UPDATE 6/10/11: House Passes SB1, the Senate's Budget Bill - read more here
UPDATE 5/4/11: Senate drops Rainy Day funding, bypasses two-thirds vote to bring to floor for debate, and passed a budget that cuts public education by $5B. Read more here.
The Statesman has a report on the status of the Senate Budget here. One very interesting note on the Rainy Day fund mentioned in the Statesman article:
"Perhaps the most revealing moment on the Senate floor came Tuesday when Ogden, under questioning, noted that the rainy day fund was once used to create Gov. Rick Perry’s Enterprise Fund. 'That was before it was controversial,' Ogden said... The rainy day fund used to be something that Perry and other Republicans supported tapping for rather routine expenses... that’s all changed, as it is now the measuring stick to tell who is and is not a real conservative."
College-bound Students Follow the Funding Out of State
Another note on how the State budget woes affect students: Per school officials at TAG High School in Dallas, Texas Public Universities cannot tell incoming students yet what kind of financial aid they can get. As a result, more and more college-bound students are opting to go out of state as the decision deadlines loom for committing to a college. We are losing our students to other states.
Does this bother you? Does the loss of Rainy Day funding for public education concern you? TELL THE TEXAS SENATE and HOUSE!
Texas PTA is asking all members and parents to call your Senator about the Senate Budget Bill. 
WED - Senate Finance Committee approves $4B cut to Public School Funding. 
Attention all DISD Parents & Friends - Let's do lunch together at the Westin on Tuesday!
