Rep. Evelina "Lina" Ortega (incumbent)
Democrat
Position sought: Representative, District 77
- Website: https://www.linafortexas.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/linafortexas/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lina4texas
Education group support
- Rated “friendly” by Texans For Public Education
Record on Key House Votes in 2023
| Vote 1 | Vote 2 | Vote 3 |
|---|---|---|
 | | |
The following were some of the key bills and amendments of interest to educators during the 2021 regular session.
- Vote No. 1 — HB 1 Voucher Funding Amendment by Herrero: HB 1 by Bonnen/Huffman was the budget bill for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 fiscal years. Rep. Herrero offered an amendment that would prohibit the use of state funds for a voucher program. The amendment passed, 86-52. A vote FOR the amendment is in support of TCTA's position; a vote AGAINST the amendment is in opposition to TCTA's position.
- Vote No. 2 — HB 100 Basic Allotment Increase Amendment by Martinez Fischer: HB 100 was a wide-ranging school finance bill by King. It included a small increase to the basic allotment. Rep. Martinez Fischer offered an amendment that would further increase the basic allotment beyond what King proposed. The amendment failed 68-79. A vote FOR the amendment is in support of TCTA’s position; a vote AGAINST the amendment is in opposition to TCTA’s position.
- Vote No. 3 — HB 1 Anti-Voucher Amendment by Raney: A separate HB 1 by Buckley during the fourth special session created an education savings account (or private school voucher) program similar to SB 8 in the regular session, additional funding for public schools, a teacher salary increase, special education and virtual education proposals, and more. Rep. Raney proposed an amendment that would remove the voucher portion of the bill. After intense debate on the House floor, the amendment passed 84-63. A vote FOR the amendment is in support of TCTA’s position; a vote AGAINST the amendment is in opposition to TCTA’s position.
Rep. Evelina "Lina" Ortega (incumbent)
Democrat
Position sought: Representative, District 77
- Website: https://www.linafortexas.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/linafortexas/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lina4texas
Education group support
- Rated “friendly” by Texans For Public Education
- Endorsed by Texas Parent PAC
Record on Key House Votes in 2021
| Vote 1 | Vote 2 | Vote 3 | Vote 4 | Vote 5 | Vote 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |
The following were some of the key bills and amendments of interest to educators during the 2021 regular session.
- Vote No. 1 — SB 1 by Nelson/Bonnen was the budget bill for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 fiscal years. Rep. Herrero offered an amendment that would prohibit the use of state funds for a voucher program. The amendment passed 115-29. A vote FOR the amendment is in support of TCTA’s position; a vote AGAINST the amendment is in opposition to TCTA’s position.
- Vote No. 2 — HB 1525 by Huberty/Taylor makes revisions and corrections to the major school finance bill of 2019. Rep. Chris Turner offered a TCTA-proposed amendment to protect teacher pay raises, so that districts must pay an employee compensation at least equal to what the employee received for the 2019-20 school year. The amendment passed 97-49. A vote FOR the amendment is in support of TCTA’s position; a vote AGAINST the amendment is in opposition to TCTA’s position.
- Vote No. 3 — HB 3979 by Toth/Creighton was the first of two bills designed to address concerns about public schools teaching “critical race theory.” Though the issue was highly politicized, TCTA’s opposition to the bill was based on concerns about potential legal issues for teachers, not on politics. The bill passed the House 79-65. TCTA opposed the bill. A vote FOR HB 3979 is in opposition to TCTA’s position; a vote AGAINST HB 3979 is in support of TCTA’s position.
- Vote No. 4 — SB 2081 by Menendez/Talarico extends 22:1 class-size caps to prekindergarten. The bill passed the House 86-61. TCTA supported the bill. A vote FOR SB 2081 is in support of TCTA’s position; a vote AGAINST SB 2081 is in opposition to TCTA’s position.
- Vote No. 5 — HB 1348 by Deshotel would have granted additional power to the organizations operating charter schools, and limited the ability of local officials to respond to community concerns about new charter schools in the area. The bill failed in the House 66-72. TCTA opposed the bill. A vote FOR HB 1348 is in opposition to TCTA’s position; a vote AGAINST HB 1348 is in support of TCTA’s position.
- Vote No. 6 — SB 1267 by West/Lozano streamlines teacher professional development and training requirements with the goal of ensuring that teachers have enhanced ability to select training that is meaningful and relevant to their needs. The bill passed the House 112-27. TCTA supported the bill. A vote FOR SB 1267 is in support of TCTA’s position; a vote AGAINST SB 1267 is in opposition to TCTA’s position.
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