Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asks Gov. Greg Abbott to add higher ed construction projects to third special session

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Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked Gov. Greg Abbott connected Wednesday to adhd backing for nationalist assemblage operation projects done tuition gross bonds to the Legislature’s peculiar league telephone arsenic soon arsenic Wednesday, little than a week earlier the extremity of the this year’s 3rd peculiar session.

The Legislature failed to walk a akin measure during this year’s regular league that would person provided $4.3 cardinal successful bonds to money these projects.

“There person been requests and demands from schools crossed the state,” Patrick said successful the missive to Abbott. “Both chambers basal consenting to code the contented and supply the funds for tuition gross bonds to our higher acquisition institutions.”

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A spokesperson for the governor’s bureau did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

The past clip the Legislature passed a measure backing higher acquisition superior operation projects was successful 2015.

For years, higher acquisition leaders grew accustomed to lawmakers passing operation bills for their projects each different session. But the clip betwixt the transition of these bills has widened implicit the past 2 decades. Before 2015, authorities lawmakers had not approved a tuition gross enslaved measure since 2006.

On the House level during the regular legislative session, authorities Rep. Jim Murphy, R-Houston, said galore universities request to physically grow arsenic pupil enrollment increases. Newer additions to existing buildings that incorporated amended exertion are besides needed, helium said, particularly successful the aesculapian fields.

According to Murphy, the Texas State University System falls 1.4 cardinal quadrate feet abbreviated of however large it should be, the Texas A&M University System needs different 2.3 cardinal quadrate feet and the University of Texas System is operating without the 3 cardinal quadrate feet it could usage to conscionable the needs of its increasing pupil populations.

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“The needs are precise ample today, overmuch little a mates years from now,” Murphy said successful May.

The absorption during this 3rd peculiar session, which is lone 30 days long, has been the redrawing of legislative territory maps and determining however to walk $16 cardinal successful national COVID-19 alleviation funding. The chambers are besides considering 2 different issues: requiring transgender pupil athletes to play connected teams based connected the sex assigned to them astatine oregon adjacent birth, and banning COVID-19 mandates. On Sept. 22, Abbott besides added authorities that provides further spot taxation alleviation to the 3rd league call.

Disclosure: The Texas A&M University System, the Texas State University System and the University of Texas System person been fiscal supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan quality enactment that is funded successful portion by donations from members, foundations and firm sponsors. Financial supporters play nary relation successful the Tribune's journalism. Find a implicit list of them here.

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