by Kirk England
Last Friday marked the passage of the house appropriations bill. This budget bill contained over 178 billion dollars, every penny of which would be debated on the house floor. House amendments on everything from stem cells to stimulus funds were discussed until 5 A.M. Saturday morning.
My colleagues and I worked hard to see that all of our public funds were put to good use, and our work paid off. For example, our appropriations bill contains a substantial expansion to our schools' pre-kindergarten programs. We dedicated an additional $32.5 million to open our pre-k program up to 22,500 more children. Pre-kindergarten programs have a lasting academic and social benefit to the children involved. Statistics show that students who attend pre-kindergarten programs are less likely to be held back, need special education services, or drop out of school.
Our house budget recommendation also included a 13th check for public school retirees for up to $1,000 dollars, and a hefty increase to the teacher incentive pay program. I was proud to be able to fight for the financial support of our educators. I know from personal experience how hard all of you work to help our youngsters, and how crucial it is to keep experienced educators in our school districts.
Our future college students received a boost as well. The new appropriations bill contains an increase of $106.2 million dollars for higher education student financial aid programs. The TEXAS Grant program, which received a majority of these funds, has a proven track record of success in encouraging more students to attend college. Although I would have liked to see even more funds appropriated in this regard (especially to community colleges), this is a substantial step in keeping our universities affordable for
Texas students and their families.
We didn't just focus on education. Two amendments on the house floor increased funds for beefing up border security. Everyone from narcotics enforcement to the criminal intelligence service received additional funds to fight drug-and human-trafficking across our border. I was able to get a front-line perspective during a trip to
Del Rio, an important outpost of law enforcement on our border. The security officers stationed there emphasized the necessity for additional officers and air support. Our new budget funds both of these measures.
The appropriations bill will now move to the conference committee, where they will resolve the differences between the house and the senate versions of the bill. I will continue to monitor the bill throughout this process and keep you informed as I receive more information.
