What should the Texas Legislature do this year?

In the spirit of setting goals for the New Year, the Editorial Board asked readers what they would most like to see the Texas Legislature accomplish in its session that starts Jan. 8 in Austin. Many readers clearly feel strongly about the issues facing their lawmakers, and the Editorial Board respects their opinions. Here's a collection of their responses:

Stop lying to Texas taxpayers.

Legislators have not passed a truly balanced budget in years. Nor will they as long as they conspire to merely create the illusion of "balanced," only to mislead Texans for two more years until they have to do it all over again.

Use the $6 billion rainy-day fund to properly fund Texas schools, and re-capture Gov. Perry's "economic development " and "corporate incentive" taxpayer-provided funds.

Stop stealing from the highway fund while letting our highways crumble. Stop stealing from struggling departments like Texas Parks and Wildlife, which are forced to operate with outdated, broken-down equipment while closing once-magnificent public recreation sites.

-- Robert Moore, Fort Worth

I teach fifth grade in a public school. Due to budget cuts, I have 29 students in a class.

My superintendent advised us that more cuts from the Legislature are on the horizon, and the school board declared our finances in crisis, so teacher layoffs are looming.

Fixing the education funding system is a priority. Did you know that the rainy-day fund is refilled regularly with oil and gas revenues? It's not a pile of gold sitting in a vault, it's a constantly refilling income stream that could save your children from crushing class sizes and a subpar education.

-- Alan Small, Sansom Park

Work together for the common good. Texas is an eclectic state with diverse socioeconomic, religious and cultural citizenry. It would be incredible if each legislator:

Left women's healthcare to women and doctors. Kept religion in churches and synagogues, while focusing on the economics of the state.

Recognized that passing more laws does not necessarily support or protect Texas residents.

Maintained the sanctity of the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments by ensuring drones, unwarranted searches and military armored vehicles are not embraced by the state, its counties or cities.

Recognized that not everyone in the opposing party is evil. We all have valuable ideas.

-- Jon Perry, Fort Worth

Meet with newly retired teachers and administrators to discuss the problems they encountered in their careers. This should give the legislators more ideas on how to make Texas among the top 10 states in education, instead of having us languish in the bottom 10.

-- Corrine Jacobson, Fort Worth

Pass a law that allows for only a fixed number of laws to exist. Every time they pass a new law, they would have to choose which of the old ones would be deleted.

Other than that, I would like to see them sit on their hands and do nothing.

-- Art Bullard, Granbury

Keep abortion out of politics; that is up to the individual.

Let's have a referendum on casino gambling.Place armed guards in each and every school, whether the guards are faculty or out-sourced.

-- James Newberry,

North Richland Hills

Pass legislation requiring the governor to resign if he decides to seek another elected position, such as president of the United States.

This legislation would have saved Texas taxpayers several million dollars last year. The governor could pay for his own entourage from campaign contributions.

-- David M. (Marc) House,

Arlington

The Legislative Budget Board must be open and transparent in its budget planning.

The Legislature must achieve transparency in its budget process; no more diversions and deceptions. Collected fees should be used for their intended purpose and not for other purposes. It is important that the citizens of Texas be able to see where tax money is used.

-- Bob Ohlendorf, Bedford

Impeach Perry?

-- Tom Hopper, Fort Worth

Fix education funding so that public educational opportunities and the latest equipment are available to all communities.

Every student deserves a good education, not just the fortunate who live in locations well-funded by higher property tax or those who can afford private schools.

-- Lynn Watson Guy, Fort Worth

Fix education funding and please don't think vouchers are the answer.

-- Genny Scoggin, Glen Rose

Fix education funding. A government class should not be using textbooks written prior to 9-11 if we expect our students to be prepared for the future.

-- Jennifer Andrews Cox,

Benbrook

Fix education funding.

Get health insurance in order. Enforce truth in budgeting.

Stop wasteful lawsuits and unnecessary giveaways to companies.

Leave abortion alone. It is legal, and government should not interfere in a woman's decision.

-- Dorothy Coder, Watauga

Legislate for the good of the people rather than the promotion of strident ideologies.

Restore/improve funding for Texas public schools; stop relabeling and reinventing charter-choice school options to further erode public education; reinstate vocational and technical education in all high schools. Allow professional educators rather than elected officials to determine accountability and testing measures for schools.

