Capital Tonight: Expanding charter schools and exploring the immigration debate
Charter school expansion
Charter schools got a huge boost at the state capitol Monday.
Senate Education Chairman Dan Patrick filed SB2, which would lift the cap on the number of charter schools in the state. Currently, that limit is set at 215. The bill includes a provision to use property taxes to fund the schools, and would force public schools to rent unused space to charter schools.
The legislation would also establish a new authorization board to oversee the state contract process. "I believe to create this new authorization board who I think will do a better job because its their sole focus that what the TEA has been able to do," said Sen. Dan Patrick. "They've done their best but the TEA has a lot of responsibilities so this would create an independent board of authorizers to make sure we get the best new charters in the state."
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Immigration Debate
The immigration debate continues on Capitol Hill, even as lawmakers take a break for the week. Over the weekend, a draft of a White House proposal on immigration reform was "leaked" to USA Today.
It includes:
• Allowing undocumented immigrants to to become legal residents in 8 years.
• Providing more security funding.
• Requiring business owners to check immigration status of employees within four years.
• Allowing the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in U.S. to apply for a visa.
Many Republicans are already speaking out against the proposal, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who declared the President's immigration plan "dead on arrival."
Click the video below to hear more from immigration expert Terri Givens about what affect the "leak" might have on a compromise on Capitol Hill.
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On the Agenda
In the video below, the Quorum Report's Harvey Kronberg offers his commentary on education reform, medicaid expansion and some powerful words from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who defended UT President Bill Powers today on the Senate floor.
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Carter pushing Fort Hood legislation.
Texas Congressman John Carter is pushing two bills to help the survivors of the 2009 shooting massacre on Fort Hood.
The legislation will give the military and civilian casualties from the 2009 shooting more medical benefits and reclassify the shooting as a terrorist attack. "This was not workplace violence," Rep. Carter said. "This was an attack by a man who expressed his reason for attacking by what he shouted before he started pulling the trigger."
This is the second second time Rep. Carter has pushed this legislation. The last time around, the measure never made it to the floor for a vote.
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