Former Lufkin superintendent speaks out against school choice bill
LUFKIN, Texas (KETK) – A former Lufkin ISD superintendent spoke against House Bill 3 during a House Committee meeting on Wednesday.
Longview officer injured in weekend shooting released from hospital, recovering at home
Roy Knight, who was in the education industry for over 40 years, testified against HB 3 that would use state funds to pay for private schools, homeschooling and other educational services. The bill would also create more flexibility for parents to choose their child's education.
'This bill is a skunk that we're trying to pass off as a kitty cat,' Knight said.
The bill argues that directing funds toward private schools will enable competitive pay for public school teachers. However, Knight contends that Lufkin has remained competitive with other schools for years. He also stated that public school teachers are frustrated by the implication that they have not been working hard until private schools became more popular.
Jacksonville PD promotes Steven Markasky to chief of police
Knight said this bill wastes more government funds than any other bill that has come through. 'This bill provides the opportunity for most waste fraud and abuse than any bill that's ever come through,' Knight said.
Texas legislatures are still contemplating whether HB 3 should be passed. Gov. Greg Abbott recently named the issue an emergency item and put the bill atop of his legislative priorities.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Florida's social media ban for kids halted by federal judge
A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction against Florida's HB 3, a law regarding youth and social media accounts. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in Tallahassee says in court documents obtained by FOX Business that the law is a violation of the First Amendment's protections on free speech. Walker's ruling on Tuesday sides with trade groups NetChoice and Computer and Communications Industry Association, putting HB 3 on hold until the litigation is resolved. 'Today's ruling is yet another affirmation that the government cannot control or censor online speech. Like all Americans, Floridians have the right to access lawful speech without the government controlling what they say, share or see online,' Chris Marchese, NetChoice Director of Litigation, said in a statement. 'Lawmakers should focus on real, constitutional alternatives that respect both family autonomy and free speech,' he continued. HB 3 requires social media platforms to bar users under the age of 14 and requires users 16 and under to have parental consent before opening an account. Getty Images Jeremy Redfern, a spokesman for Republican Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, whose office is defending the law, said in a statement obtained by Reuters that the 'platforms do not have a constitutional right to addict kids to their products.' Uthmeier's office plans to appeal it to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, he said. HB 3 requires social media platforms to bar users under the age of 14 and requires users under 16 to get parental consent before opening an account. It was supposed to go into effect Jan. 1, but was put on hold due to litigation. 'Today's ruling is yet another affirmation that the government cannot control or censor online speech,' NetChoice's director said. Getty Images NetChoice, which represents social media platforms, has won injunctions in recent months against similar laws in Utah and California that restricted the use of social media platforms by youths. In Tuesday's ruling, Walker said he appreciated that parents are concerned about their children's social media use, but that other, unchallenged provisions of the law offered them recourse. The industry groups did not address some parts of the law that directed social media companies to delete youth accounts at parental request.
