Davis tells Abbott to settle on school finance [Updated]

Here is Abbott’s statement on the school finance lawsuit:

“While Sen. Davis remains fixated on the past, I’m focused on making education better for the future of our children. My goal is to make the Texas education system number one in the country, and I’ve been talking with Texans and educators about a plan to achieve this objective. That means more than ensuring the Texas education system is adequately funded. It means empowering teachers, principals and parents with the tools to truly educate our children. It means returning genuine local control to school districts rather than continuing with the centralized control by bureaucrats in Austin.

“Local control by school districts is the key for empowering students, parents and teachers and positioning Texas’ education system to be number one in the nation. It also means using more online and digital learning tools that help students advance even faster. As Governor, I will assemble the tools, techniques and resources we need to make the Texas education system the very best in the country.”

Original story:
Democratic governor candidate Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, threw down the educational gauntlet Monday as she called on Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, the Republican candidate for governor, to end the state’s massive school finance case.

School districts are suing the state, saying that school funding is neither equitable nor adequate.

State District Judge John Dietz recently finished hearing all arguments Friday on a re-opened school finance trial.

The first time, Dietz said the state needed to fund schools by about $10 billion more than it had.

After this past legislative session, lawmakers restored about $3.4 billion to education in 2013 after having made $5.4 billion in cuts the previous session in 2011. Lawmakers had made the $5.4 billion in cuts while trying to cope with an estimated $27 billion shortfall.

After the 2013 legislative session, Dietz re-opened the school finance case. He has reportedly said he may make a decision during the spring.
Davis said that Abbott should be able to settle the case if he so chooses.

“The simple fact is, Greg Abbott needs to stop this nonsense,” Davis told reporters Monday morning. “He needs to stop defending the indefensible. He needs to settle this case.”

She said Abbott should’ve given the Legislature guidance on how to help resolve school finance. She said another special session would likely be necessary.

Davis, whose primary fame came from a filibuster against abortion legislation in 2013, had also filibustered against the $5.4 billion education cuts. She said that as governor she would work in a “bipartisan way.”

“I have always worked in a bipartisan way,” Davis said.