Last week the Governor-appointed Texas Tax Reform Commission met for the first time in Austin. The Texas Supreme Court also issued its decision on the school finance case, Neeley v. West Orange-Cove Consolidated, deciding that the property tax had reached unconstitutional levels. In response to the upcoming spring special session, Senator Shapleigh asked whether the failed priorities of the previous special sessions will continue to plague the Legislature.
"During the session, state leaders set the priority as tax cuts," Senator Shapleigh stated. "The priority needs to be providing our children a 21st Century education so that they can compete for a good job in the 21st Century economy."

An analysis of the tax bills proposed during the special sessions showed that 9 in 10 Texans got tax hikes and a bare 3% increase in funding to cover inflation at schools that serve 4 million Texas children, while the wealthiest 10% would receive tax cuts and millions of new dollars for schools that serve only 400,000 children.

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In addition, the school finance proposals expanded the funding gap between property poor and property wealthy districts.

"In Austin, state leaders devotion to equity in funding, yet the proposed plans would have actually increased the gap in funding by hundreds of dollars per student between property poor and wealthy districts," Senator Shapleigh stated referring to education funding models like the chart below that were provided by the Legislative Budget Board.

"Under HB 2 and 3, nine in ten pay more for less, so one in ten can pay less for more. Texans elected us educate every child and leave no child behind. We can and must do better.”

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