Updates from the Capitol | TCTA
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Updates from the Capitol

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During legislative sessions, TCTA's top-ranked lobby team is at the Texas Capitol every day, working on behalf of Texas teachers and other classroom professionals. Our lobbyists carefully monitor and testify on legislation that could affect TCTA members and provide daily reports on legislative action. These updates are provided below and compiled and emailed weekly via the TCTA eUpdate newsletter.

Education funding issues firm up in House committee

May 22, 2021

Subcommittees of the House Appropriations Committee are meeting this week to consider revisions to the base budget bill, to be presented to the full…

Legislative action slows down as major bills remain in limbo

May 21, 2021

The House and Senate appear to have begun a standoff, with key bills in one chamber being held until particular legislation passes in the other.…

Sen. Education Committee holds lengthy hearing on House bills

May 21, 2021

The Senate Education Committee had a long agenda for its Friday meeting, which could be its last of the session (though there is still a small amount…

Special education voucher bill passes House committee after significant amendments

May 18, 2021

The Coalition for Public Schools, of which TCTA is an active member, opposed SB 1716, a special education supplemental services bill that was…

Abbott says schools can't require masks after June 4

May 18, 2021

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that government entities, including school districts, will no longer be allowed to require face masks. For…

Controversial civics bill passes committee

May 17, 2021

After being set on the schedule at the last minute, then deleted, then added back in, HB 3979 passed out of the Senate State Affairs Committee Monday…

Accelerated instruction/outcomes based bonuses bill clears the Senate

May 17, 2021

The Senate passed SB 2094 Monday. The bill is one of a handful of proposals that would provide districts with bonus funding based on student…

Best and worst bills we're watching

May 14, 2021

As the House reached a critical deadline this week and the last day of the session (May 31) is just over two weeks away, our list of more than 800…

Testing bills approved by House

May 13, 2021

Two more bills related to state standardized tests have passed the House and are headed to the Senate. Another, reducing state testing to only those…

HB 4545 revived, passes House on initial vote

May 13, 2021

HB 4545 by Rep. Harold Dutton refused to give up the ghost earlier this week when it was voted down 68-72 over concerns raised by school districts…