Eliminate incentives/tax abatements and exclusions for Big Oil.

Do not reopen the battle on voter identification.

Elected officials have no place in abortion decisions; more restrictions are unwarranted.

Stop undermining the Affordable Care Act. Stop the elimination of women's health and reproductive rights.

Close gun-show and Internet loopholes for purchasing firearms; restrict sale of magazines larger than 10 bullets and semi-automatic rifles.

-- Cyd Sheffy, Fort Worth

Focus on the budget, restoring funding to the Medicaid/CHIP program and getting health insurance in order. Also, restore a least some funding for our public schools. No school vouchers using public tax dollars.

-- Frances Gregory, Arlington

Texans should be allowed to vote on permitting slot machines and card games at Texas racetracks.

With casinos in Oklahoma, Louisiana and New Mexico, Texans leave the state to enjoy entertainment opportunities that are legal in half of the U.S. And their money leaves with them.

Texas is losing millions of dollars that could go to education, social services and law enforcement. The revenues to the racetracks would provide thousands of jobs and competitive purse monies for Texas horse owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys, who leave to race in surrounding states.

The increased revenues to law enforcement would help eliminate the illegal slot machines operating in Texas that are unregulated and untaxed.

-- Dan Fick, Granbury

Adopt more abortion restrictions. Nothing is more important than the protection of the life of a child.

-- Jo Ann Byrne, Arlington

Where should the Legislature focus?

Trying to fix the educational funding fiasco and taking a real-world stand on healthcare for all Texans.

Where will the Legislature misguidedly focus?

Knee-jerk reactions about guns in schools, a gubernatorial clown and pony show.

-- Spencer Mabry, Fort Worth

Do what is best for Texans.

Ban sales of assault weapons; have first-time gun buyers take a gun safety course; require a five-day waiting period before a gun purchase.

Legislators should accept responsibility for education, stop badgering women's clinics and place limits on campaign contributions to those running for state offices. Finally, I would like to see term limits for legislators: four terms for representatives and two terms for senators.

-- Ed Lindsay, Fort Worth

Require school districts to use a portion of the enormous funds received from the Texas football god to pay for one police officer at each school.If we can afford multimillion-dollar football stadiums, surely we can afford police to protect our children.

-- Leonard Jensen, Benbrook

Pass legislation to extend Medicaid and provide healthcare for millions of low-income Texans.

I have lived in Texas for 82 years. Texans are caring and friendly; they are not arrogant, greedy people.

Improved funding for education is also critical. Medicaid must come first.

-- Sister Mary Fulbright,

Fort Worth

Top of my mind is drunk-driver enforcement, including checkpoints.

It is ludicrous that more than 20 people are killed every week in Texas by drunks on our highways and this simplest step is not being taken.

An efficient checkpoint will be just that: no need to see a drivers license, insurance card or check for warrants, just a question or two to smell for alcohol or marijuana. Thirty-eight states already do it.

-- Chuck Lanham Sr., Haslet

Education funding has to be a top priority.

When the Legislature considers expanding the student-teacher ratio, it might help with the budget short-term, but it could be catastrophic to the education system. If class enrollment gets out of hand, it makes it nearly impossible for a teacher to effectively teach.

-- Richard A. Stutheit, Saginaw

Fix education funding.

It is a shame, a lowdown dirty shame, for the Lege to not increase the funding for public school education.

There never should have been a decrease in the amount of money allocated to our public schools, and to have Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and state Sen. Dan Patrick wanting to give money, credit to businesses, etc., for private schools, is unthinkable.

-- Marilyn Hodge, Fort Worth

Be wonderfully sensitive and creative to the needs of the population:

Budget and set other priorities to have the best public school system. Work with immigrant communities to provide laws that meet their needs.

Care for women by allowing Planned Parenthood to provide healthcare for women in need.

Raise the minimum wage to a "living wage" for Texas. Improve mental health services. Strengthen clean energy goals.

Set up a health insurance system that is good for Texas.

-- Judy O'Donnell, Fort Worth

Achieve bipartisanship. Forget you are a Republican or Democrat and remember you are a Texan.

Yes, you were voted in by your party, but you don't just represent your party. Even people who didn't vote for you deserve representation.

-- Zelda Blalock,

North Richland Hills

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