Teach the Vote’s Week in Review: July 7, 2023

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The ATPE Governmental Relations team recaps the past week’s education news, legislative and election updates, and regulatory developments.

HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE: Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R–Beaumont) recently appointed a new House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment, and that committee is set to meet Tuesday, July 11–Wednesday, July 12. These are likely to be the committee’s only public meetings before it reports its findings ahead of another special session. Many expect Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to call a special session to try to pass private school vouchers in late August or September. 

The select committee is charged with studying three topics: 

  1. Ensuring all Texas youths enjoy equal educational opportunity and the freedom to obtain quality education, regardless of circumstance. (This charge is likely to focus on discussions of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and other types of vouchers.)   
  2. Improving outcomes for Texas public school students and meaningfully supporting educators and educational institutions. (This charge will include teacher retention and school improvement recommendations, including the findings of last year’s Teacher Vacancy Task Force.) 
  3. Modernizing assessment and accountability measures for Texas schools educating K-12 students. (This charge will cover potential changes to our state’s testing and accountability laws, which were brought up late in the 2023 regular legislative session.)  

Committee members will hear invited testimony only at next week’s meetings, but there is still an opportunity for educators to share their input. ATPE is encouraging educators to submit written feedback to the select committee through its online portal. Find instructions for submitting public comments and more information in this blog post from ATPE Lobbyist Tricia Cave. 

DEMOCRATS’ TAX RELIEF PLAN: A group of Democratic state representatives shared a plan Thursday to reduce property taxes while increasing funding for public schools and teacher pay. Property tax relief is the subject of the current special session, but the House and Senate have been unable to reach an agreement yet on how best to tackle the issue.  

Rep. John Bryant (D–Dallas), joined by five of his House colleagues, held a July 6 press conference to announce the proposal in his House Bill (HB) 62. The bill would raise the Basic Allotment (BA) by $1,000 and enable automatic adjustments to the BA every two years based on the Consumer Price Index. The BA increases would also trigger teacher pay raises. The Democrats’ plan would give homeowners a homestead exemption of $100,000 or 25% of appraised value, and HB 62 would offer rebates to renters who meet certain criteria. 

The Texas Senate recently passed its version of a tax relief proposal that includes funding, which expires after the 24-25 school year, for a supplemental payment for full-time classroom teachers, as we reported here. The Democratic House members backing HB 62 explained during the press conference why they believe their plan is superior to the Senate’s and other measures advocated by Abbott. Read more about the development in this blog post from ATPE Lobbyist Tricia Cave. 

ATPE SUMMIT: ATPE members from around the state will gather in Round Rock next week for the annual ATPE Summit, an opportunity to network with their peers and earn continuing professional education (CPE) credit for attending a variety of educational presentations. This year’s event features general sessions with keynote speakers, professional development breakouts, and an advocacy update from ATPE’s state and federal lobbyists. Members will be recognized with several awards, such as the Charles Pickitt Educator of the Year Awards, and ATPE will present its Alafair Hammett Media Award for coverage of public education issues and its prestigious Judy Coyle Texas Liberty Award for public education advocacy. Tuesday, July 11, is the association’s annual House of Delegates meeting, during which ATPE members will adopt a legislative program for 2023-24 and consider other business. Learn more about the ATPE Summit here.  

LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP: Don’t forget to check out ATPE’s 88th Regular Legislative Session Wrap-Up written by the ATPE lobby team. It offers a comprehensive summary of the unsuccessful efforts to pass vouchers, ATPE’s progress addressing its legislative priorities, and a breakdown of public education-related bills and their outcomes.  Read ATPE’s 88th Regular Legislative Session Wrap-u

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