By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX –
Disillusioned in their first term in the Texas House because of an unfulfilled agenda, freshmen House Democrats today urged Gov. Rick Perry to call a special session of the Texas Legislature immediately to address public school reform and public school finance issues after both HB 2 and HB 3 died in the current session.
"A promise made is a debt unpaid," said Rep. Stephen Frost (D-Atlanta). He said legislators came into the 79th session promising better public schools and property tax relief. "We've done neither. We made a promise; we have an unpaid debt."
"We came here ready to do a job, and we're still ready," said Rep. David Leibowitz (D-San Antonio). He said the state has long-term problems that need long-term solutions. "We can't continue with short-term solutions to long-term problems." He offered this analogy: "A doctor who finds a patient who has cancer is not going to send them home with an aspirin."
Saying the legislature did not achieve the "fundamental purpose" of the legislative session - public school reform and finance - Rep. Mark Strama (D-Austin) said legislators need to return "immediately and finish the job."
"I don't have a problem with leadership leading; I have a problem that it didn't start until last week." Strama urged legislators to put aside their differences and their party affiliations to work toward lowering property taxes, increasing spending on public schools and driving that money into the classroom by increasing teacher pay.
The work of the legislature on public school issues has only begun, said Strama. "We stand here and we're disappointed." Strama said despite today being the last day of the session, the freshmen Democrats are "reporting for duty."
Rep. Hubert Vo (D-Houston) addressed the need for the legislature to ensure that public school students have new textbooks. "We need to invest in our children's education today so we don't have to invest in prisons tomorrow," he said, noting young people must have the right educational background and training to compete in job market. Vo called education the "backbone of the state's prosperity and the passport to our children's future."
"We have failed our teachers, we have failed our administrators and we have definitely failed our children," said Rep. Alma Allen (D-Houston). Calling teacher the "foundation of our society," Allen noted there are currently uncertified teachers in 53,000 of the state's classrooms, pointing to the fact that the numbers of persons entering the teaching profession are dwindling. "We must do better," she said.
Touting the Democrats' "Learn and Live" school reform plan, Rep. Veronica Gonzales (D-McAllen) said the proposal included more equity for students, teacher pay increases, restoration of teacher and staff health care benefits cut by the Legislature in 2003, and increased funding for other education programs. She said the proposal was never seriously considered.
Education is the traditional route to improvement and economic mobility, said Rep. Abel Herrero (D-Corpus Christi), and with an increasing Hispanic population, the Texas of the future will see a young, uneducated Hispanic population if education needs are not addressed. Thus he said, "The future of Texas is directly tied to its minority populations."