February 12, 2019
The YES (Youth Empowered for Success) summer program at UT Austin gives students insight into the workings of policymaking and the art of civic engagment. Current 11th grade students may find more information and apply at www.txpta.org/yes by February 28.
The TX Senate and House introduced bills SB 2 and HB 2 that require voter approval for any property tax revenue increase above 2.5%. Since school finance depends on property taxes, advocates of public education would like legislators to clarify plans for fixing school finance before passing a property tax bill. Here is an article.
The TEA released its 2018 annual report. The Texas student population continues to grow, and 59% are economically disadvantaged.There is a diagram on page 21 that shows the sources of school funding.
The Collin County Commissioners Court approved the purchase of new voting machines to replace outdated 15 year old systems. The ExpressVote systems have improved security features and a voter verifiable paper audit trail. They will first be used in the November 2019 general election. More information may be found in this Collin County article. Here are the voting steps.
- Receive a paper ballot that is personalized with your district/precinct.
- Insert your ballot into a touchscreen device, make choices, print the ballot, and review it. If it is incorrect, seal it in a spoiled ballot envelope and restart.
- Cast your vote by inserting the paper ballot into the ballot counter machine.
A list of bills related to the PISD PTA's legislative priorities is available on the PISD PTA website. It includes the bills' progress through the legislative process.
