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CBS News
4 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
As the Texas legislative session ends, a look at major bills and changes that impact you
Monday, June 2 is the last day of the regular Texas Legislative session. The end of the session brings changes that impact public schools, property tax relief, criminal justice, abortion and more. Property tax relief Texas Senators celebrated the additional $10 billion in relief from school property taxes this year that they and lawmakers in the House passed this session. That's on top of the record property tax cuts from two years ago. The homestead exemption for most Texas homeowners will rise from $100,000 to $140,000. For people over 65, the homestead exemption will increase to $200,000, and local leaders say many seniors won't end up paying school property taxes at all. Exemptions for business property taxes will also increase from $2,500 to $125,000 next year. "Every session we have been here, we have done historic, not just big things, historic things to create property tax relief for Texans," said Republican State Sen. Angela Paxton of McKinney. Governor Greg Abbott will sign the bills, which he considered one of this top priorities. In November, residents will have the final say by voting to make it permanent in the Texas Constitution. Public school funding Another priority bill headed to the Governor's desk will inject a record $8.5 billion in new money for the state's public schools. About half of that, $4.2 billion, will go to permanent pay raises for teachers with three or more years of experience. The legislature is also sending school districts an extra $500 million dollars to give pay raises to entry-level teachers and non-administrative staff. State Rep. Brad Buckley of Salado said, "A guarantee for public school teachers that is unprecedented, not really, it is unprecedented. It is unprecedented in this state." Lawmakers also approved legislation to crack down further on disruptive students and allow local school boards and parents to have more control over the books in public school libraries. Bringing the bible to the classroom Also passed in this session: voluntary prayer in schools and requiring school districts to display a poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments in every classroom. Texas Republican Rep. Candy Noble said, "Nothing is more deep-rooted in the fabric of our American tradition of education than the Ten Commandments; the way we treat others as a society comes from the principles found in the Ten Commandments." "I just think if I were giving a speech, I would say it just seems like we're trampling over the freedom of religion by passing your bill," said Democrat State Rep. Vikki Goodwin of Austin. The ACLU of Texas is one of the organizations promising to challenge the law in court. Film industry incentives The state is also providing $1.5 billion in incentives over the next decade to attract television and film production to better compete against other states. Big Hollywood names, including Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, spoke during the session in favor of Texas Senate Bill 22. Taylor Hardy, the Fort Worth Film Commissioner, stated that the bill would bring jobs to Tarrant County, boost business for local hotels and restaurants, and ultimately attract more visitors. "Since the Fort Worth Film Commission was founded about 10 years ago, we've measured $700 million in economic impact and over 30,000 jobs supported. Those are over a period of time, but that's almost the equivalent of another American Airlines headquarters in terms of the amount of jobs it's created," Hardy told CBS News Texas. Bail reform Another priority of Governor Abbott's is headed to his desk: bail reform. It requires judges to deny bail in more criminal cases and allows prosecutors a chance to appeal judges' decisions on bail. "This is common sense," Abbott said previously when speaking about the bill. "You pass this bill, pass this constitutional amendment, lives will literally be saved. You fail to pass this; more people are going to be murdered. This has to get done." Residents will also have to vote in November to change the Texas Constitution, which will force judges to deny bail for those accused of murder and other violent crimes. Texas' near abortion ban Lawmakers also passed legislation that will clarify medical exceptions to the state's near abortion ban. The changes would not expand abortion access in Texas or list specific medical exceptions under the state's near-total ban, which took effect in 2022 and only allows for an abortion to save the life of the mother. It also would not include exceptions for cases of rape or incest. The bill would specify that doctors cannot face criminal charges for performing an abortion in a medical emergency that causes major bodily impairment. It also defines a "life-threatening" condition as one capable of causing death. THC products ban And in what has turned out to be a very controversial bill, the state will ban all THC products statewide starting in September. After the state allowed hemp sales to support farmers, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick said new smoke shops exploited a loophole in that law. Stores and businesses that sell products have pushed back and hope the Governor will veto the measure. Patrick said businesses and stores are selling dangerous products. "These are bad actors," said Patrick. "These are people who want to kill your kids. They don't give a damn." In response, Thomas Winstanley, Executive Vice President of sent a statement saying, "The Lieutenant Governor's statement is not only deeply irresponsible—it's dangerously misleading. To characterize an entire industry as "bad actors'" who "want to kill your kids" is a flagrant misrepresentation that borders on satire, if it weren't so inflammatory coming from an elected official." The Governor has already signed into law another bill that requires Apple and Google to verify the ages of its app store users. Lawmakers are also spending at least $1 billion a year for the foreseeable future to create new water sources and fix leaky water pipes to accommodate a growing population and industries. Watch Eye On Politics at 7:30 a.m. Sunday morning on CBS News Texas, on air and streaming on the CBS News app. Follow Jack on X: @cbs11jack
CBS News
7 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Historic public school funding bill clears Texas House, awaits Gov. Abbott's signature
The Texas House has passed the largest public school funding increase in state history, sending the measure to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for final approval. Just before 4 p.m., lawmakers in the lower chamber overwhelmingly approved House Bill 2, which allocates $8.5 billion in new funding for public education. Roughly half of that amount will go toward permanent pay raises for most teachers and non-administrative staff. Texas Capitol at sunset on a cloudy day Getty Images/iStockphoto The Senate unanimously approved the measure 31-0 on Friday night. The legislation also includes a significant overhaul of the state's special education programs, aiming to improve services and support for students with disabilities. Republicans say the $8.5 billion increase in public school funding represents the largest single increase in state history. About half of this new money, $4.2 billion, is for teacher pay raises, the largest in state history. Other non-administrative staff will also receive a raise. Teachers with three plus years of experience would receive a raise, and that increase would double in year five. Teachers in rural school districts and five plus years of experience would receive up to $8,000 more. Free pre-K is available for teachers as well.
