Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has initiated legal action in an effort to force the U.S. Department of Education to provide the state with $830 million from the federal Education Jobs Fund. Mr. Abbott filed the legal challenge last week, arguing that the department erred when it rejected Texas’ application for federal aid. The federal jobs law included a provision, supported by Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, that was designed to ensure that Texas did not simply use the money to fill holes created by state budget cuts to schools. Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, supports the legal action, which was filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, in New Orleans. Gov. Perry has argued that he does not have the authority to make promises about funding in future budget years.
A version of this article appeared in the September 29, 2010 edition of Education Week as Texas Sues Over Blocked Federal Funds
