School finance just got tougher: Defeats, hard feelings add to mix as legislators face June deadline.

Publication: The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News)

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COPYRIGHT 2006 The Dallas Morning News

Byline: Karen Brooks and Terrence Stutz

Mar. 9--AUSTIN -- Bad blood from bitter primary races that culminated in defeats for a handful of incumbents and close calls for several others could make it even harder for legislators to find a school finance fix next month.

Lawmakers began to consider such hard feelings Wednesday, and many said they had heard -- loud and clear -- the message sent by voters in Tuesday's primaries -- they're disgruntled over school finance and are prepared to continue tossing incumbents out of office in the November elections.

"Voters are beginning to say, 'What are you doing down there?' " said Rep. Chuck Hopson, an East Texas Democrat who faces a tough November challenge because his district is 70 percent Republican. "If we lollygag around and become divisive and start fighting, the voters aren't going to like it. If we get something done, we're OK. If we don't, we're not going to be."

The political incentives are there on all sides, from the governor on down, to finish the job in the special session. And a June 1 deadline from the Texas Supreme Court may be the only thing that saves them and forces a compromise.

But the Legislature's past inability to compromise on the...

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