Texas House members filed a bevy of education bills last week, including a proposed $8 billion investment in public education and a voucher bill that ties the amount of money spent for private schooling to the dollar amount provided to public schools. The Austin American-Statesman reported the bill, filed by Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, would increase the base level of per-student funding by $220 — from $6,160 to $6,380. Additional funds would be provided for special education, bilingual education, transportation and to rural school districts.

The House voucher proposal differs from the version already passed by the Texas Senate in that it sets out a tiered system depending on a family’s income and prioritizes children with special education needs. 

“We want kids in Texas to do better,” Buckley said. “That’s what it’s about.”

At least two Democratic legislators have pushed back. Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, said she was “disappointed” by the proposed increase in per-student funding. The $220 proposed increase does not cover increased costs due to inflation. 

“Our neighborhood schools are desperate for the funding they need to keep their best teachers in the classroom,” Hinojosa said. Rep. James Talarico, D-Round Rock, cast skepticism on Republicans’ claim they have enough votes in the House to pass a voucher program.

“Voucher proponents have a habit of declaring victory prematurely,” Talarico said.

Senate bill would  criminalize hemp products with THC

A bill filed in the Texas Senate would ban all products containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, The Dallas Morning News reported. Thousands of retailers across the state are selling CBD products derived from legally grown hemp but often containing THC. The ban would not affect the sale of nonintoxicating products that contain CBD.

The ban is a priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Senate’s presiding officer.

“We must take bold action to keep dangerous drugs away from our communities and out of our schools, and SB 3 is a critical step in protecting Texas families from unregulated and mislabeled intoxicating products,” Patrick said in December.

Advocates for consumable hemp — gummies, vapes, drinks and other types of products — are advocating a more measured approach that would include limiting the strength, increasing oversight, and banning sales to minors. The proposed ban would not affect the state’s medical marijuana program.

Even if passed, the proposed ban faces an uncertain fate in the House, where no companion legislation has been filed.

Coalition pressing transparency legislation this session

The Texas Sunshine Coalition, which consists of 16 organizations (including Texas Press Association, the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas and the Texas Association of Broadcasters), is working to pass legislation to improve citizens’ access to public information. 

Seven measures have already been introduced, including a bill that would require governments to produce public records in their original format instead of converting them into PDF images that are impossible to search and sort.

Other proposals would require governments to respond to Public Information Act requests. The bills resulted from complaints that some government officials simply ignore requests in spite of state laws. The legislation provides for a complaint process when officials fail to respond. 

Other measures call for resuming access to dates of birth in public records to ensure accuracy when reporting on people with common names; requiring an open government hotline in the Texas Attorney General’s office; and establishing a complaint process when public information is withheld.

More transparency bills are expected to be filed soon.

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