School finance failure may spur turnover

Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Texas Legislature: "Victory was sweet for Jim Pitts, but it could be short-lived. It's been less than a year since the Waxahachie Republican was appointed to the most powerful committee post in the House. But already, someone is trying to take his seat.

Emerging, like all of his Republican colleagues, bruised and battered from two years of failure to resolve the school finance issue, the popular House Appropriations Committee chairman faces a potentially dangerous primary challenger: the vice chairman of a school board in his district.

If Mr. Pitts loses his seat, he probably won't be alone. Many members fear that the Legislature's failure to fix school finance in one regular session and three special sessions could roil the House with its biggest turnover in years.

And most defeats, if not all, would come on the majority GOP side, as voters assess blame for the school finance failure, the members say.

'This is a groundswell in the whole state,' Mr. Pitts said."