Latest news with #R-Lubbock
Axios
a day ago
- Business
- Axios
What did and didn't pass in the Texas Legislature
State lawmakers wrapped up their business in Austin on Monday, leaving behind a trail of legislative accomplishments and failures. Why it matters: The decisions at the Capitol affect the lives of everyone from pregnant Texans to hemp farmers. Driving the news: Texas once again tilted farther to the right during this year's 140-day legislative session with the passage of bills creating a massive private school voucher program and requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms. Yes, but: Republicans didn't pass legislation limiting abortion pills, penalizing the use of bathrooms by transgender people in public spaces or banning the use of social media accounts by minors. A measure that would have barred cities from creating their own rules around things like elections and criminal justice — with a threat to freeze their sales tax revenue — also failed. The intrigue: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — now a decade in power presiding over the Senate — dictated the legislative agenda, flexing his muscle over new House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock). Here's a breakdown of the major issues we've been tracking. School finance House and Senate lawmakers finally agreed on House Bill 2, which authorizes $8.5 billion in funding for public school teacher salaries, special education, school safety and full-day pre-K. Public school advocates say the funding isn't enough to keep pace with inflation. What's next: Abbott has said he intends to sign the bill. Vouchers Abbott signed Senate Bill 2 into law last month, which gives participating families roughly $10,000 per child in state money for private school tuition. Between the lines: It's a long-fought win for Abbott, who spent millions of dollars reshaping the Legislature to gain the votes he needed for its passage. Abortion A measure that would further limit abortion medications fell short after it missed a key legislative deadline. Yes, but: Lawmakers passed other abortion laws — one aimed at clarifying an exception that allows doctors to terminate a pregnancy to save the pregnant person's life, and another that bans cities from using taxpayer money for abortion-related travel expenses. Both bills await a signature by the governor. Anti-transgender measures Lawmakers approved a bill defining "man" and "woman" based only on reproductive anatomy and requiring all state records to reflect sex assigned at birth. The law does not recognize a third sex for intersex people, in line with Abbott's January order recognizing only two sexes. Another measure signed by the governor requires insurance plans to cover treatment for complications or reversals related to gender transitions. THC Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 3, which bans THC in Texas. The measure, which reverses a 2019 law that legalized THC, would drastically impact Texas' multibillion-dollar hemp industry and now awaits the governor's approval. The border Despite the Trump administration's focus on deportations and increased border enforcement, lawmakers approved spending $3.35 billion over the next two years on border security. They also approved a measure requiring sheriffs to collaborate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Library book selection Lawmakers approved a measure giving parents the option to see what their children are checking out of their school library. The bill would also require school boards to create library advisory councils to recommend which books should be added or removed from libraries. Ten Commandments and prayer Lawmakers approved a proposal that requires the Ten Commandments to be posted in public school classrooms, and another that would allow school boards to require periods for prayer and reading "the Bible or other religious text." Make Texas Healthy Again Inspired by the Trump administration's "Make America Healthy Again" agenda, lawmakers approved a measure that requires a half-hour of physical activity through eighth grade in public schools, and creates a nutrition advisory committee that will examine the effects of ultra-processed food and food additives on human health. Also approved and signed by Abbott: a ban on 17 food additives from reduced-price or free lunch programs at public schools. Property taxes Lawmakers approved sending a package of property tax reforms to voters this November that would increase the homestead exemption to $200,000 for seniors and $140,000 for everyone else. State budget To pay for property tax relief, lawmakers are dipping into billions they had earmarked for border security. (State officials are hoping Congress reimburses Texas for billions of dollars it has spent on border security.) The $338 billion two-year budget also increases spending for water and energy infrastructure and hiring hundreds of state troopers. What they're saying:"I remain committed to returning even more money to taxpayers to fight back against local government property taxes, while maintaining our steadfast commitment to public education, which accounts for almost half of Texas' budget," Patrick said in a statement.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
It's the last day of the Texas Legislature. Here's what they did.
