DALLAS — As lawmakers prepare to return to Austin for the 88th Texas Legislature, State Rep. Victoria Neave Criado has plenty of priorities.
But the Dallas County Democrat, and recently elected chair of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, says she’s primarily focused on helping Texans through educational improvements, such as increasing teacher pay and making college more affordable.
“Our economic prosperity as a state is directly linked to the education of our kids. It’s directly linked to the strength of our workforce,” Neave Criado told us on Inside Texas Politics.
During the session, lawmakers must decide how to dole out part of the state’s budget surplus, a whopping $27 Billion.
Neave Criado says schools should benefit from the state’s financial windfall, though a lot of the talk has been focused on using it to lower property taxes.
“Certainly the budget surplus is going to be a big priority, making sure those dollars are being invested in places that make sense for our Texas economy, that make sense for Texas families and that helps alleviate property taxes as well,” said the Democrat.