As we join together with family and friends this Christmas, it is my hope that amidst the hustle and bustle we will give pause to reflect on the real reason for the holiday season. With all of the fanfare and pageantry surrounding the holidays – from gift giving and stocking stuffing, to bright lights and extravagant decorations – we often overlook the greatest gift the world has ever received. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” I hope you’ll join me this holiday, and everyday thereafter, in sharing the good news by showing how grateful we are for the most precious gift of all.
With that, here’s an update from your State Capitol…
What to Watch For: 86th Legislative Session
Last year, the Legislature established the Texas Commission on Public School Finance to examine and recommend possible improvements to the way the state funds K-12 education. After months of meetings seeking input from teachers, administrators, and school finance experts from across the state, the 13-member commission recently released a report with 30 recommendations aimed at boosting public education funding, providing property tax relief for Texans, and improving student performance.
While these recommendations cover a wide range of possible improvements, I was pleased to see that the commission’s most notable finding is that the state must allocate more state funding to education. I’ve always maintained that our top priority must be to fix our broken school finance system in a way that increases the state’s contribution to our public schools, rather than relying so heavily on local taxpayers to foot the bill for a quality education through property taxes. As legislators, it is our duty to ensure that our schools have the resources they need to not only provide a world class education, but to also take care of the active and retired teachers who have devoted their lives to the future of our state.
I applaud the Commission on their hard work over the last year, and I look forward to working with my fellow legislators during the upcoming session to invest in our children’s future. I know that the Texas House will remain committed to making substantial improvements to our school finance system that drive positive outcomes for students, establish incentives for our state’s best teachers, and promote equity among all districts – no matter how small or large.
Reminders
With the holiday season upon us and many special events in all areas of House District 57, please be advised that the mobile office has suspended its regular Wednesday schedule until the start of 2019. For any questions you may have, or issues you need help resolving, please reach out to one of our offices. We will make every effort to facilitate meetings and respond to your needs. Our district office may be reached at (936) 634-2762, or you can call our Capitol office at (512) 463-0508.
