Tex. Lawmakers Await Delayed School-Finance Ruling

By Lonnie Harp

As the Texas legislature convened its biennial session last week, lawmakers were still in the dark about how the state supreme court will rule on the school-finance system they passed in 1993.

Lawyers argued the state's appeal before the court last May, anticipating that a ruling would be issued in time to set the stage for this year's legislative session. The timing of the decision, however, quickly became a touchy political issue. First, it was put off until after the governor's race was decided in November. Now, a political shift on the court itself has caused further delay.

Observers said last week that they expect it will be a few more weeks before a ruling is handed down. In the November elections, the vacant seat of Democrat Lloyd Doggett, now a U.S. representative, was won by a Republican, shifting the court...