Texas lawmakers are set to gavel out of their 140-day legislative session on Monday after passing a raft of conservative policies, from private school vouchers to tighter bail laws, that furthered the state's march to the right. The Legislature is wrapping up without the same drama that defined the end of the last two sessions, when Democratic walkouts, a last-minute impeachment and unfinished priorities prompted overtime rounds of lawmaking. This time, Gov. Greg Abbott checked off every item on his main to-do list. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the powerful hardline GOP Senate leader, accomplished the vast majority of his own priorities, working in concert with first-term House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, to send a laundry list of conservative bills to Abbott's desk. The GOP-controlled Legislature's productive session left Democrats feeling dour with only scattered wins. They were able to block a handful of Republican priorities and they pushed several major bipartisan measures — from funding for public schools to water infrastructure — that made it across the finish line. As lawmakers prepare to depart Austin, here are some key issues that dominated the session and are now poised to become law. — Jasper Scherer Texas GOP lawmakers exit the 2025 legislative session having taken care of their top two education priorities: private school vouchers and funding for public schools. Senate Bill 2, the voucher bill, will allow families to use $1 billion in taxpayer funds to pay for their children's private school tuition and home-school expenses. House Bill 2, the school finance package, will send a roughly $8.5 billion boost to public schools to fund employee salaries, operational expenses, educator preparation, special education, campus safety and early childhood learning. Passage of both bills marks a 180-degree turn from the 2023 session, when vouchers failed to move forward and billions for public schools were withheld as a consequence, with Abbott saying he would only approve school funding once lawmakers passed vouchers. SB 2's voucher program will launch at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year, with state officials expected to begin building the structure in coming months. HB 2 will soon allow Texas public schools to begin addressing some long-standing challenges, though advocates warn the money will likely not stave off budget deficits and campus closures. — Jaden Edison [Private school vouchers are now law in Texas. Here's how they will work.] In a major win for Patrick, lawmakers approved a ban on products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, fulfilling the lieutenant governor's priority of eradicating Texas' booming hemp industry. Under legislation sent to the governor last week, Senate Bill 3, hemp retailers and recreational users would be allowed to sell and consume only the non-intoxicating, non-psychoactive cannabinoids known as CBD and CBG. The potential ban on THC, the psychoactive element in marijuana, comes six years after lawmakers inadvertently touched off a boom in hemp-based products when they authorized the sale of consumable hemp in a move aimed at boosting Texas agriculture. The measure has met bipartisan resistance from veterans and activists in both parties, who say an all-out ban is a heavy-handed way of cracking down on the more than 8,000 loosely regulated retailers selling THC-laced edibles, drinks, vapes and flower buds across Texas. Hemp industry leaders and advocates have flooded Abbott with calls to veto the bill; the governor has stayed neutral on the issue this session and declined to say whether he plans to use his veto pen or let the bill become law. Proponents have sold the ban in part by touting the Legislature's planned expansion of its limited medical marijuana program. Separate legislation sent to Abbott's desk would significantly expand the list of qualifying conditions and allow for more licensed medical marijuana dispensers. — Jasper Scherer The Legislature adopted a sweeping package ushering in a crackdown on the state's bail laws, a longtime priority of Abbott. Senate Joint Resolution 5 will appear on November's ballot, asking voters to amend the state Constitution to require judges to deny bail, in certain cases, for the most violent offenses. The Texas Constitution currently grants almost everyone who is arrested the right to be released on bail, except for those charged with capital murder or accused of certain repeat felonies or bail violations. According to the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Supreme Court, bail cannot be excessive, and pretrial detention largely should not be considered the default, as criminal defendants are legally presumed innocent. Proponents argued that stricter bail laws were necessary to protect the public from crime committed by dangerous defendants out on bail. The Legislature also passed Senate Bill 9, which limits who is eligible for a cashless bond. But two more stringent proposals — which would've automatically denied bail to all unauthorized migrants accused of certain crimes and to some people previously accused of certain felonies — died in the House. — Kayla Guo Texans will no longer be able to buy their lottery tickets online or through apps known as couriers, cutting down one of the only legal forms of online gambling in the state. The Legislature's session-long scrutiny of the Texas Lottery Commission culminated in Senate Bill 3070, a sweeping overhaul of the game and the abolition of the commission as lottery oversight moves to a new agency. The banning of couriers was a bellwether for the Legislature's appetite for gambling this session; not a single bill expanding casinos or sports betting in any form was heard in either chamber. A March letter signed by a dozen Republican lawmakers killed any hope for constitutional amendments on gambling making it out of the House — a hurdle one such proposal barely jumped in 2023. The lottery itself is ending the session on unstable footing, as SB 3070 will require a review by the state's Sunset Advisory Commission in 2029 that may put a permanent end to the games. — Ayden Runnels Lawmakers reached a deal on investing billions of dollars to stave off a looming water crisis. Senate Bill 7 and House Resolution 