AUSTIN — The Texas House voted 76-71 Wednesday for a school overhaul backed by GOP leaders that promises lower property taxes, classroom advances and higher teacher pay.
It's opposed by education groups and mostly Democratic lawmakers who say it can't deliver what students and teachers need and deserve. Another house vote will be required to send the measure to the Senate for consideration.
After Wednesday's initial vote, House lawmakers girded for another big battle: a state tax bill meant to pay for school property tax relief that's to hit the House floor today.
"We're going to be providing more money for education and more results in the classroom," said Rep. Kent Grusendorf, R-Arlington, author of the school measure, House Bill 2. "We also ... will provide for long overdue property tax relief."
Democrat after Democrat — their party outnumbered 87-63 in the House — spoke against the bill, calling its $3 billion in additional funding inadequate and describing a freshly added teacher pay increase as a sham. The raise was defended as real by its Republican sponsor.
The raise could give teachers up to about $2,500 over current salaries, according to one estimate, but Democrats questioned where the money would come from and how the raise would work.
Rep. Bob Griggs, R-North Richland Hills, and eight other Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in voting against the bill; one Democrat abstained.
"What are we doing to education? This bill is just plain old junk food. Provides that sugar rush immediately, but the funding falls apart after a very short period of time," Griggs said.
Despite Grusendorf's repeated assurances that the bill would create "the most equitable school finance system in the history of the state of Texas," Democrats said it would mean a bigger financial divide between school districts with the most property wealth and everyone else.
The bill would allow the richer districts to keep more of their local property tax revenue, which they currently must share with other districts.
The current revenue-sharing plan was designed to even out funding among school districts in the state system, which relies heavily on local property taxes.
It was implemented after a past court order to make the system more equitable. Lawmakers now face a fresh court order for change, in part because a judge found the heavy dependence on local revenue amounts to a statewide property tax.
Grusendorf said his bill would increase the state share of spending from 38 percent to 60 percent.
"I believe it's a great step forward," said House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland.
But Rep. Rene Oliveira, D-Brownsville, said the changes wouldn't be enough to pass constitutional muster.
"The future of Texas is important to each and every one of us," Oliveira said. "Our future work force is going to be decided by this legislation. We will have a less educated, less qualified, less competent work force in the future because we didn't do our job today."
Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, said: "The tragedy of this bill is not that it distinguishes between rich and poor, but that it doesn't help us live up to our potential."
Democrats objected in part because the $3 billion in additional funding that would be provided to schools under the bill would come from undetailed current revenue sources. They voiced concern that it puts needs such as human services at risk for cutbacks.
Republican leaders have said they're willing to raise state taxes only to cut local property taxes, not to fund the education bill.
The school fight set the stage for the tax battle in House Bill 3, which would relieve local school property taxes by raising sales and cigarette taxes and creating a new business tax.
The business tax, which would be based on payroll, would replace the current franchise tax, which many businesses avoid. The maximum school property tax for maintenance and operations would be lowered from $1.50 to $1 per $100 valuation.
On the eve of the fight, the Texas League of Women Voters joined Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, and Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, to ask lawmakers to consider an income tax for public education. GOP leaders oppose that.
"What this debate should be about is great schools, not lowering property taxes for the wealthy," Shapleigh said.
Craddick said he's confident he has enough House votes to pass HB 3, although critics continued to pound on a fiscal analysis that showed the bill only would provide an overall tax break to Texans with the highest incomes. Those in the lowest income brackets would end up carrying a heavier burden, according to a Legislative Budget Board analysis.
"The buzzwords are all there — this is a more equitable bill — but it's a bill where 10 percent get to advance and 90 percent don't," said Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco.
Then, referencing the tax bill, he said it was ironic that "90 percent" would pay more "so that 10 percent can advance."