Houston Democrats

To assure a safe and productive learning environment, nursing faculty are permitted as many as 10 students per course. Froman states that the capacity to teach more students is available, but that funding for additional faculty is non-existent. Houston also suffers from a critical shortage of nursing staff, although the infrastructure is available to produce more if those programs are adequately funded. By increasing funding to teach more prospective nurses, the Texas legislature would help lower indigent health care costs, thus producing additional funding to provide services to more patients.

While the Legislature acts to restore CHIP funding, thus increasing the federal government’s contribution to Texas coffers, it must also act to increase the number of professional health care workers. While higher education funding is slated to be increased by as much as $800 million for this coming biennium, there is no commitment to the training of nurses.

The Republicans (as well as a few Democrats) must get off this so-called “tax reform” and “zero-sum budgeting” trip and act to increase funding substantially, and not trivially—as in Democrat Vilma Luna’s HB2345 (immigrant tax). As Texas population growth occurs at a rapid rate, the Republican legislature is acting irresponsibly by not taking the initiative to meet the needs of Texas families based on current and future estimates of population growth.

We must remind the Legislature that part of its job is to plan for the future needs of Texans. Republicans have proven that public education and public health are not as important as property tax cuts for the wealthy and for business interests. Although Democrats in Austin have provided strong and viable alternatives to Republican plans for education and children’s health care, we must also take the lead and demand funding for the education of nurses and other health care professionals. It’s called being proactive—a concept Republicans avoid at all costs—costs to those with the least.

The chances for proactive legislation coming out of a Republican legislature are low to non-existent. But it is truly an issue that Democrats must embrace and utilize in its quest to minimize the GOP-majority in 2006 statewide.

TAKE ACTION * TOMEN ACCION
HB2345--the immigrant tax--is sponsored by Democrat Vilma Luna and Republican Dianne Delisi. It has been referred to the Appropriations Committee for consideration. Now is the time to act! Contact committee members and tell them that Texas needs proactive legislation to assure the health security of Texas, and not legislation that targets indigent communities.

Appropriations Committee Chairs: (Click on names for Contact Info/Email Page)
Jim Pitts, Chair
Vilma Luna, Vice Chair

You may also write the committee, citing HB2345, at:
Cristina Self, Appropriations Committee Clerk
EXT E1.032
P.O. Box 2910
Austin TX 78768-2910

Or call: 512-463-1091 and voice your opinion.