Lawmakers tout Tier One Amendment

AUSTIN - Mindful of potential low turnout in tomorrow's constitutional amendments election, House Speaker Joe Straus and other lawmakers today appealed to voters to support a proposed amendment to create a network of top-tier universities in Texas.

Proposition Four would transfer more than $500 million from a dormant education fund into a new fund to transform  at least seven universities into top research universities. Three North Texas universities would be among those on track for tier one status - the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of North Texas at Denton and the University of Texas at Dallas.

"A vote for four is a vote for Texas," said Straus, who joined other speakers in calling the amendment essential to help bring more research and business to Texas.  Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, chairman of the House Higher Education Committee, described Proposition Four as "the biggie'" among the 11 amendments that will be decided voters in the Tuesday election.

Rep. Diane Patrick, R-Arlington, called UTA "one of the frontrunners" to achieve tier one status.  Lawmakers hope to have at least two or three new tier one universities within the next two to three decades after candidate institutions meet a number of criteria to acheive elevated status. 

Texas currently has just three tier one schools - publicly supported University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University at College Station and privately funded Rice University in Houston.