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Florida appeals federal judge's ruling which blocks enforcement of social media ban for kids
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier quickly appealed after a federal judge Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction blocking a 2024 state law aimed at keeping children off social media platforms. Uthmeier, who is the defendant in a lawsuit filed by two tech-industry groups, filed a notice of appeal to Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Wilson's ruling to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. As is common, the notice did not detail arguments Uthmeier will make at the Atlanta-based appeals court. Uthmeier also is battling Snap Inc., the operator of Snapchat, in a separate lawsuit about whether the social media company has violated the law. The law, which was one of the biggest issues of the 2024 legislative session, seeks to prevent children under age 16 from opening social media accounts on certain platforms, though it would allow parents to give consent for 14- and 15-year-olds to have accounts. Children under 14 could not open accounts. The law does not directly identify which platforms would be affected by the regulations. But it includes a definition of such platforms, with criteria related to such things as algorithms, "addictive features" and live streaming. Walker's ruling Tuesday said, for example, it would apply to Snapchat and YouTube, which are owned by Google. In the ruling, Walker said the law likely violates First Amendment rights, siding with arguments raised by the industry groups NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association. The groups filed the lawsuit in October. Walker anticipated in Tuesday's ruling that Uthmeier would appeal the preliminary injunction to the Atlanta-based appeals court. He declined to put his ruling on hold while the appeal plays out. "Defendant has every right to appeal, and this court sees no reason to delay defendant in seeking an appeal by requiring him to move to stay," Walker wrote. Parents role in police children's use of social media Supporters of the law have argued it targets addictive features of social media platforms that harm children. But Walker pointed, in part, on the role of parents in policing social media use by their children. "An established principle in the First Amendment context is that enabling individuals to voluntarily restrict problematic content at the receiving end is preferred over restricting speech at the source," Walker wrote in a 58-page ruling. "In this context, that means that parents are best positioned to make the appropriately individualized determinations about whether or when their children should use social media platforms, and if so, which platforms and under what conditions." Florida accuses Snapchat of breaking the law The preliminary injunction applies statewide, but it came amid wrangling in a separate lawsuit that Uthmeier filed in April in state court in Santa Rosa County contending the operator of Snapchat has violated the law. "Despite being subject to HB 3, Snap contracts with and provides accounts to Florida users who it knows are younger than 14," the lawsuit said. "It also fails to seek parental consent before contracting with and providing accounts to Florida users who it knows are 14 or 15 years old. Snap is openly and knowingly violating HB 3, and each violation constitutes an unfair and deceptive trade practice under FDUTPA (a state law known as the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act)." The lawsuit was transferred from state court to federal court through what is known as "removal" by Snap. The company last week asked Walker to put the lawsuit on hold while the broader case filed by NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association plays out. If Walker doesn't issue a stay, Snap argued the judge should dismiss the lawsuit. "The statute categorically bars individuals under age 14 from creating accounts on the websites it covers and requires parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds, infringing on protected speech of minors," Snap's attorneys wrote. "As numerous courts have concluded, requiring minors to obtain parental consent before accessing 'social media' abridges First Amendment rights." But Uthmeier is trying to get the lawsuit moved back to state court. Walker said in Tuesday's decision he would not rule on Snap's request to put the lawsuit on hold until after he decides whether to send it back to Santa Rosa County.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Federal judge halts Florida's social media ban for kids
A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction against Florida's HB 3, a law regarding youth and social media accounts. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in Tallahassee says in court documents obtained by FOX Business that the law is a violation of the First Amendment's protections on free speech. Walker's ruling on Tuesday sides with trade groups NetChoice and Computer and Communications Industry Association, putting HB 3 on hold until the litigation is resolved. "Today's ruling is yet another affirmation that the government cannot control or censor online speech. Like all Americans, Floridians have the right to access lawful speech without the government controlling what they say, share or see online," Chris Marchese, NetChoice Director of Litigation, said in a statement. Texas Bill Pushes Strictest Social Media Ban For Minors In The Nation "Lawmakers should focus on real, constitutional alternatives that respect both family autonomy and free speech," he continued. Read On The Fox Business App Jeremy Redfern, a spokesman for Republican Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, whose office is defending the law, said in a statement obtained by Reuters that the "platforms do not have a constitutional right to addict kids to their products." Uthmeier's office plans to appeal it to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, he said. Snapchat 'Openly Defying' Law, Allowing Kids Access To Harmful, Addictive Content: Florida Ag HB 3 requires social media platforms to bar users under the age of 14 and requires users under 16 to get parental consent before opening an account. It was supposed to go into effect Jan. 1, but was put on hold due to litigation. NetChoice, which represents social media platforms, has won injunctions in recent months against similar laws in Utah and California that restricted the use of social media platforms by youths. Click Here To Read More On Fox Business In Tuesday's ruling, Walker said he appreciated that parents are concerned about their children's social media use, but that other, unchallenged provisions of the law offered them recourse. The industry groups did not address some parts of the law that directed social media companies to delete youth accounts at parental request. Reuters contributed to this report. Original article source: Federal judge halts Florida's social media ban for kids