CBS News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Two bills to keep an eye on as the Texas legislative session wraps up
Here's what bills are left to be signed as Texas Legislature wraps up 89th session Here's what bills are left to be signed as Texas Legislature wraps up 89th session Here's what bills are left to be signed as Texas Legislature wraps up 89th session As the final week of the Texas legislative session begins, there are a few education bills that could make it to the finish line. One of those is the public school funding bill, which is most likely to make it to the governor's desk. The public school funding bill, known as House Bill 2, would increase funding for public education to $8.5 billion. That's a $500 million increase compared to the deal earlier this month. Schools will see per-student funding, or basic allotment, increase by $55, which opponents have said isn't enough. Even with the small increase, it would be the first bump to basic allotment since 2019. The Texas House will most likely accept the bill this week, then it will move to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. Another bill that could cross the governor's desk is House Bill 6 – school discipline for younger students. This bill details how to discipline students in pre-K through second grade and homeless students when there is a repeated and significant disruption. It would overturn Texas laws that previously protected those students. Senators have softened those guidelines, which gives individual schools more autonomy to discipline students. The latest version allows in-student suspensions for as long as the school sees fit, as long as principals review placements every 10 days. The House must concur before it goes to the governor.
CBS News
22-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
New deal would inject $8.5 billion in new money for Texas public schools
New deal would inject record $8.5 billion in new money for Texas public schools New deal would inject record $8.5 billion in new money for Texas public schools New deal would inject record $8.5 billion in new money for Texas public schools The Texas Senate could vote on a new public school funding bill as early as Thursday that would inject a record $8.5 billion in new money for the state's school districts. That is a $500 million increase from the most recent version of the legislation and comes after lawmakers in the House and Senate struck a new deal Wednesday afternoon. Republicans say the $8.5 billion increase in public school funding represents the largest single increase in state history. About half of this new money, $4.2 billion, is for teacher pay raises, the largest in state history. Other non-administrative staff will receive a total of $500 million. Teachers with three plus years of experience would receive a raise and that increase would double in year five. Teachers in rural school districts and five plus years of experience would receive up to $8,000 more. Free pre-K is available for teachers as well. The state will also invest $135 million for teacher preparation and certification programs that will see the phasing out of uncertified teachers by 2030. Those are teachers who have no formal, in-classroom training before being hired. The TEA said last year, 56% of first-time teachers were uncertified. The deal also increases per-student funding by $1,600. There would be an extra $300 million for small and mid-sized school districts and an additional $800 million for growing and rural districts. School safety funding would increase by $430 million. Special education programs would receive an extra $850 million. The Texas Senate is expected to approve the bill. It will then head to the House. Watch Eye On Politics at 7:30 Sunday morning on CBS News Texas on air and streaming
Associated Press
16-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Texas Senate reveals $8 billion school funding plan as it seeks middle ground with House
The Texas Senate on Thursday unveiled its highly anticipated counterproposal to the House's multibillion-dollar public school funding legislation, which would establish a long-term teacher pay raise system tied to years of experience, phase out the state's reliance on untrained teachers by the end of the decade and overhaul the state's special education funding system. Sen. Brandon Creighton, who chairs the Senate's education committee, called his version of House Bill 2, an $8 billion investment into Texas public schools, 'exciting and historic,' adding that the bill would encompass more funding 'than any public education package that we've ever passed.' 'Every single district, from Beaumont to El Paso, from Wichita Falls to McAllen, benefits,' the Conroe Republican said during a public hearing for the legislation on Thursday. The bill is the result of ongoing negotiations between leaders in the House and Senate who have worked to find middle ground between their diverging funding proposals as the end of the 2025 legislative session approaches. The Senate took many of the education bills it passed earlier in the session and combined them into a sweeping 225-page proposal. During early parts of Thursday's hearing, legislators and members of the public highlighted two notable deviations in the Senate bill from the House's nearly $8 billion proposal: a modest $55 per-student increase to public schools' base funding and the absence of millions in funding for fine arts. House lawmakers' version of the bill sought to boost schools' base money, known as the basic allotment, from $6,160 to $6,555 per student, with future increases tied to property values. They also reserved $15 million per year for students in grades 6-12 enrolled in courses like art and music. The Senate's version of HB 2 does not include additional funding the House set aside for students in bilingual education programs and leaves out a provision that would extend free prekindergarten to children with disabilities. Senate Democrats during the meeting also expressed concerns about the revised legislation imposing certain mandates on traditional public schools that do not apply to charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately managed. Under both the House and Senate proposals, for example, only traditional public schools would be required to keep educators without formal training from teaching core subjects and to notify parents when their child has an uncertified instructor. 'With all due respect, sometimes it feels like we call charter schools public schools when it's convenient, when we're helping, but we exclude them from the public school requirements,' said Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio. Among the roughly six dozen Texans who signed up to testify on the Senate's version of HB 2, many spoke in favor of the bill's overall investment in public education. But they raised worries about its proposal to only increase districts' base funding by $55 per student, which they said could potentially leave their schools and staff without adequate support. John Griggs, superintendent of the Blooming Grove Independent School District, called on the Senate education committee to bring back key provisions in the House bill, notably the nearly $400 per-student increase to the basic allotment and bigger investments in smaller schools. 'We're fortunate to have adopted a balanced budget this year, something that many small rural districts across the state couldn't achieve,' said Griggs, whose district is located about 50 miles south of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. 'While that might sound like a win on paper, the reality is it came at a cost — a cost paid by our students, our teachers and our programs. We had to make tough decisions. Budgets were slashed. Our custodians and bus drivers, paraprofessionals, are barely making enough to live on. And most importantly, our students are missing out on experiences they deserve. Our students and staff and our community deserve better.' Alicia Noyola, executive director of the South Texas Association of Schools, thanked the Legislature for its focus on public school funding but said the 'most troubling' aspect of the Senate proposal is that it leaves 'districts with very little flexibility.' 'Most funds are predirected, with almost nothing left for basic operations,' Noyola said. The public hearing comes less than three weeks before the 2025 legislative session ends on June 2. Earlier in the year, lawmakers promised that passage of a private school voucher bill and public school funding legislation would happen in tandem. Gov. Greg Abbott has since signed the voucher program into law. The House and Senate, meanwhile, have not yet come to terms on what the final version of public school funding legislation will look like. Lawmakers have insisted that Texans should not be concerned about the delay and said they are working diligently to arrive at a final agreement. House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, endorsed the Senate's revised plan on Wednesday, adding that 'we are very optimistic and very excited where we're at.' It remains unclear how the majority of Burrows' chamber will respond. In place of a significant increase to schools' base funding like the House's version of the bill proposes — which would largely help districts raise pay for teachers and support staff — senators want to provide educators more money through the following system: Creighton said on Thursday that a significant raise to the basic allotment would mean taking money away from other areas of critical need, like the more than $4 billion in long-term teacher pay raises the Senate is proposing. He also reiterated his belief that direct state investment in areas like teacher pay can free up districts to use more of their base funding elsewhere, like salaries for support staff. School districts have advocated to raise the allotment because it offers them the most flexibility to address the unique needs of their campuses, as opposed to money they can only use for specific purposes determined by the Legislature. The Senate is also proposing an expansion of the Teacher Incentive Allotment, a state program that offers pay raises to educators who demonstrate that they have improved their students' academic outcomes. Only about 6% of Texas teachers currently receive raises through the performance initiative. The Senate previously sought to keep educators with their national teaching certification from automatically qualifying for raises under the Teacher Incentive Allotment, but the new version of the bill would allow them to continue participating. The latest proposal would grant the State Board for Educator Certification authority to review educators' national certification status, which less than 1% of Texas educators have earned, and either reauthorize or take away a teacher's participation in the incentive program. A Republican State Board of Education member, Julie Pickren, recently criticized the rigorous national training for prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, which Republican state lawmakers have targeted even as Texas' student and state populations have grown more diverse. The Senate version of HB 2 also would ensure that, by 2030, traditional public schools no longer hire uncertified teachers to lead instruction in core classroom subjects like math and reading. The state would provide funding for educator preparation and mentorship programs, compensating teaching candidates and current teachers who commit to high quality training initiatives. Additionally, the legislation would invest roughly $1.3 billion in Texas' special education funding overhaul, more than what both the House and Senate previously proposed. The new funding system would direct funding to schools based on the individual needs of each child with a disability, as opposed to basing it on how much time the student spends in a particular classroom setting. Districts would also receive $1,000 for each evaluation assessing a student for a disability — and $3,000 for evaluations of homeschool or private school students during the next two school years. Public schools are required by federal law to conduct those evaluations, even for students who are not regularly on their campuses. The state's recently signed private school voucher law will require public schools to conduct the assessments within 45 days for families hoping to participate in the program. ___ This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
