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October 2024 Legislative Update on upcoming 89th Session
by Randy Willis, Executive Director
Unpredictable Nature of Texas Politics
- Texas politics is highly unpredictable, and much remains uncertain until the legislative session begins.
Upcoming Elections
- Key focus is on the November election, following a significant primary shift:
- Six Republican representatives lost seats targeted by the governor, and six more did not seek reelection.
- This could lead to 12 new representatives, likely aligned with the governor's initiatives.
- They may be as many as 33 new state representatives in the 89th legislative session
- Speculation about seats flipping to Democrats ranges from 2 to 6.
- Down-ballot races may be influenced by the presidential and senatorial elections with high energy turn out.
Speaker's Race
- Speaker Phelan faced a tough primary but is expected to win in November.
- A faction of Republicans, led by Representative Cook, is working to unseat him. Cook has support from 40-45 representatives but needs 76 votes to secure the position.
- Democrats hold 64 seats, making their support crucial in determining the next speaker.
- Phelan has strengthened his position by hiring:
- Mike Toomey as chief of staff, a former state representative and well-known political strategist and lobbyist.
- Former Governor Rick Perry as an advisor, signaling a strong effort to retain his speakership.
School Vouchers/Education Savings Accounts
- Governor Abbott has prioritized passing some form of voucher or education savings account legislation.
- November election results may impact the likelihood of its passage:
- It's expected that the governor will place this issue on an emergency call, fast-tracking it for early session consideration.
- TARS will be neutral on any legislation on vouchers or ESA until we see the bill. We will work on guardrails to ensure any voucher legislation includes:
- Student outcome accountability, School accreditation, School audits, State financial limits, and protective measures for public schools.
Other Key Legislative Issues
- Discussion and investment in the Electric Grid upgrades and State Water issues will be targeted during the session and will take a lot of state budget finances.
Public Education
- Basic allotment increase:
- Likely to see some increase. It will probably depend on how much other programs are funded.
- Special Education Funding:
- Likely to see an increase based on the recent Special Education Commission findings.
- School Safety:
- Expect a push for more funding after the underfunded previous school safety bill.
House Bill 1605
- State Board of Education will vote on it in November, focusing on the Commissioner's Open Education Resources (OER).
- Could influence future legislative actions.
TARS Legislative Priorities
- Key focus on the small and mid-sized school adjustment allotment:
- Significant pay gap exists between smaller districts and urban/suburban districts.
- TARS is pushing for a substantial increase in this allotment.
- TARS is advocating for legislation that broadly supports small and mid-sized schools:
- Positive support and feedback from legislators during discussions.
Senate Bill 1828: Holocaust Education
- SB 1828 requires the teaching of Holocaust education in January.
- Establishes the Texas Holocaust Commission with a mission to develop resources for schools.
- Districts should ensure compliance of 1828 and possible utilize available resources from the THGAA commission when available. (maybe with help from Service Centers)
Final Thoughts
- While much remains speculative, these are a few key issues and updates ahead of the session.
Randy Willis
Executive Director
Texas Association of Rural Schools (TARS)
512-705-0477
rwillis.tars@outlook.com
Web site: www.TARSED.org