Latest news with #TexasSenate
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
$8.5 billion school finance bill heads to Governor's desk for signature
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas House lawmakers gave the thumbs-up to a $8.5 billion school finance bill, which some in leadership called the largest investment in public schools in the state's history. But some school district leaders said they worry about the lack of local control. House Bill 2 is now heading to the Governor's desk for his signature. PREVIOUS: Texas Senate advances $8.5 billion increase to public school funding The additional dollars have an emphasis on raising the salaries of teachers with at least three years experience, while creating new guidelines for how the dollars can be spent by school districts. 'Texas is a big state,' said State Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, on the House floor prior to passage. 'Every district in our region, from El Paso to Orange and from Texoma to Brownsville, has varying needs and requests for specific support from this legislature. Satisfying all of those needs is an incredible, incredible undertaking, and I believe that this version of House Bill Two before you now meets that moment as passed by Senate.' Of the $8.5 billion in the bill, almost half — $4.2 billion — is dedicated strictly for teacher and staff pay raises. Teachers in smaller school districts will earn a $4,000 pay raise in their third year of teaching which will then double when they reach their fifth year of experience. Teachers in larger school districts with more than 5,000 students will receive $2,500 after three years and $5,000 after being on the job for five years. There is an additional $500 million in flexible funding for non-administrative staff pay raises for entry level teachers, counselors, librarians, nurses, custodians and bus drivers along with other support staff. Related: A look inside the school finance and education savings account bills Mary Lynn Pruneda, director of education and workforce policy at Texas 2036, a nonpartisan policy research organization, said in total it is around an additional $1,600 per student in Texas. 'This is an investment in particularly paying teachers more. Paying our staff members in our districts more, but then also these certain programs that we know have a really high return on investment for students,' Pruneda said. Those programs include $677 million for early learning, $850 million for special education, and $153 million for career technical education. The bill sponsors also say it funds full-day pre-K. At least half of the state's public school districts are projected to receive at least $1,000 in additional per student funding with more than 350 of those districts receiving an additional $1,500 per student. There are more than 1,200 public school districts in Texas, all with their own unique challenges and needs depending on their size and location. Nexstar spoke to a few school leaders in districts with varying student population size. All the school leaders said they experienced some type of financial struggle over the past couple of years as the costs of day-to-day operations increased with a lack of additional funding from the state. School leaders in Thrall ISD, Mercedes ISD and Brownsville ISD all agreed they are grateful for any additional dollars from the state to go into their budget. Tommy Hooker, Thrall ISD superintendent, said the increase in teacher pay is monumental. His rural district with fewer than 900 students has grown in the past seven years, increasing by about 3% to 5% each year. Because of that, he's had to hire more staff without any additional financial assistance from the state and his teachers went without pay raises. Under the new bill, a majority of his teachers will see an $8,000 increase to their salary. 'We've not been able to do an increase like that ever locally,' Hooker said. He added that he believes the funding is 'adequate,' but expressed hesitations about the structure of the bill. Instead of pumping new dollars to raise the basic allotment, which is the base amount of money for per student funding, lawmakers decided to create separate allotments that have guidelines in how the dollars can be spent. They even created a new allotment called the allotment for basic costs. That allotment as $1.3 billion for costs like insurance premiums that are skyrocketing, costs associated with the Teacher Retirement System, utilities and transportation. Buckley said that allotment is to make sure the basic allotment dollars are being spent inside the classroom. But school leaders have expressed they are concerned this limits control at the local level. The basic allotment does provide more flexibility for school districts to use the money how they see fit, but the structure of this bill puts the new dollars into different sections that have a dedicated use. Dr. Jesus Chavez, Brownsville ISD superintendent, said the lack of state funding in recent years led to his school district and others dipping into their savings to cover rising costs. For his district, Chavez said he needs money to focus on renovations to older schools. 'They're giving us dollars but they're telling us where to spend them. Can I move five million or can I move eight million over to roofs and air condition systems? The answer is no,' Chavez said. Dr. Alicia Noyola, interim superintendent of schools for Mercedes ISD, said the district will close a couple of schools because of rising costs and limited funding. She too does not like the lack of flexibility with the new dollars. 'It doesn't provide us funds to address day-to-day operations,' Noyola explained. All of the superintendents said that they were happy with funds coming in, but that they hope to see additional dollars from the state in future sessions. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill that would ban cellphones in Texas public schools heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk
