Six Weeks Left, Plenty of Work to be Done

Come Monday, April 20, we’re down to 6 weeks left in the 81st Texas Legislature. Up to this point, most of the work has been done in the various committees and behind-the-scenes. To allow the committees to do their work, floor sessions have been limited in time and scope.

As we get into the home stretch, though, this pattern will change. With procedural deadlines approaching, bills need to start moving from committee or they will die there. Bills that aren’t approved by committees this coming week will have a very hard time making it through the process—regardless of how much support they have.

On Friday, the House took up SB 1—the appropriations bill. Historically, the passage of the budget kicks off the last phase of the session. Instead of spending hours in committee hearings vetting bills, the House and Senate will spend more time in floor debate. While still important, the committee process is less about studying bills and more about either moving them through the process or letting them die.
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Articles in this issue of TIER CAPITOL UPDATE Volume1, Issue7

• Summary of Key Legislation
  • Accountability
  • Charter Schools
  • Career and Technology Education (CTE)
  • Data Systems
  • Dropout Prevention
  • Prekindergarten Programs
  • State Board of Education
  • Teacher Quality

Read the entire issue in PDF