CONTACT: Eliza Vielma

Eliza.Vielma@senate.state.tx.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, May 18, 2015

Texas Legislature OKs Three-Judge District Panel

AUSTIN -- Senate Bill 455, authored by Senator Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) and sponsored by
Representative Mike Schofield (R-Katy), has passed both chambers of the Texas Legislature and will be
sent to the Governor for approval. This legislation allows the Texas Attorney General to petition the
Texas Supreme Court for the formation of a three-judge panel to hear school finance and redistricting
cases with major statewide impact.
"It has been a pleasure to work closely with Representative Schofield on the historic passage of S.B. 455,"
said Senator Creighton. "School finance has been a forty-year saga for Texas because one court has held
the power to dictate the outcome on these constitutional issues. From here forward, Texans will have
representation and a voice in cases of this magnitude that affect citizens across the entire state."
"It is fundamentally unfair for the voters of one county to pick the judge who decides the school finance
or redistricting system for the entire state, leaving Texans in the 253 other counties with no say at all,"
said Representative Mike Schofield (R-Katy), the House sponsor of S.B. 455. "By creating a three-judge
panel for these cases, made up of judges from different parts of Texas, we can ensure that more Texans
are represented in the decisions that affect their children, their property taxes, and their rights as voters.
All Texans owe Sen. Creighton a debt of gratitude for bringing this bill."
Under Senate Bill 455, one judge on the panel would automatically be the district court judge from the
court where the case was originally filed. This will ensure that the original court's jurisdiction is
protected. The other two judges would be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. If
assembled, the panel would consist of another district court judge and an additional appellate court judge
from elsewhere in the state.
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SENATOR BRANDON CREIGHTON represents District 4, which encompasses Chambers, Jefferson and
parts of Montgomery, Harris, and Galveston Counties. He currently serves on the Senate Committee on
Agriculture, Water and Rural Affairs, the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, the Senate Committee
on State Affairs, and as the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce.