Rodríguez Supports Fellow Senator’s Stand for Schoolchildren

Today, State Senator José Rodríguez released the following statement regarding the filibuster by State Senator Wendy Davis of S.B. 1811, the fiscal matters bill:

“Senator Davis is not only standing up for the children of her district, she is standing up for all of the children in this state who will suffer as a result of the $4 billion in cuts to public schools. For El Paso ISD alone, the cuts will equal $39.5 million during the next two years. Other El Paso County school districts will also stand to lose millions, including:

Anthony ISD: $475,000
Canutillo ISD: $3 million
Clint ISD: $6 million
Socorro ISD: $38 million
Ysleta ISD: $22 million

“Under this plan, there will be fewer resources in the classrooms, fewer teachers to instruct, and ultimately fewer opportunities for the children of our state. Over and over, the people of Texas have urged lawmakers to use the Rainy Day Fund to make up these cuts, and time and time again, the people were ignored. Instead the leadership chose to use accounting tricks to defer a $2.3 billion payment to the Foundation School Program, leaving our children and our schools in a deeper financial hole.

“In addition to standing up for the children of this state, Senator Davis is fighting for veterans, victims of abuse, and the elderly, many of whom may have lost their access to the courtroom. As a result of the choices made by the conference committee, my amendment to create a funding mechanism for legal aid services and indigent care was stripped. This choice denied over $32 million in legal aid and other services to Texans in need.”