Good morning, 

Here is the Texas Minute for Monday, October 31, 2022.

– Brandon Waltens 

• Early voting in the general election continues this week through Friday. 
   
• In some parts of the state, it’s not just candidates that will appear on the ballot. Voters in 59 school districts will find proposed bond spending totaling more than $15 billion at the bottom of their ballots.
   
• If approved, residents in these districts will be required to repay these bonds—with interest—through increased property taxes.

• For most of the 59 school districts with bonds on the November ballot, this isn’t the first time in recent years they have asked voters to greenlight additional spending. Since the beginning of 2016, 44 of these districts have proposed bonds totaling $11.3 billion, $6.8 billion of which was approved by voters in 34 districts.
   
• However, since 2020, voters in 22 of these districts have rejected 39 proposed bonds totaling $3.2 billion. In May of this year alone, taxpayers in 17 districts voted down 30 proposed bonds totaling $2.4 billion.
   
• Texas school districts collectively owe $113.3 billion in tax-supported bond debt (principal only), more than twice the $54.3 billion owed in 2008. This amounts to $20,878 in debt per Texas public school student.

• But while school districts are asking taxpayers for billions of dollars in extra debt, Texas students are falling behind.
   
• Every other year, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) administers the congressionally mandated National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to fourth- and eighth-grade students at select schools across the country.
   
• This year’s results showed math and reading skills declining for Texas students, a trend in line with the rest of the nation.
   
• Combined with an increase in controversial radical curriculum being taught in schools, as well as an influx of pornographic material being made available to students, this is leading many conservatives to oppose giving additional taxpayer-funded debt to these institutions.
   
• “Don’t forget to get out and vote ‘No’ on the bond… wherever you are... and whatever bond that might be.” – Matt Rinaldi, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas
   
• The complete list of proposed bonds can be found here and at the Texas Bond Review Board’s website.

Your Federal & State Lawmakers

The districts displayed here should reflect those recently redrawn by the Legislature. Though the new lines do not take representational effect until 2023, they will appear on the 2022 ballot. Please note that your incumbent legislator and/or district numbers may have changed.