7 dedicate $1 billion a year for the next 20 years, beginning in 2027. The money will be split evenly between fixing the state's fragile water infrastructure and projects to create new water supply. This includes desalination, repairing old water infrastructure, conservation and flood mitigation projects. Texas voters will have the chance to vote on the proposed dedicated funding this November. There were water-related bills that had support, but failed to make it across the finish line. This includes House Bill 1400, which would have established a fund for groundwater research, science and innovation. This fund would have been used to improve groundwater models used for water planning, among other research to improve groundwater conditions in Texas. — Jayme Lozano Carver Two bills passed this session give religion — specifically, Christianity — a more prominent role in Texas public schools, barring potential legal challenges. Senate Bill 10 requires that every public school classroom display the Ten Commandments in a visible place. The posters must be 16 by 20 inches, and can't include any other text. The bill builds on a 2021 law that requires 'In God We Trust' signs to be displayed, though those were only required to be displayed if donated by a private group. A similar law to the Ten Commandments bill was ruled unconstitutional in Louisiana, and freedom of religion and civil rights groups in Texas said they plan to sue as soon as the governor signs it. Senate Bill 11 requires school boards to vote on whether to have a period for staff and students to pray or study a religious text — and to allow students that time in the school day either way. Opponents raised concerns before the bill's passage that this could lead to teachers or staff members attempting to indoctrinate students. — Sameea Kamal Texas now strictly defines man and woman based on reproductive organs. The full implications of this bill remain to be seen, but trans people fear it means the state won't recognize amended drivers' licenses and birth certificates. It may also be used to limit what bathrooms someone can use, the prisons or shelters they're put into and the discrimination protections they can call upon. The Legislature will also require health insurance companies that cover gender-affirming care to pay for detransitioning; mandates someone's birth sex be noted on their medical records; and says it can't be considered child abuse for parents to not affirm their child's gender identity. The 'bathroom bill,' requiring people in government buildings to use the bathroom that matches the sex they were assigned at birth, did not pass, despite widespread support from both chambers. — Eleanor Klibanoff After at least three women died as a result of being denied medically necessary abortions, lawmakers approved a narrow clarification of the state's near-total abortion ban. The new law does not expand abortion access, but aims to empower doctors to perform life-saving abortions, even if death is not imminent. It also requires doctors and lawyers to take continuing education classes on the nuances of the law. Lawmakers also banned cities from paying for out-of-state abortion travel, although a more significant anti-abortion bill, cracking down on pills, failed to make it out of a House committee. — Eleanor Klibanoff A raft of vaccine hesitancy bills that put greater restrictions on vaccine use while giving parents and individuals more leeway in filing conscientious exemptions so they or their children can opt out of immunization requirements were filed but only a handful made it across the finish line. Chief among them was House Bill 1586, which will allow parents to print out copies of the state's conscientious exemption form instead of waiting weeks for one to be sent by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Critics argued that making exemptions easier will cause more childhood viruses to spread like the current West Texas measles outbreak. Other vaccine-related bills that passed included HB 4076, which bars discrimination on an organ transplant list based on a patient's vaccination status, and HB 4535, which requires health care providers administering the COVID-19 vaccine to obtain informed consent from patients, notify them in writing of benefits and risks and inform them how to report complications to the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. — Terri Langford State lawmakers greenlit a fresh round of property tax cuts for Texas homeowners and businesses that voters must sign off on at the November ballot box. If passed, Texans who own their homes would get a bigger break on the taxes they pay to school districts via a boost in the state's homestead exemption to $140,000 from $100,000. Homeowners 65 or older or those with disabilities would see an even bigger bump. Business owners stand to see breaks on the property taxes they pay on their inventory. Lawmakers exempted up to $125,000 of businesses' inventory from being taxed by school districts, cities, counties and other taxing entities. Voters in November will decide whether that takes effect. In all, Texas plans to spend $51 billion on property tax cuts — a whopping figure state budget watchers and some lawmakers worry is unsustainable. — Joshua Fechter Lawmakers enacted a spate of bills intended to tackle the state's high home prices and rents, mainly by allowing more homes to be built. Among the most prominent were bills to allow smaller homes on smaller lots as well as apartments and mixed-use developments in more places, such as along retail and commercial corridors, in the state's largest cities. They also approved a bill to make it harder for residents to stop new homes from being built. Other measures to make it easier to build additional dwelling units in the backyards of single-family homes and allow houses of worship to build homes on their land died. — Joshua Fechter Texas lawmakers wanted to give parents more say over what children are taught and which activities they join. A key part of this push is Senate Bill 12, which will ban diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in K-12 schools. The ban prohibits school districts from considering race, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation in hiring and training. Lawmakers say DEI programs promote ideology over quality education. Parents can file complaints if they believe a school violates the ban, which can be escalated to the Texas Education commissioner. In addition, schools will be banned from authorizing or sponsoring student clubs based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill also requires parents to give consent for their children to participate in extracurricular clubs. Critics say the law could negatively impact LGBTQ+ students and encourage self-censorship among teachers. Lawmakers proposed amendments, allowing educators to opt out of teaching what goes against their personal beliefs and ensuring students still learn the 'uncomfortable truths' of U.S. history, but they failed. — Sofia Sorochinskaia Alarmed by last year's 'disruptive' and 'hate-filled' pro-Palestinian demonstrations, conservative lawmakers pushed to exert greater control over public higher education. They passed Senate Bill 37, giving political appointees — not subject-matter experts — the authority to review and reject courses and the hiring of a provost or the chief academic officer. That bill creates an office to investigate complaints against universities and recommend funding cuts. Lawmakers also rolled back campus free speech protections with Senate Bill 2972, which gives politically appointed university regents the power to designate protest locations and prohibits students from erecting encampments, wearing disguises or protesting noisily in certain situations. A proposal to eliminate in-state tuition for undocumented students advanced out of a committee for the first time in a decade but stalled before a full vote. — Jessica Priest
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Senate advances $8.5 billion increase to public school funding
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Late on Thursday night, the Texas Senate advanced a heavily-amended version of House Bill 2 to a third reading, adding $8.5 billion in public school funding over the next two years. The agreement between the Senate and the House was announced to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, more than a month after HB 2 was initially passed on the same day the House passed Education Savings Accounts legislation. 'This historic funding focuses on what works: better-supported teachers, safer schools, and greater opportunities for every student to succeed,' State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, said in a joint statement with seven other lawmakers. 'The majority of these funds go straight to the classroom—not bureaucracy—ensuring student success drives every decision. HB 2 also strengthens school operations and provides districts with the resources they need to balance their budgets in the long term. The plan reflects our Texas values: empowering educators, investing in students, and securing the future of our state's economy.' According to a release from Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, the $8.5 billion is broken down into several subcategories rather than investing a large increase in the basic allotment. The updated HB 2 establishes an 'Allotment for Basic Costs' (ABC), which districts can use for expenses such as insurance, utilities and teacher retirement system (TRS) contributions. $1.3 billion will go to the new ABC. Additionally, $850 million will go to 'overhaul special education,' and $430 million will go towards school safety. A key amendment added to the initial version of HB 2, which establishes a fully funded full-day pre-K program, was also included in the final compromise. 'If the Legislature were to pass just one of the major components in HB 2—be it record-setting teacher pay raises, full-day pre-K, or a long-overdue overhaul of special education—that would be a transformative victory in its own right,' State Rep. Diego Bernal, D-San Antonio, said. Bernal authored the full-day pre-K amendment in the House. 'But HB 2 delivers all of these reforms and more, and when taken together, they represent a truly landmark achievement for Texas public education,' Bernal said. One of Gov. Greg Abbott's seven emergency items at the beginning of the session was to increase teacher pay. The updated version of HB 2 sets aside $4.2 billion for permanent teacher and staff pay raises. The permanent raises come for teachers with over three years of experience, with an additional raise for those with over five years experience. In addition, HB 2 grows the Teacher Incentive Allotment program, expanding it to more teachers across the state. Lastly, the bill allows for up to an $8,000 bonus for rural teachers. ''This agreement represents a historic breakthrough for rural Texas—for far too long, small and mid-size districts have been asked to do more with less, and HB 2 directly responds to those challenges,' State Rep. Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin, wrote. 'This bill will put rural Texas schools on stronger footing than ever before.' While the bill garnered praise from both sides of the aisle, not everyone shares the enthusiasm. 'This was a backroom deal. Members of the legislature in the House and in the Senate weren't involved in the creation of this new version of the school finance bill,' State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, said. Talarico is a member of the House Public Education committee and a former classroom teacher. 'It angers me, because I came here to represent my constituents. I work with 150 members of the legislature who also are here to represent their constituents, and the fact that members of the House didn't get an opportunity to craft the details of this bill is an outrage.' Like most, Talarico had only been able to see the details as laid out by Burrow's staff. He took issue with the bill taking funds from the basic allotment and moving them to allotments with less flexibility. 'I think the state legislature is acting like the school board of Texas. They're trying to micromanage our local school communities across the state,' he said. 'The only way that we can keep schools open and that we can increase student performance is if we allow local communities to do the job that we're asking them to do without the state looking over their shoulders and micromanaging everything they do.' Talarico also has issues with the raw amount of new funding coming in, especially after the state dedicated $1 billion to ESAs — a program assisting families with private school tuition — earlier this session. 'This school finance package doesn't even catch us up to 2019 funding levels. We've had six years of rampant inflation,' he said. 'Most of our teachers are leaving the profession within the first five years, and within this package, those are the teachers who are getting the smaller pay raises — if they're getting any at all. Teachers who are under three years don't get any pay raise at all. We have a $24 billion budget surplus in this state. We have enough money to give an across-the-board teacher pay raise to every educator in our state and the Republican leaders in this Capitol refusing to do so. So this package is inadequate to the crisis that we face.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
