Live updates: Education savings accounts on the Texas House floor

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — On Wednesday, the Texas House is expected to take up a years-long anticipated vote on Senate Bill 2 — which would establish education savings accounts (ESAs) — and House Bill 2 — the public school finance bill.

An ESA program would allow families to use tax dollars to help pay for private education, while the public school finance bill would increase current funding to Texas's public schools by $7.7 billion.

Before the meeting, some lawmakers started calling to turn SB 2 into a referendum — allowing Texas voters to have the final say on their ballots in November.

“The Governor keeps saying this is what Texans want,” Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, posted on X. “But that’s not what we’re hearing. We should be putting this to a vote of all Texans.”

Gov. Greg Abbott, who declared ESA legislation an emergency item for two consecutive sessions, said the voters already decided.

“This is just another desperate distraction from out-of-touch Texas Democrats,” Abbott’s Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris said in a statement. “School choice was on the ballot last November, and Texans elected a school choice majority in the Texas Legislature. When it comes to education, parents matter, and families deserve the ability to choose the best education opportunities for their children.”

As the day develops, we'll keep you updated right here on the latest from the Texas House floor.