OUR TURN: Lawmakers should focus on budget, not politics

The 82nd Legislature has plenty to do this session as its members conduct the business of Texas.

Here’s a hope the politicians focus on the real issues — such as the multibillion-dollar deficit and school finance — instead of becoming bogged down in partisan bickering over redistricting.

The idea behind the process is that the latest census gives lawmakers an accurate picture of shifts in population. New boundaries are often drawn to ensure that voters have fair representation in Congress and the statehouse.

But too often the process of drawing new political boundaries becomes an exercise in gerrymandering, where voting districts are designed not to represent the electorate but preserve a party’s power. The borders of such districts tend to look like something a 2-year-old handed a crayon might squiggle all over a piece of paper.

Texas has too many serious issues on tap right now for the lawmakers in Austin to become fixated on their political fiefdoms.

The budget, of course, is the most worrisome, with estimates the hole could be as deep as $27 million. Though Gov. Rick Perry and other Republican stalwarts, including Sen. Troy Fraser of Horseshoe Bay, say not to worry, there are many reasons to be concerned.

Perry has ordered 10 percent cuts across all state agencies and Fraser has indicated that spending adjustments might actually result in a deficit of “only” $3 billion. There’s also the Rainy Day Fund to fall back on, he says.

No one wants to see taxes raised, and so far no one in Austin is talking about a hike — although there may be increases in fees to offset the crises brought on by the recession.

Still, Texas law says the state must have a balanced budget. Which means those spending cuts will have a deep impact on many sectors, including social service agencies and Texas school districts. Indeed, this week’s legislative session shows Texas schools will encounter severe funding challenges.

But with Austin lawmakers also facing decisions on preserving their party’s hold on political districts, school boards across the state are fearful the politicians will slide into rhetoric-fueled wars over redistricting, rather than concentrating on the needs of Texas students.

Because of this apprehension, more than 275 school districts have adopted the “Make Education a Priority” resolution, which originated with the Aledo Independent School District.

The resolution asks legislators “to protect the pursuit of quality education for all children” during a period of “economic challenges” that bedevil the state.

The Marble Falls Independent School District has even voted to support the resolution.

The resolution is part of a concerted effort to let legislators know education should be a focal point, rather than redistricting.

Although it’s not certain the lawmakers will even pay attention to the resolution, it would be in their interests to do so, rather than putting their own political agendas first.

That’s not to say redistricting is unimportant.

Unfortunately, redistricting has also become something of a circus show for Texas lawmakers, becoming so bitter and divisive it can shut down government.

Who can forget the so-called Texas Eleven, the Senate Democrats who fled Texas in 2003 rather than participate in the redistricting process? Today’s statesmen must avoid such grandstanding at all costs.

There are no easy answers, which is why redistricting should not consume the bulk of the Legislature’s time. There are more important issues to tackle, such as the future of Texas education.

The state’s lawmakers need to put the children first.