04-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Gov. Abbott signs Texas school choice bill into law
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2, the education savings account (ESA) program, into law on Saturday afternoon, creating the nation's largest day-one school choice program. After previous failed attempts, alleged threats against Republican House members, and a call from President Donald Trump, Abbott will finally get one of his top priorities across the finish line. Data shows how far school choice funds will go with private special education programs in Texas The front lawn of the Governor's Mansion was filled with Texans from around the state who drove in to witness the historic piece of legislation. A spokesperson for the Governor's Office said it received 1,400 RSVPs for the signing. The governor was joined alongside the authors of the bill, State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, and State Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, as well as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock. A school choice advocate and private school director are also listed to make comments at the signing. Editor's Note: The above video is KXAN's previous coverage of Senate Bill 2 when it passed in the Texas Senate. Abbott took the time to thank members of his staff, parents around the state, and lawmakers who were able to finally get this piece of legislation across the finish line. 'School choice is now the law in the great state of Texas,' Abbott said to applause and cheers from the crowd. 'Gone are the days that families are limited to only the school assigned by government. The day has arrived that empowers parents to choose the school that's best for their child.' What will ESAs look like? The ESA program will allow approved applicants to use public dollars to help cover the costs of sending their children to a private school. Parents would be able to use money to pay for things like tuition, school supplies, uniforms, travel, etc. The program is allocated for $1 billion in its first year, but the bill language states that cap will be removed after the first year of implementation. Lawmakers could set the same cap in the next legislative session when they write the budget, or can even increase or decrease the program amount. How much does each student get? Each child accepted into the program will receive 85% of the statewide average of local and state dollars that each student receives in public schools. Right now, that is a little over $10,000 per year. Special education students are able to receive the same amount of money they would receive if they attend public school, with a cap at $30,000. Home-schooled students are eligible to receive up to $2,000 per year. Who is prioritized? Since there is a cap, only so many students will be able to take advantage of the program. The bill does prioritize applicants based on educational needs and family income. Here's how it is broken down: If the comptroller, the agency tasked with operating the program, receives more applicants than available spots, it will use a lottery system to fill out the program. A child whose sibling is in the program would automatically be placed in the program as well. What's next for public school finance? Just across the street from the celebrations at the Governor's Mansion, a group of Democratic state lawmakers and public school teachers and advocates gathered in a parking lot to protest the education savings account program. The group unveiled a banner hanging down from the AFL-CIO building that reads from top to bottom, 'Kids and Teachers Over Billionaires.' Underneath that is a picture of Gov. Abbott with money around him. In parenthesis below the governor's picture it says, 'And those that cave to them.' The Texas House passed both school choice and public school finance legislation at the same time. Speaker Burrows called the initiative the 'Texas Two-Step.' House Democrats fought against the ESA program arguing it would cause public schools to lose out on state dollars, since that money is determined by attendance. 'With the stroke of his pen, Greg Abbott is betraying nearly 6 million Texas public school students,' State Rep. James Talarico, D – Austin, said at the protest. Republicans and supporters of the bill disagree with that argument, and instead they argue it will create more competition among schools in the state, therefore increasing the quality of education. 'We are going to make, through school choice, public schools even more competitive and better. It's not about us against them or them against us, all together,' Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said during the bill signing event. Democrats argued they wanted to use the $1 billion set aside for school choice to be used toward increasing public school financing. House Bill 2, the public school finance bill, increased public school funding by roughly $7.7 billion. Democrats said the school finance bill does not go far enough in increasing the basic allotment, which is a portion of the total school funding a school district receives per student. The last time it was increased was in 2019 when the legislature bumped it up to $6,160. The latest school finance bill would increase the basic allotment by $340, but Democrats argue the basic allotment needs to increase by about $1,400 in order for schools to catch up with inflation. But unlike school choice legislation, the school finance bill has not been fully approved by both chambers. