Money from that tax would be distributed around the state. House leaders say their plan would do away with that system, called Robin Hood. Senate leaders object, calling the House proposal the Mother of all Robin Hoods. Instead of taking from 91 school districts and delivering to the poor, the House plan would take from everyone, according to key senators. It would reduce by 26 the number of schools subject to Robin Hood by changing the definition of property rich school districts.
House leaders call that an unacceptable, short-term fix.
Meanwhile, Gov. George W. Bush has relegated himself to the sidelines, cheering the effort but endorsing neither plan. Bush started the whole debate more than a year ago and proposed his own plan in January. It was quickly set aside, gathering more dust than support. In the end, voters will have to decipher how the final product affects their pocketbooks. Both plans have been hailed and denounced for the way they treat business and residential property and for how average Texans fare.