A Texas lawmaker has filed a bill to raise teachers’ minimum salary across Texas to $70,000 a year.
State Representative James Talarico (D-Round Rock) explained his reasoning for House Bill 3580 in a series of Tweets.
“Our teachers have endured a global pandemic, an economic collapse, and a deadly winter storm. They held our communities together through these historic crises. Teachers had our backs. Now we must have theirs.”
He continued, “When I was a public school teacher, I struggled to make ends meet. My coworkers drove Ubers at night and sold their blood plasma for extra money,” said Talarico on Twitter. “Today, I filed a bill mandating a minimum salary of $70,000 for every teacher in Texas. #txlege”
Rep. Talarico said he’s proposing $70,000 because “research indicates a $70,000-$75,000 salary is the baseline income needed for emotional well-being.”
Photo: Twitter