House OKs Tier 1 Bill

The Texas House of Representatives passed a bill earlier today that moves the ball forward for state support for elevating more Texas universities to Tier 1 status. The vote earlier today was 137 yeas to 0 nays.

Of course voting to elevate more Texas public universities to Tier 1 status is a very different beast to voting to elevate more Texas public universities and then funding the elevation process. Funding over the next two years for Rep. Dan Branch's (R-Dallas) bill will require $500 million. Even in a boom year in Texas, that's a fightin' sum. I imagine there will be even more of a fight given the already tight budgetary conditions this year and the tight conditions that are expected next year.