Bill of Rights,’ COLA, Higher Ed Attacks
The first of several notable deadlines for this Legislature happens Monday, May 8, which is the final day House committees can pass out House bills for a full vote. After Monday, House bills that have not been passed out of committee are effectively dead — unless they’re amended onto other...
Read MoreEducation Austin Wins Historic Pay Raise Agreement with Austin ISD
Texas AFT regularly participates in coalition work with allies related to our legislative priorities; in the past week, we have had the chance to join our coalition partners at the Capitol for successful advocacy days.
Read MoreApril 28, 2023: COLA
Friday, April 28, 2023 Crumbs Aren’t Good Enough Photo by Marianna Krueger, CCR Studios The state of Texas has a budget surplus that is itself larger than the entire budget of 24 states, and yet both active school employees and retired educators have been forced this session to come, hat...
Read MoreHouse Passes COLA Plan, Falls Short of Retiree Needs
Texas AFT Retiree Plus member Lydia Carillo-Valdez shares her experiences at a press conference Monday with other retired educators, as well as Rep. John Bryant, Rep. Mihaela Plesa, and Texas AFT Secretary-Treasurer Ray McMurrey. With a surplus that is itself larger than the entire budgets of 24 states, the state...
Read MoreThis Week in the Legislature: Texas House Takes Up School Finance, School Security, & Charter School Expansion
Texas AFT President Zeph Capo and special education teachers Konrad Wert and Andrea Bell meet with staff in Rep. Ken King’s office about House Bill 100 on Tuesday. The Texas House voted on several of the most consequential public education...
Read MoreHouse Public Education Committee to Consider Staffing Notification Requirements, Mandatory Display of Religious Texts in Public Schools
Next week, the House Public Education Committee will consider several bills, including: HB 1281 by Rep. Jolanda Jones (D-Houston) would require school districts to notify families if a public school or open-enrollment charter school does not have a nurse assigned...
Read MoreAFT President Randi Weingarten Defends Science-Based, Expert-Approved Pandemic Response
Texas AFT regularly participates in coalition work with allies related to our legislative priorities; in the past week, we have had the chance to join our coalition partners at the Capitol for successful advocacy days.
Read More‘Hat in Hand’: Retired Texas teachers forced to beg for pension relief in world’s 9th-largest economy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 25, 2023 CONTACT: press@texasaft.org Retirees expressed gratitude for the Legislature’s current proposals but emphasized they aren’t nearly enough to keep their colleagues fed, housed, and healthy. Texas AFT Secretary-Treasurer Ray McMurrey speaks at a press conference...
Read MoreApril 21, 2023: Where’s the sense of urgency on anything that matters?
Friday, April 21, 2023 Picking winners and losers San Antonio Alliance member Teresa Razo and Northeast Houston AFT member Tammy Reyes meet with a representative from Rep. Greg Bonnen’s office this past Tuesday. This week, the Texas House Public Education Committee took up the very important work of debating whether...
Read MoreState Budget Negotiators Announced by House & Senate Leadership
This past week, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick announced which legislators will participate in the conference committee on HB 1, the State Budget for the next biennium. These conferees will have the final say on what is included and what is excluded from the budget....
Read MoreRecap: This Week at the Legislature
San Antonio Alliance member Teresa Razo and Northeast Houston AFT member Tammy Reyes meet with a representative from Rep. Greg Bonnen’s office this past Tuesday. Public Education: House Approves Book Ban & Public Education Committee Hears Texas AFT Testimony, Senate Passes School Safety Bill and Targets Separation of Church and...
Read MoreBills to Watch: Texas House to Consider Your Paychecks, School Safety
Important Bills Heading to a House Vote In addition to the committee action next week, a few consequential bills further along in the legislative process will likely be considered on the floor of the House. HB 100 by Rep. Ken King (R-Canadian) is the comprehensive school finance bill. Texas AFT...
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