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The U.S. Congress, after recessing for over a month, reconvenes today (Monday, Nov. 13, 2006) in a lame-duck session to take care of several remaining pieces of business ranging from appropriations bills to homeland security.
As U.S. House members return to D.C., we anticipate that more signatures will be added to a petition that attempts to force consideration of legislation that would repeal the Social Security offsets that penalize most Texas school employees. The petition must have at least 218 signatures to take effect, and thus far 120 signatures have been received.
Given that the process started shortly before the break in September, we expect new signatures to be added now that lawmakers are back in town. TCTA encourages members to contact your own Texas Congressional representative (so far, 12 members of the 32-member Texas delegation have signed the petition) to advocate for quick action on this measure.
Also of particular interest to educators is a tax-extender proposal that would continue the “Crayola tax credit” allowing teachers and certain other school employees to deduct from federal taxes up to $250 worth of out-of-pocket classroom expenditures. TCTA has been working through our Washington, D.C. lobbyist to expand the amount of the credit and to extend it to cover prekindergarten classrooms.
Updated: 11/13/06
