Back to square one

Speaker Craddick is going to air radio spots about school finance.

"Recently, I acknowledged the Legislature's impasse on school finance and tax reforms. I wanted to level with all Texans concerning our difficult struggle in Austin.

The House passed strong school and tax reform measures early in the regular and first called special sessions. The Texas Senate, however, sent a bill to the House that watered down or eliminated those reforms. As Speaker, I don't believe the House should be a party to passing legislation that doesn't contain proper education reforms such as more local control and accountability.

"In the event that the Texas Supreme Court issues an opinion requiring some action, the Legislature will make the necessary adjustments. However, we will not continue to put more money into a system without the reforms to fix it.

"I promise you: Any school reform bill that passes the Texas House will contain real reforms."

Also, it looks like HB 8, the new tax bill, and HB 71, the education reform bill, are going to make a go in the House. So, we're talking about the governor's tax plan and HB 2 before it went through committee. Super.

I'm convinced that the Lege is going to remain ineffective as long as it is filled with the same people whose idea of tax relief is raising taxes on the poor and whose idea of a teacher pay raise is to restore cuts to benefits. We need knew legislators and a new speaker. That's my school finance plan.