Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

On the Senator’s desk...
The week started with high hopes from some that a school funding bill would be debated and passed with ease; however, serious concerns about the inherent inequality of the proposed plan have dimmed those hopes. On Tuesday, the House killed their school funding plan and tax shift plan, leaving the onus on the Senate to move their funding plan. Unfortunately, no consensus has been reached in the Senate and no funding plan has been passed as of yet.

Chamber echoes...
Texans fed up with the Legislature's work to date on funding public schools are arriving at the Capitol in droves. Word is that members are being "beaten up back home" by parents and educators demanding enough money to properly educate their kids with a plan where nine in ten Texans aren't hurt.

Among those who visited Austin this week ...
Clyde and Susan Pine along with their children Sydney and Savannah traveled through Texas and stopped by to tour the Capitol. Mr. and Mrs. Ruben Juarez also stopped by to say hello . Charlie Hart, Superintendent of the Canutillo ISD, and his wife Kay met with the Senator to discuss the education bill and the impact to Texas children.

In Committee this week...
On the second day of the second special session, the Senate Education Committee voted out the school funding bill with the hopes that the Senate would debate it on Monday. Also, the Senate State Affairs committee voted out a House judicial pay raise bill.

Bills filed...
While the call of the second special session is very narrow, with just issues of school funding, property taxes and telecommunications eligible for debate, Senator Shapleigh has filed five important bills in the hopes that the Governor may expand the call. The bills filed include the El Paso Medical School bill, an eminent domain bill aimed at protecting property holders and a bill to protect military personnel from the predatory marketing and sale of high-cost life insurance products.

Upcoming News...
Hopefully, a well thought out School Education Finance Plan.