Highlights Saturday from the Texas Legislature

DentonRC.com | News for Denton, Texas | AP: Texas: "A stalemate on school funding legislation squashed any remaining hope Saturday that lawmakers can reach a deal this session.

With less than three days left, lawmakers needed an extraordinary series of events to successfully change the way Texans pay taxes to fund public schools.

The 140-day legislative session ends Monday.

Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick said his team of negotiators have signed off on their versions of both the school and tax bills, sending them to the Senate for approval. But a senator who has been active in writing that chamber's plan said the House version won't do.

The school finance plan approved by the House does not raise enough money from businesses and hikes the sales tax too much to be approved by either Senate negotiators or the full chamber, said Sen. Kim Brimer, a Fort Worth Republican.

If an agreement were to be reached this weekend, senators would have to vote to suspend their rules to take up a tax bill. But, with the large sales tax increase the House plan includes, that isn't likely."