Source : Special session on school finance looms after Senate filibuster
By Terrence Stutz/Reporter
12:43 AM on Mon., May. 30, 2011 | Permalink
Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, derailed the GOP-backed school finance legislation - cutting $2 billion a year from public schools - with a short filibuster that ended just after midnight on Monday morning. The measure had already passed the House with solid Republican support and Senate sponsors were hoping to push the bill through before the midnight deadline for passage - until Davis took the floor and said she would be talking at length against the proposal.
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and GOP leaders in the Senate still held out the possibility that they could get the necessary four-fifths vote of the chamber to suspend rules and take up the legislation on the last day of the regular session on Monday. But that would require at least six Democrats to join the 19 Republicans in voting to bring the proposal up - a margin that might be very difficult to achieve. Dewhurst said he is prepared to go into a special session to pass the legislation if necessary.
If the votes are not there to approve the measure Monday, Gov. Rick Perry has said he will call a special session as early as Tuesday to take up school finance. Perry also has the ability to add other issues that failed during the regular session, such as a measure to prohibit sanctuary cities in Texas for illegal immigrants. Davis said she decided to block passage of the school measure because it would cut education funding by $4 billion over the next two years and threatens the jobs of thousands of teachers and school employees. She does not favor a tax increase to make up the deficit, but wants to see the state tap its rainy day fund - which will have more than $6 billion in the coming two-year budget cycle.
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