July 20, 2017      5:19 PM

KR: Texas Senate school finance proposal takes from one hand to give to the other

"The move to transfer money from HHSC, which primarily funds Medicaid, could be devastating if lawmakers don’t put the funds back in 2019”

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s proposed funding of teacher longevity bonuses, TRS-Care support and bumps to charter school facility funding would squeeze $675 million from the Health and Human Services Commission, pitting the budget’s two major agencies against each other.

Temporary or no, many of those who would benefit from Senate Bill 19 are dismayed by the chosen method of finance. The bill mirrors much of what Patrick promised in a news conference last week, pulling from an agency that just propped up funding for Child Protective Services.

By Kimberly Reeves

Copyright July 20, 2017, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved