State Representative James Talarico, who is also a seminary student, explains why he thinks the Ten Commandments bill is unconstitutional.
DALLAS — Texas lawmakers are poised to pass House Bill 2, the $8.5 billion public school funding bill, and your opinion of the legislation likely depends on your side of the aisle.
While House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, told us it was the most consequential bill passed by the House this session, state Representative James Talarico, D-Austin, has a much different take.
“This school finance package is woefully inadequate, and it doesn’t meet the moment,” Rep. Talarico told us on Inside Texas Politics. “We have a historic school funding crisis in the state of Texas.”
Public schools in Texas haven’t received a boost in state funding since 2019.
After the Senate changes to the House version of the bill, the basic allotment will increase by $55, from $6,160 to $6,215. The basic allotment is the amount the state pays to each school per student, based on attendance. The original House version jumped the amount by $395.
Rep. Talarico, a former public school teacher himself, says although he’s happy public schools are getting some relief, he argues the bill doesn’t even get schools back to 2019 funding levels, particularly when factoring in inflation.
More than $4 billion of the funding package is dedicated to educator raises.
Teachers with five or more years of experience in districts with more than 5,000 students would receive a raise of $5,000, while those with three to four years of experience would earn a $2,500 boost.
In districts with 5,000 or fewer students, the numbers would be $8,000 and $4,000, respectively.
That means some educators won’t see a raise, and Talarico says it’s “inexcusable” not to provide an across-the-board bump for everyone.
“Quite frankly, we’re seeing the most turnover, the most resignations from new teachers, teachers who have less than five years of experience in the classroom,” said the Democrat.
“Although we have a historic $24 billion budget surplus in the state of Texas, we have more than enough money to give every Texas teacher a pay raise. This school finance package only gives a pay raise to some teachers.”
Rep. Talarico also discussed the bill now headed to the Governor’s desk that will require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in public classrooms across Texas.
The Democrat is also a seminary student currently studying for a Master of Divinity at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
He made his feelings clear, calling the bill blatantly unconstitutional because of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. And he even questioned whether some lawmakers were guilty of breaking several Commandments.
“By the legislature using their governmental power to elevate one religious tradition over all the rest, that’s establishing a state religion. It’s putting up a religious doctrine on the walls of public buildings. And you know, this is not only unconstitutional and un-American, it’s also deeply un-Christian.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas has already announced it will sue the state over the Ten Commandments requirement.
The last day of the 89th regular legislative session is June 2.
And Rep. Talarico is among the many lawmakers we’ve spoken to recently who do not want to return to Austin over the summer for a special session.
“Well, I think the legislature has done enough damage in the five months that we’ve been given. And so, I hope we’re not called back for a special,” said the Democrat.