We've freed up the largest sum ever to cover those expenses.
We're not out to undo years and years of what we've done. But it's incumbent on us to be informed about successful programs.
The State Board of Education sets aside monies to pay for textbooks. The catch, however, is that the Constitution gives the Legislature appropriations authority. Though we set it aside for textbooks, the Legislature has to appropriate it.
This is not a Republican or Democratic issue at the state board. We are completely united in our request that the Legislature free up money for those books. We are sending them plenty of money. It's not tax revenue.
Apart from that money being constitutionally dedicated to a specific purpose, it has traditionally funded textbooks. But (attorneys tell us) there is some discretion at the Legislative area to do something else with it.
The full funding for this cycle would have been $365 million.