How many theme days were there at the Capitol today? I think it was simultaneously El Paso Day, NFIB Small Business Day, Kidney Day, Texas Interior Decorators Day, and whatever day that resulted in the cacophony of pounding and music around lunchtime.

Lost in my general distraction were various items that you've probably seen by now -- state Sen. Jane Nelson's new bills to fight the bulge in public school students, renewed flareups over voter ID, and more automaker meltdown.

And, freshman state Rep. Diana Maldonado, D-Round Rock, filed her first series of bills, all about education. (The former Round Rock ISD trustee did not get appointed to the Public Ed committee, but it's not stopping her from focusing on legislation targeted at the issue.)

HB 1330 would require that state legislators visit at least five public school campuses within their district every two years. Her office says there isn't currently anything in the statutes requiring legislators to do anything outside of their duties when the House is in session.

HB 1331 requires schools to conduct emergency evacuation training one time a year instead of the current requirement of twice a year. Her office estimates the reduction would save Round Rock ISD $100,000 per year and return 5,700 hours of instruction time to teachers.

"By scaling back, we are still providing the needed emergency training to our students, but are restoring priceless classroom time and needed funds to our schools," Maldonado said.

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