Proportionality Remains Viable Threat

A recent vote in the Senate Finance Committee has kept alive the prospect of proportionality in funding health benefits for community college educators. Therefore, the concept remains an alarming component of the Senate's "base bill" for the next biennium. 

The situation is looking much more favorable in the House, where Appropriations Committee members have refused to include proportionality in their version of the budget. If the Senate holds firm to proportionality, the issue will come down to a floor vote in both chambers of the Legislature. If differences remain, a joint conference committee must resolve them before final passage, usually in the waning hours of the Session. 

TCCTA Lobbyist Beaman Floyd urges all members to be on the alert for future bulletins, and to continue to register firm opposition to proportionality to senators and representatives. Lawmakers are particularly receptive to requests from constituents who reside inside their district.

More precise recommendations and guidelines are found at the conclusion of this post.

IMPORTANT: Do not use college equipment, e-mail accounts, or telephones in communicating with policy makers. 

Mr. Floyd also urges support for HB 2083, which, along with its identical companion, SB 41, would preclude the use of proportionality by statute. TCCTA has addressed SB 41, sponsored by Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo), in previous posts. For background and practical recommendations on the bill, visit this link.

HB 2083 is sponsored by Rep. Burt Solomons (R-Carrollton). As with SB 41, an effective current strategy is to focus on the list of authors and co-authors, found at this link. If your representative is on the list, please call or e-mail to thank this public servant for his or her help on this important issue. If your representative is not found on the list, ask him or her to join the growing list of supporters. Contact information for all members of the House is available at this link. Just click on the "Home Page" of your representative for phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

To find out "Who Represents Me?" visit this link.

The TCCTA "Talking Points" on proportionality are available here. 

Comments

[Thomas L. Stokes]

Proportionality is absurd.
As soon as the Texas Education Agency, etc. gets it figured out community colleges will have a larger responsibility for teaching and training a workforce in Texas than the Universities can even imagine. Give us some respect.

[Patricia Crotwell]

Texas Community colleges educate more RNs than Universities. All colleges have difficulty hiring nursing faculty.

Insurance is vital a vital part of a hiring package.

Please help ensure we can hire faculty to educate the next generation of RNs!