‘School choice’ heads to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk

9 hours ago 24

By Philip Jankowski | The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

AUSTIN — A school choice program that will fundamentally change Texas education by sending public dollars toward private schools is headed to the governor’s desk.

The state Senate voted Thursday to send Senate Bill 2 to Gov. Greg Abbott, who has promised to swiftly sign the measure creating education savings accounts after working for more than two years to pass a school voucherlike proposal.

On a vote of 19-12, the Senate approved the ESA proposal that the House passed last week after a marathon debate in the Legislature’s lower chamber.

The Senate approved the House’s version of the bill, which allowed the bill to avoid a conference committee in which lawmakers from both chambers would have smoothed out differences between the two proposals.

House Republicans rebuffed every Democrat attempt to alter the plan, including a last-ditch effort to force Texans to vote on the proposal.

SB 2 creates an ESA program that allows parents to apply for roughly $10,000 of taxpayer money per child. Those selected for an ESA can use the money to pay for private school expenses, such as tuition, uniforms, meals and educational materials.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has been pushing for a similar program for more than a decade. The Senate has passed numerous versions of a school choice bill in previous sessions.

Texas’ efforts gained momentum in the past two years after Abbott began campaigning on the issue. He criss-crossed the state making the case for his school choice proposal at friendly receptions at Christian private schools.

The state’s leading Republicans hailed passage of the bill while Democrats lamented what they see as the first step toward defunding the state’s public school system, which educates the vast majority of K-12 students.

Supporters of school choice say the proposal gives parents more options for their children’s education and allows low-income families access to schools that otherwise would be out of their reach.

Opponents say Abbott’s school choice plan undermines public education and sends taxpayer cash to schools that are not subject to the same standards and regulations as public schools. They note the lack of private school options in high-poverty areas and how such campuses do not have to follow the same rules as public schools, such as in providing services to kids with special needs.

Democrats had few options to derail the bill. In previous sessions, they counted on a contingent of mostly rural Republicans in the House to vote with them against similar proposals.

But Abbott campaigned against many of those GOP “no” votes after his school choice push failed in 2023. He spent millions from his war chest, helped by a record $12 million in campaign donations from Pennsylvania billionaire and school choice mega-donor Jeff Yass, to unseat them.

It worked. At least nine incumbent GOP representatives lost. Several others opted to not seek reelection. In the end, only two House Republicans voted against SB 2 after a 14-hour debate last week.

Democrats might seek retribution. The House Democratic Caucus is floating the option of killing all proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution during this session.

Their plan evidenced itself Wednesday. Fifty-one Democrats refused to vote on a proposed amendment widely viewed as non-controversial.

The measure by a Collin County Republican would extend homestead exemptions to people who own a second home for a child with an intellectual or developmental disability. It needed the 100 votes (out of a potential 150) for outright approval from the chamber.

“Democratic members of the Texas House may be in the minority, but we will use the tools we have to protect the independence of the House and ensure the voices of the millions of Texans we represent are heard and respected in this chamber,” according to a statement from the caucus before that vote.

The move didn’t kill the amendment but set up what could be a standoff between the minority party that has seen few political victories and a Republican party that has dominated the state for the better part of 30 years.

The stratagem comes with political risk. Should Democrats use the tactic for revenge over school choice’s approval, it would kill popular proposals that include increasing property tax homestead exemptions and a multi-billion fund for medical research into dementia.

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