Legislative Blog
J.B. Williams, J.D.
University funding through the State - Proposition 5 - NO
A Blog about Education
A Bit of Background
The following backgrounds help summarize the author's views on both the general topic: Texas and more specifically Education as it relates to that topic.
Brief Summary of Texas
Texas is truly a Republic. There are a multitude of items that to modify the state constitution must be modified. So there are times when Constitutional amendments are on the voting ballots. While I sometimes abhor the wording, the concept that all of those legally able to vote in Texas must vote on the change is a good one. And bills in Texas are generally short, making it easier for everyone to understand.
Summary of Education
This subtopic will be used to discuss bills dealing with the Texas education system. They may include legislation that has been signed into law or bills that are currently being considered in the Texas legislature. Many currently being brought are more focused on parental rights with regard to their children.
Blog Summary
HJR3
Introduced: 3/13/23
House Passed: 5/28/23
Senate Passed: 5/27/23
Became Law:
Pages: 5
Sponsors:
Huffman, Alvarado, West
So NO to more line items on the budget that are required funding when this funding could be sought elsewhere.
University funding through the State - Proposition 5 - NO
Published: 2023-10-15
The interest, dividends, and investment earnings of the economic stabilization fund is to be deposited into the Texas University Fund within 90 days of each state fiscal year.
The interest is computed by:
- Adding the actual interest earned; plus
- if the fair market value of the fund between the last day of the preceding year and the first day of the current year is an increase, then the difference is added; minus
- any expenses incurred in managing the fund that are paid from the fund.
The amount of the appropriation may not exceed:
- $100 million for September 1, 2023; or
- for any post years, the value determined by increasing based upon the consumer price index, not to exceed 2% per state fiscal year.
The existing fund is called the national research university fund, and that name would be changed to Texas University Fund. It removed the limitation that the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M not being eligible. It keeps the language that excepts any state university that is eligible for dedicated funding by Section 19. (So those universities would not be eligible.)
It would become a fund dedicated under the Texas Constitution and receive appropriations accordingly.
I'm fine with the idea of taking earnings from a particular fund, which was being used to fund universities, and shifting that to their fund program so that they keep the earnings. I understand where government might generally keep the interest and only transfer the amount appropriated to the fund. So I can see that from both sides of the coin.
Where I get lost is creating a Constitutional fund to support Universities. This creates a required appropriation annually to keep the Universities going. I'm not against higher education, I have multiple college degrees. And I understand how it drives people to want to come here to learn, and how it can drive companies to come here to run businesses. I even understand the research funding that supports so many parts of a university. (I have issues with how it is done, especially in the past 10 years or so. But... that is for an entirely different blog.) However, asking every taxpayer in the State of Texas to want to fund the Universities at a significant level forever seems a bit too much. I understand funding them but putting it in the Constitution would require a future amendment should it no longer seem like a sound use of the funds. No, I don't know when that might be; but it could very well happen. They could be funding tech schools as well but I don't believe those are included as this is specifically a research fund.
Perhaps if it were understood that this is meant to fund research at universities so as to help ensure it is not given out only to those in agreement with those supporting the end results. So the research would be actual research rather than a means of creating and manipulating a study to ensure you get the results you want. Perhaps there is some of that behind this but I cannot tell that is for certain. And funding Universities and not tech school could merely lead to the complaint that funding is for one but not all, yet on all taxpayer dollars. And a future fund could be established for tech. But seriously, we don't need to fund everything. That is already an issue with the Federal government funding things that should be funded outside of the government via the taxpayer pocketbook. So I'm going to say No on this one.
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