A bill banning Texas K-12 students from using cellphones in school is headed to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk, with local school districts set to decide how the new rule will be applied. House Bill 1481, introduced by Rep. Caroline Fairly of Amarillo, seeks to restrict the use of 'personal wireless communication devices' in K-12 schools. The Texas Senate passed it unanimously on Sunday. It also received overwhelming support in the House, which voted 136-10 to approve it in April. Under the bill, students will not be allowed to use their cellphones during the school day. School districts will decide where students can store their phones, such as secure pouches, lockers, charging stations or backpacks. The policy also requires schools to have disciplinary actions in place for students who break the rules, including the possibility of confiscating their phones. Students who need their phones for medical or safety reasons will be allowed to keep them. If signed by the governor, the bill will become law on Sept. 1. Texas would join several other states that already enforce similar policies, including California, Florida, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas, Louisiana, Virginia and South Carolina. Another 26 states have proposed bans, and some Texas school districts have already put the policy in place. Supporters of the ban argue that cellphones are a major distraction in the classroom and can hurt students' mental health. Research supports this, indicating that excessive phone use can interfere with students' ability to focus and engage in class. Fairly, the only Gen Z member of the Texas House, said she understands firsthand the negative impact of social media on students. 'When you see what is being pushed on social media and the distraction it causes in the classroom, there is a need for our government to support our educators,' she told The Texas Tribune in March. Another common argument in favor of the bill is the potential to reduce bullying. According to Pew Research, 44% of K-12 parents who support the ban cite a decrease in cyberbullying as a major reason. Critics worry that banning phones could make it harder for parents to communicate with their children during the school day. Others are concerned about student safety, arguing that in an emergency, students should be able to access their phones to call for help. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Texas House kills drag story time bill again
AUSTIN (KXAN) — For the second consecutive session, legislation targeting drag story time events died in the Texas House of Representatives. Senate Bill 18 missed a key deadline this week to be fully considered on the House floor, effectively ending its chances of becoming state law. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick identified the legislation as a priority this session after a similar measure died in the House in 2023. Before stalling in Texas Senate, 'homosexual conduct' bill made legislative history The bill called for stripping public funding for any library that hosted a children's reading event led by a drag performer. Supporters argued it was needed to protect kids from the confusion of seeing someone dressed in drag and concerns about them being exposed to inappropriate content. However, opponents accused lawmakers of using this to crack down further on the LGBTQ+ community and said it would do nothing to actually protect Texas children. The legislation passed the Texas Senate in February along a party line vote, and a House committee then took up the legislation in May and recommended it for consideration in the full chamber. Even though SB 18 made it onto the intent calendar Tuesday, the House took no action on it in the rush of the final few days of the session. Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, reintroduced the bill this year after the previous iteration of it met a similar fate in the lower chamber two years ago. The legislation advanced further than it did then because a House committee actually debated the bill, which never happened in 2023. KXAN reached out Thursday to Hughes' office for comment about SB 18 dying this session and asked whether he would file it again when lawmakers reconvene in 2027. This story will be updated whenever Hughes shares a response. Reporting about his previous proposal, Senate Bill 1601, was featured in a KXAN investigative project called 'OutLaw: A Half-Century Criminalizing LGBTQ+ Texans.' It looked in-depth at the historic number of bills filed in the 2023 session impacting the state's LGBTQ+ community. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill named for UT Austin student passes, closes sexual assault loophole
Content Warning: This article discusses sexual assault. Please return to the homepage if you are not comfortable with the topic. If you are in distress and need to speak with someone, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas will close a loophole in its sexual assault laws after the Texas Senate passed House Bill 3073 on Wednesday, which makes it a crime in Texas to have sex with a person who is voluntarily intoxicated. Sexual assault survivors testify to Senate committee on bill to close loophole Previously, in order to convict someone for a sexual assault, prosecutors had to prove that a defendant had 'intentionally impaired the other person's power to appraise or control the other person's conduct by administering any substance without the other person's knowledge.' For survivors like bill namesake Summer Willis, this wording prevented her from pressing charges. The new Texas' Penal code language will instead read: 'A sexual assault … is without the consent of the other person if the actor knows that the other person is intoxicated or impaired by any substance to the extent that the other person is incapable of consenting' The sexual assault statutes would now cite an already enrolled definition of consent — 'assent in fact, whether express or apparent.' The bill came out of Gov. Greg Abbott's Sexual Assault Survivors Task Force and supporters said that it had his support. Unless Abbott issues a surprise veto, the bill goes into law on Sept. 1. HB 3073 narrowly avoided multiple deadlines near the end of the session. Willis and other organizers told KXAN that they've been pushing for the change for over 10 years. Previous: Survivors urge Texas lawmakers to close sexual assault loophole before bill dies The delayed start of the new law means that it will not cover assaults of intoxicated people occurring prior to September. HB 3073 was authored by Reps. Donna Howard, D-Austin; Ellen Troxclair, R-Lakeway; Ann Johnson, D-Houston; David Cook, R-Mansfield; and Nichole Collier, D-Fort Worth. Its Senate sponsor was Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘This is not Dan's folly': Lt. Gov. Patrick urges media to share the dangers of THC
