Texas works to fix school finance headache

DALLAS, May 24 (UPI) -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry and state legislators must find common ground to solve the state's school finance problem, a political expert said Monday.

A 30-day session ended last week without agreement but Perry said he might call a second session soon to continue trying to reform the state's school finance system.

Although Perry and the majority of the Legislature are Republicans, they disagree on measures proposed to provide new money for schools. The governor opposed a bill that would have expanded the state business franchise tax.

Perry and legislative leaders promised property tax relief but the loss of that revenue must be made up somewhere else. Texas has no state income tax and there is little chance the issue will be brought up this year.

Cal Jillson, a professor of political science at Southern Methodist University, said Perry will probably have to move toward the Legislature's position on some tax questions to win passage of any legislation.