Time for the week that was in Texas politics with Emily Ramshaw, editor-in-chief of the Texas Tribune.
As the last weekend of the special session begins, the House has passed its first legislation, sending the two must-pass sunset bills on to Gov. Greg Abbott.
Ramshaw says another issue that has the potential to move on for signature is property tax reform, on which the House and Senate have not been able to agree. Ramshaw thinks leaders of the chambers will be able to strike a deal. The House will be working on property tax legislation this weekend.
Ramshaw thinks lawmakers are less likely to agree on school finance.
“They might find some sort of compromise to study the issue, but I don’t think we’re going to a big deal worked out in the final days of the special,” she says.
The so-called “bathroom bill” is going nowhere in the House, says Ramshaw. A priority of the Senate and its leader, Lt. Gove. Dan Patrick, legislation that would restrict transgender people to the bathroom associated with their birth gender has been ignored in the lower chamber.
Listen to the full interview in the audio player above.
I think the bathroom bill is the most heinous piece of legislation ever proposed. Drop it and never let it see the light of day again. However, school finance and the education of every child is critical to their success as well as to the success of our society. Education in Texas is abominable and a complete embarrassment. The lawmakers of our state need to get their egos out of the way and prioritize the education and well being our our children.