Photo Courtesy of Office of the Governor Rick Perry
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Governor Rick Perry and Washington lawmakers are battling over money again. This time the issue is federal legislation that would pay for Texas school employees. But Perry claims the bill’s restrictions violate the Texas Constitution. KERA’s Shelley Kofler explains.
August 11, 2010 · As cash-strapped school districts prepare to open their doors, Congress is providing money to prevent teacher layoffs.
Texas could receive almost $831 million. Those funds would pay the salaries of an estimated 14,500 teachers and support staff beginning this fall. Districts with a lot of at-risk students would benefit most.
But to claim the money Texas must promise to spend it on its stated purpose and resist cutting certain state education spending for the next three years. Spokesperson Katherine Cesinger says the Governor believes that’s unconstitutional.
"The governor cannot bind future legislatures and that’s what this amendment is asking,"Cesinger said. "It’s asking to guarantee the legislature will provide a certain level of funding through 2013."
Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett says Perry is just concocting “phony legalistic arguments.”
"There is absolutely no constitutional limitation on doing right by our Texas school children," Doggett said.
In fact, the Austin Democrat wrote an amendment to the bill that singles out Texas and Governor Perry. On the floor of the U.S. House, Doggett accused Perry of “mismanaging” federal school money last year.
"You can be sure Texas is singled out by this legislation," Doggett proclaimed. "It was singled out by a Governor who grabbed $3.2 billion of federal aid to education to bailout a mismanaged state government. That’s the bailout that occurred. It occurred last year in the state of Texas. We didn’t send that federal aid for education to Texas to plug a mismanaged state budget. We sent it to help our school children."
Cesinger called Doggett’s amendment partisan.
"This is unfortunate Washington is continuing to play partisan games with Texas tax dollars."
The Governor promised to fight the injustice, though he didn’t say how.
In a conference call with the media, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said his office will be working with all states –- including Texas -- to make sure the newly appropriated money reaches their schools quickly.
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