Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas With a special provision singling out Texas & mandating the states future funding levels for education in order to access federal stimulus dollars the U.S. Senate late yesterday passed a $26 billion education stimulus fund bill that some say will help states ease severe budget problems.
Today Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst conducted a Press Briefing to discuss & respond to the Senates passage of an FAA Authorization & Education Jobs Stimulus Bill specifically its provision targeting Texas state control over school funding.
Texas Insider spoke to Lieut. Governor Dewhurst afterward regarding his opinion that Texas was being singled out.
Senate Republicans say it is unclear why this funding is needed since states have yet to spend $33.7 billion of the nearly $100 billion in education stimulus funding provided in February 2009s stimulus package.
Dont miss our exclusive comments from Lt. Gov. Dewhurst and stay tuned for tomorrows full
press briefing coverage & commentary from Texas political leaders regarding the possible loss of Texas Education Funds ... coming on TXTVs
On the Horizon.
In order to access the $10 billion education stimulus fund or recieve federal dollars Texas governor would be required to promise to maintain state funding for elementary and secondary education
paid
for out of state not federal revenues
at specified levels through fiscal year 2013.
In a move initiated by Congressman Lloyd Doggett of Austin during House debate
which many see as unconstitutional the Secretary of Education is required to overrule those Governors not promising such guarantees by directing the funds to another entity within the state.
The Texas Constitution prohibits Gov. Perry or any future governor from committing to future legislative spending which is the sole responsibility of the Texas State Legislature.
Doggetts House amendment prompted State Senator Florence Shapiro Chair of the Senate Education Committee to write a letter to
Letter to Congressman Lloyd Doggett.
Shapiros letter began by saying
It was with utter shock & amazement that I 
witnessed your involvement and brazen actions …"
Spokesmen for both the Texas Education Agency and Sen. John Cornyn said the provision likely would mean Texas would lose more than $800 million in federal money for its schools.
Its going to be nearly insurmountable for Texas to get any funds out of this said Kevin McLaughlin spokesman for Sen. John Cornyn R-Texas.
Its completely and totally impossible for the state of Texas to comply with the law as it is written McLaughlin said.
We dont think its fair that theyre just singling out Texas said Debbie Ratcliffe a spokeswoman for the
Texas Education Agency.
If this is a good idea then why not make it apply to all states? asked Ratcliffe.
Republican critics also said it does not target funds to the areas that need them most and does nothing to ensure the most effective teachers remain in
the classroom.
Since most school districts operate on a last hired first fired" basis teachers who have been in the classroom the longest will likely be retained even if they have no positive impact on student performance.
The $10 billion Education Jobs Fund" amendment offered to H.R. 1586 by Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Patty Murray (D-WA) Senate Amendment #4567 would authorize a $10 billion fund to bail out teachers unions as well as $16.1 billion to extend Medicaid funding.
It would provide mandated funding formulas to participating states requiring them to flow monies down to local school districts to provide compensation
benefits and other expenses to:
Retain current employees- Rehire old employees and
- Hire new employees
The funding requirements would apply not only to teachers but to all school employees including:
- Administrators
- Janitors
- Counselors and
- Nutrition specialists
During Senate debate of the Financial Regulatory Reform Bill (S. 2031) earlier this year in a vote on an almost identical measure all 41 Republican senators and six Democratic senators joined together to oppose a taxpayer bailout of fiscally irresponsible state & local governments (Roll Call Vote #153).
Running counter to partial analyses by the Texas Education Agency preliminary estimates from the
National Education Association claim the $800 million would help save nearly 13400 jobs in Texas education.
Cornyns spokesman said Texas two Republican Senators were unable to gather enough support in the Democratic-led Senate to strip the provision from the legislation -- leading some to claim politics were brought to bear
after Texas last year refused to participate in the
Obama Administrations Race to the Top federal curriculum & funding initiative.
No changes are expected in the House during its deliberations next week either.
A spokeswoman for
Congressman Lloyd Doggett the Texas Democrat responsible for drafting the original amendment in a House version of the bill said he put forth the provision because he & House Democrats which included fellow-Texas Congressman Chet Edwards of Waco were unhappy with the way Texas handled federal stimulus dollars last year.
