Special Session Begins Immediately

By Shelley Kofler, KERA News

Austin, TX – Texas lawmakers thought they would adjourn and head home Monday, but Governor Perry has called them into a special session beginning Tuesday at 8 am. Among issues Perry wants addressed is a key school funding bill that died after a filibuster, as KERA's Shelley Kofler reports from Austin.

The call for "sine die" usually means that's it. Texas lawmakers can go home after a 140 days of meeting.

But this brutal budget slashing session ended without an agreement on a must-pass bill that tells the state how to distribute public school money. So the Governor is calling lawmakers back immediately.

The school funding bill died after Senator Wendy Davis of Fort Worth filibustered and killed it Sunday night.

Davis says she was standing up against the $4 billion being cut from public schools because it pushes the cost of education down to local communities.

Davis: What we're saying is use your reserve funds school districts but we're not going to use our Rainy Day Fund. And number two, hold elections and increase your property taxes at the local level if you need more money to educate our children.

Representative Joe Deshotel from Beaumont joined other Democrats in saying he welcomes a special session so the public can finally testify about school funding.

Deshotel: We can demand we have hearings where teachers can come up here and have their say as to how it's going to affect their classrooms.

Democrats continue to call for using more of the Rainy Day reserve fund to pay for schools, but the Senate's chief budget writer, Republican Steve Ogden from Bryan, says that money is already committed.

To balance the budget lawmakers deferred billions of dollars in Medicaid and other expenses to 2013, the next budget cycle. The legislature is banking on increased sales tax and property tax revenue to fill that void. Republicans say the Rainy Day Fund is their backstop.

Ogden: Maybe the economy will grow great in the next few years but if it doesn't the Rainy Day fund will be there to ensure the Medicaid program doesn't run out of money.

Republicans say they don't expect the school funding bill to be changed when it comes up in the special session. And they'll be able to work around Democrats because Senate rules during a special session allow Republicans to pass legislation with a simple majority.

Perry's special session charge also asks lawmakers to look at school efficiencies which may include giving districts the authority to furlough teachers or cut salaries instead of laying off personnel. The Governor also wants lawmakers to pass legislation that contains healthcare costs.

Email Shelley Kofler