Lawmakers primed for next session
By BRENDA ALLUMS news1@kilgorenewsherald.com

ELTIFE

Local legislators are gearing up for a return to Austin in about month for another special on Texas school finance.

Gov. Rick Perry announced the special session will convene on April 17. Perry has indicated that the special session will only focus on property taxes, at least at first, in order to meet the requirements set out by the Texas Supreme Court.

The legislature is faced with a state supreme court mandate to "find a new funding formula for public schools by summer."

The court wants a plan ready by June 1.

However, Rep. Chuck Hopson (DJacksonville), said no one has seen what the governor's call for the session is yet.

"The call is what we can work on specifically," Hopson explained. "We can't work on anything else."

Hopson said he hopes the call will be on school finance and "will be very narrow."

"I hope we can size down property taxes, find money for education, add $1 on the price of cigarettes and get out of Dodge," he said.

Hopson believes if the scope of the special session is "very narrow" the chances of success are probable.

"If we can do something to reduce property tax and shift some of the property tax over to companies that haven't been paying any, we should be able to get the finance bill approved," Hopson said.

HOPSON

Hopson is worried that the scope of the proposal might be broad and include vouchers, universal starting dates and

other reforms.

"If that's the case, then we won't make much progress," he said.

Hopson said he is sending Perry a letter requesting teacher pay raises be on the call for the special session.

"We need to do something for them," he said.

"I am eager to get back to Austin and do what is best for the hard-working families of East

Texas," Hopson said. "I will work with my colleagues in a bipartisan fashion to pass legislation that restructures our tax system and is fair to all businesses big and small as well as homeowners. In order to do that, we have to put the politics of the past special sessions aside and come together to put our children, their teachers and our families first."

Hopson said he is "glad to join our local State Sen. Kevin Eltife in his call to increase teacher pay and address other critical education improvements facing our public schools. To overhaul the tax system and ignore education would be irresponsible. I call for Gov. Perry to open up the special session for both education and tax reform. The time to act is now."

MERRITT

"I'm ready to work with the legislative leaders to come up with a plan," said. Rep. Tommy Merritt (R-Longview). "I'm ready to roll up my sleeves to fight for the constituents of my district."

Merritt said he is looking forward to Gov. Perry announcing a comprehensive school finance program "that's fair ... will provide property tax relief and include fairness for those paying the energy taxes (minerals)."

Merritt said he's hoping for a "comprehensive reorganization of the school finance system" and not just a plan that addresses taxes.

Sen. Kevin Eltife (R Tyler) looks for this fourth special session to possibly run right up to the June 1 deadline.

"This is a tough issue," he said. "The problem is that everyone has an idea (on how to solve this problem) and I hope everyone has the political courage to do the right thing."

Eltife said he hopes the session results in a permanent solution to the school finance problem.

"I'm in favor of a broad-based business tax that is fair and equitable to everyone," Eltife said. "I want to make sure everyone from the small business that make less than $300,000 annually to the large manufactures -shares the burden of financing public education."

Eltife said one proposal circulating is using the surplus funds to buy down the tax rate.

"This is a short-term fix," he said. "It's a Band-Aid. That surplus may not be there next year."

Hopson agrees with Eltife on not using the state surplus.

"The comptroller said there's something like $4.5 billion in excess now," Hopson said. "If we use that to buy down taxes then we're starting some trouble and we'll be back here in January, starting all over again."

All three legislators are adamant about wanting to "cut property taxes and fund education."

Eltife said he also recently sent a letter to Perry requesting teacher pay raises be included in this session.

"The teachers desperately need a pay raise along with a cut in taxes," Eltife said.