Majority of Senators On-Board for Tuition Freeze

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ A majority of Texas senators have signed on to a bill that would freeze college tuition hikes for two years and tie future increases to the inflation rate.

The two primary sponsors of the legislation, Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, and Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, announced that 16 senators have joined as co-sponsors.

With 31 members of the state Senate, that represents a majority of the chamber. Initially, nine senators had agreed to support the legislation.

“We believe that this bipartisan coalition indicates how fundamental access to education is for Texas,” Williams and Hinojosa said in a joint statement. “Education is the great equalizer, and this initiative lowers barriers to entry to our state universities.”