On September 23rd, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott filed a legal challenge against the federal government over language in the Edujobs bill that prevents Texas from receiving $830 million in federal education money.
The State’s Petition for Review explains that the Department of Education misapplied federal law when it construed an amendment by Austin Congressman Lloyd Doggett in a manner that unconstitutionally discriminates against the State of Texas.
“The Doggett Amendment singled out Texas by subjecting the State to onerous standards that were different from the standards Congress placed on the other 49 states. Every state application for funding under the normal standards has been granted, while Texas’ application under the heightened Texas-only standard was denied,” noted the Attorney General press release.
“With $830 million in funding for Texas schools tied up by Congressional discrimination, we are taking legal action to secure Education Jobs Funds for Texas children,” Attorney General Greg Abbott said. “The Doggett Amendment singles out Texas for discriminatory treatment and requires Texas to make assurances that were not required of any other state. But worse, when Texas tried to satisfy the heightened standard, the State’s application was rejected and Texas schoolchildren were denied hundreds of millions of dollars in education funding.”
A copy of the AG press release: http://www.oag.state.tx.us/oagNews/release.php?id=3490
State of Texas’ legal challenge against the United States Department of Education