The work of the 80th Legislature will impact Texas families, school children, and taxpayers for generations to come.
Just as we did in 2005, House Democrats propose a responsible, positive agenda that offers the best public policy options on the issues most important to Texans. As we demonstrated in the second special session of 2005 - when a bipartisan majority supported a Democratic plan that would have provided more property tax relief for the majority of homeowners and provided more revenue for our children’s schools - we can find a better way when legislators are allowed to express their will. 
Texans of all political persuasions expect us to address priorities like public education, access to health care, utility rate relief, control of college tuition rates, and restoring the public trust through stricter ethics regulations. This year, despite a record $14 billion state surplus, we may not be able to properly fund important priorities like our children’s schools and health care needs unless a plan passed by the Republican leadership in 2006 is modified. The new business tax that was supposed to replace property tax revenue has come up billions of dollars short of that goal, and instead of helping finance schools, billions of state tax dollars could go to pay for a property tax cut that primarily benefits corporate interests and the wealthiest property owners.
Moving Texas Forward: 80th Texas Legislature illustrates how the legislature should address important state priorities, including:
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•Improving our children’s schools with an equitable funding system that puts a priority on our children’s classrooms and teachers and provides more property tax relief for the majority of Texas families. We also seek to restore legislative control of skyrocketing college tuition increases that threaten the opportunity for children from many middle class families to receive a college education;
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•Making Texas healthier through better access to health care and a cleaner environment, with an emphasis on extending children’s health insurance (CHIP) coverage and protecting vital state resources from irresponsible political schemes that reward special interests at the expense of our health and environment;
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•Requiring stricter ethical standards for the operation of state government and the conduct of political campaigns, and promoting tax and budget policy that emphasizes accountability to the public instead of handing critical state functions over to private operators who profit from our tax dollars; and
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•Protecting the rights of Texas homeowners, property owners and consumers; honoring the service of Texas veterans and law enforcement officers; and providing security for all Texans, especially our seniors.
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Improving Our Public Schools
From pre-kindergarten to college, educational opportunity makes democracy work by providing the next generation with the skills needed to work together to make their world better.
Improving Our Children’s Schools
The opportunity for every child to receive a quality public education from a qualified teacher in a safe environment is the key to our future.
This package of bills will help improve our schools by making textbooks more affordable, eradicating gang activity from our school yards, increasing support services to students with disabilities, fixing the changes made to the school finance system, changing the ratios of students taught by new or uncertified teachers, providing for fairer testing of our students, helping solve the drop-out crisis, improving the software system used to manage public and charter schools and making teachers’ salaries more competitive. 
Texas teachers are paid, on average, $4,000 a year less than the national average. HB 1625 raises teacher salaries to the national average.
ALSO SEE: Taxes & Budget Policy
Lowers the class-size limit for pre-kindergarten classes to twenty-two students.
Eliminates the high stakes nature of standardized testing for elementary, middle, and high school students by allowing students to advance if they pass other specified student performance measures, should they not meet standards on the TAKS test.
Ensures safety at our children's schools by enacting tougher rules against bullying in classrooms and creating safe school units within the Department of Public Safety to provide information concerning juvenile delinquency and juvenile substance abuse.
Requires that all new school buses have seat belts for students.
Encourages libraries to offer access to computers with high-speed Internet connections.
Allows for free breakfast and/or lunch for all students in schools where at least sixty percent of the students at the school qualify for the free breakfast and lunch programs.
Requires school boards to adopt policies and procedures to prevent various forms of harassment in public schools.
Guarantees that no public school administrator may deny educators the right to a duty-free lunch, personal leave, and classroom planning and preparatory time.
ALSO SEE: Health & Human Services
Securing Teacher Retirement
Texas' contribution to the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) has not increased since 1996. In order to secure the benefits promised to both retired and current teachers who are paid far less than the value of their important work, several House Democrats have filed bills to insure the solvency of TRS and adjust benefits to keep up with inflation and other costs that impact retired teachers. Their bills are listed below.
Higher Education - The Key to Tomorrow
A college education is required for individuals - and our nation - to succeed in the new global economy. No qualified student should be denied the opportunity to receive a college education due to financial need or tuition rates that are out of control.
Requires high schools to notify a student and the student's family if he or she is eligible to enter a Texas college or university under the Top 10% law.
Under current law, children of deceased or disabled firefighters are exempt from paying tuition and fees at colleges and universities. HB 741 expands the law to include all children of disabled or deceased law enforcement officers.
Reduces the cost of college textbooks by changing the way colleges and universities sell, package, and offer textbooks to students.
Expands access to TEXAS grants for community college students transferring to a university.
Eliminates tuition deregulation and restores legislative authority to control tuition rates for all Texas college and universities at formula levels that were in place in 2003.
ALSO SEE: Taxes & Budget Policy
Re-opens the doors for the Texas Tomorrow Fund so Texas families can lock in current tuition rates, making it more affordable for them to send their children to college.
Increases the availability of tuition and fee exemptions available to the dependents of our brave soldiers.
Prohibits the marketing of allegedly "pre-approved" credit cards to students at college campuses.
Exempts college textbooks for university and college courses from the sales tax at the start of the fall and spring semester.
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