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — On Tuesday, the Texas Senate agreed to adopt the House's amendments on Senate Bill 3, putting the bill to ban non-medical THC on Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. The following afternoon, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick held a news conference — not to celebrate the bill he calls 'the most important bill this session,' but to call for more media coverage on the harms of unregulated THC. Tuesday evening, Patrick sent out a memo announcing his news conference. 'Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will hold a media briefing, along with end-of-session beverages and snacks,' the one-sentence release said. Reporters shuffled into the crowded press conference room. In the center stood a table with a cloth hiding objects underneath. 'I told you we'd have snacks today. Want to lift the snacks?' Patrick asked his staffers. The removed cloth revealed THC and CBD products, including cereal bites, gummies, lollipops and drinks. 'This is everything you can buy at a smoke shop and a vape shop that will either cause potentially paranoia, schizophrenia (or) tremendous health issues,' Patrick said. 'Why have I called you here today? Because I don't think the media has taken this issue seriously. I don't think the story has been told. You talk about jobs being lost, you talk about a big industry, a big industry selling all of this to kids.' Texas House bans THC products, reduces criminal penalty for possessing intoxicating hemp Patrick then started going through the products one by one. 'It's all sold for kids — designed for kids and adults. This one, this little bag of jellies — mango, peach — for $90 a bag. Send you sky high,' he said. 'Sour bells. Slices. How about gummy worms? Gummy worms? This is what parents — you need to tell this story so that parents understand.' The Lieutenant Governor then explained how these products emerged due to a loophole in a law passed in 2019. 'We heard this horrendous testimony of one 22-year-old who bought this. I don't know what product it was, I think she said wedding cake. He stepped in front of a train and got run over and killed,' Patrick said. 'This is serious business. This is not Dan's folly. This is not Dan's priority. This is to save an entire generation of being hooked on drugs.' Patrick then proceeded to ask the room of reporters if anyone would want to buy an unknown substance that could 'change your whole mental state for the rest of your life?' Then he proceeded to gently toss a bag of 'cereal bites' to the pool of reporters. Texas Lt. Gov. announces compassionate use expansion amid THC ban 'Anybody want this bag? Okay, you want it,' Patrick said before tossing the THC snack. A reporter promptly put it back on the table. 'I don't think you want it. You wouldn't dare buy it. You wouldn't let your children, your grandchildren buy it. And by the way, come September, all this will be illegal anyway, so I'll be turning this over to the police before I leave here.' To illustrate his point, Patrick invited guests from law enforcement to share their stories. 'We used to really worry about the cocaine out of Colombia or the methamphetamine out of Mexico. I now worry about the baked goods coming out of California and the candy coming out of Colorado,' Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne said. 'What's really interesting is the fact that many of these products that the Lieutenant Governor has here on the table — they don't allow them to be sold in their state. They just ship them to us to poison our children.' '[The police] are the folks that are out there working the streets at midnight, the ones that are having to go knock on doors and give bad, bad information to parents whose children were killed because they got involved with some of this stuff,' John Wilkerson with the Texas Municipal Police Association said. 'This right in front of you is a drug deal, that's all it is,' Tomball Police Chief Jeff Bert said. Before moving to Texas five years ago, Bert worked in Los Angeles, where he says legalized marijuana wreaked havoc. 'It's the most insidious kind of drug deal, because it isn't somebody that sneaks off when a police officer sees him or her and runs into an apartment and we go chasing — they're selling this in gas stations, right next to Snickers and Cheetos.' Jocelyn's Law fails to earn enough votes in Texas House Patrick also invited Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis to share his perspective. 'They are targeting our kids, not adults, not patients but our kids,' Willis said. 'In Collin County, we see the results of it. We see the psychotic episodes. We see the suicide attempts. We sit down with parents who are heartbroken and devastated after something has happened with their child, after they consume something that everybody thought was safe.' When Houston Chronicle reporter Jeremy Wallace asked Patrick if there was a way to protect children while still giving adults access, Patrick passionately said he doesn't want adults to have access either. 'What are you crazy? You want to go home and eat a bag of this tonight, see if you're here tomorrow? We focus on kids because that's where they built the shops, but adults are buying this stuff too,' Patrick said. 'That's crazy talk. That's the kind of talk — the reason why we're here. Media that would say something as stupid as that. I'm sorry, that's just true.' The final hurdle for SB 3 — and a total THC ban — is a potential veto from Abbott. He has stayed very tight-lipped about anything regarding hemp and THC this session. When initially asked if he was worried about the possibility of a veto, Patrick deflected. 'I pass bills, the Governor signs or vetoes them,' Patrick said. 'I know the Governor, I know where his heart is, and I know where he wants to be to protect children and adults.' State of Texas: THC ban approved amid push to expand medical cannabis program He was then asked why he called the press conference if the bill had already passed both chambers of the legislature. 'Because there's a tremendous onslaught of pressure from an $8 billion industry that has unlimited money, and they're trying to poison the story, to stop this from happening, that's why,' Patrick said. 'I can tell you how effective they are, because most of you in this room — no criticism — personally, most of you in this room have bought into a lot of their story… I'm not worried about the Governor. I'm worried about the pressure on the media and the general public to try to keep this going in some way.' The question of Abbott's intentions then came up a third time, when a reporter asked if Patrick had spoken with him. 'I speak to the Governor every day,' Patrick said. 'About this?' another reporter asked. 'Look, I'm not going to speak for the Governor, okay?' Patrick said. 'He will do what he's going to do. I have total confidence in the Governor. You will know his decision when he makes it. The reason I'm here today is for you to tell the story. I'm not worried about the Governor understanding it. I'm worried about you all understanding it.' After the press conference, Abbott's Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris wrote, 'Governor Abbott will thoughtfully review any legislation sent to his desk.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
