Voucher Bill Passes Senate, Arrives in House

A bill to implement school vouchers in Texas sailed through the Senate largely on party lines last week and now awaits consideration in the House, the Austin American-Statesman reported. House Speaker Dustin Burrows, RLubbock, said he believes there are enough votes in that chamber to pass the legislation, which was defeated a half-dozen times in 2023 by a coalition of Democratic and rural Republican members.

“As Speaker, I’m committed to ensuring the agenda of the Texas House remains truly member-driven this session,” Burrows said in a statement. “I support empowering parents to decide the best educational option for their children.”

The bill’s supporters, which include Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other top elected officials, say it would give students access to more school choices. Opponents fear the $1 billion program will siphon funding and students away from public schools already facing budget deficits.

The political director of the Texas Freedom Network said legislators should focus on funding public schools instead.

“Voucher schemes steal vital funds from kids in our neighborhood schools, all so megadonors and the politicians in their pockets can subsidize private and religious schools for the wealthy at our expense,” Rocío Fierro-Pérez said.

Abbott Outlines His Legislative Priorities 

Abbott outlined his legislative priorities in a speech last Sunday. Besides school vouchers, he wants state lawmakers to cut property taxes by $10 billion, launch a massive water project to ensure adequate supplies, and restrict bail for a number of crimes, the Houston Chronicle reported. Other priorities include pay raises for teachers and investment in nuclear energy as a way to “fortify” the state’s electric grid. Abbott is backing a plan by state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Amarillo, which would invest in several large projects to increase the state’s water supply. Among the projects are desalination plants and a network of pipelines to distribute water. “We will make the largest investment in water in the histoty of Texas,” Abbott said. “We will tap into new water supplies and repair pipes to save billions of gallons of water each year.”

The Democratic response to Abbott’s State of the State address blasted the governor for being too friendly with President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, who is leading an effort to eliminate federal government waste and inefficiency.

“The fact is people are struggling after 30 years of Republican rule,” Gilberto Hinojosa, the former Democratic Party chair, said in the response.