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Education K-16, but does not have a hearing date set. The bill was passed on the same night as school choice, April 17. This past week, State Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, voiced his concerns with the Senate not scheduling a hearing for school finance. In a line of parliamentary questioning to the Speaker, Wu asked, 'Is the Senate aware that if HB 2 does not pass that our school system may completely collapse?' 'Mr. Wu, the Chair is not advised,' Burrows responded. 'I think it's very concerning that the governor forced his private school voucher bill through the House and is now stalling on funding for our public schools,' Talarico said. 'This was supposed to be the Texas two-step, but right now I'm just seeing one step, and that's defunding our neighborhood public schools across the state.' State Sen. Creighton is the chair of the Senate education committee. He said the two proposals for public school finance are similar in the amount of money, but differ in how that money would be spent. He says his office is working on a hybrid of the two proposals and will schedule a hearing soon. 'It'll be probably the largest funding increase for public schools by percentage in Texas history,' Creighton said. The last day for the Texas Senate to consider all bills on second and third reading is May 28, according to the Legislature's Deadline Action calendar.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Abbott to sign Texas school choice bill into law
Editor's Note: The above video is KXAN's previous coverage of Senate Bill 2 when it passed in the Texas Senate. AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will sign Senate Bill 2, the education savings account (ESA) program, into law on Saturday afternoon, creating the nation's largest day-one school choice program. After previous failed attempts, alleged threats against Republican House members, and a call from President Donald Trump, Abbott will finally get one of his top priorities across the finish line. Data shows how far school choice funds will go with private special education programs in Texas The governor will be joined alongside the authors of the bill, State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, and State Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, as well as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock. A school choice advocate and private school director are also listed to make comments at the signing. Watch the signing in the video player above at 2 p.m. CT Saturday. The ESA program will allow approved applicants to use public dollars to help cover the costs of sending their children to a private school. Parents would be able to use money to pay for things like tuition, school supplies, uniforms, travel, etc. The program is allocated for $1 billion in its first year, but the bill language states that cap will be removed after the first year of implementation. Lawmakers could set the same cap in the next legislative session when they write the budget, or can even increase or decrease the program amount. Each child accepted into the program will receive 85% of the statewide average of local and state dollars that each student receives in public schools. Right now, that is a little over $10,000 per year. Special education students are able to receive the same amount of money they would receive if they attend public school, with a cap at $30,000. Home-schooled students are eligible to receive up to $2,000 per year. Since there is a cap, only so many students will be able to take advantage of the program. The bill does prioritize applicants based on educational needs and family income. Here's how it is broken down: Priority Level Eligibility 1 Children with a disability in a household with income at or below 500% of the federal poverty line 2 Children in a household with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty line 3 Children in a household with income that is above 200% and below 500% of the federal poverty line 4 Everyone else If the comptroller, the agency tasked with operating the program, receives more applicants than available spots, it will use a lottery system to fill out the program. A child whose sibling is in the program would automatically be placed in the program as well. The Texas House passed both school choice and public school finance legislation at the same time. Speaker Burrows called the initiative the 'Texas Two-Step.' House Democrats fought against the ESA program arguing it would cause public schools to lose out on state dollars, since that money is determined by attendance. Democrats argued they wanted to use the $1 billion set aside for school choice to be used toward increasing public school financing. House Bill 2, the public school finance bill, increased public school funding by roughly $7.7 billion. Democrats said the school finance bill does not go far enough in increasing the basic allotment, which is a portion of the total school funding a school district receives per student. The last time it was increased was in 2019 when the legislature bumped it up to $6,160. The latest school finance bill would increase the basic allotment by $340, but Democrats argue the basic allotment needs to increase by about $1,400 in order for schools to catch up with inflation. But unlike school choice legislation, the school finance bill has not been fully approved by both chambers. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Education K-16, but does not have a hearing date set. The bill was passed on the same night as school choice, April 17. This past week, State Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, voiced his concerns with the Senate not scheduling a hearing for school finance. In a line of parliamentary questioning to the Speaker, Wu asked, 'Is the Senate aware that if HB 2 does not pass that our school system may completely collapse?' 'Mr. Wu, the Chair is not advised,' Burrows responded. 'I think it's very concerning that the governor forced his private school voucher bill through the House and is now stalling on funding for our public schools,' State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, said. 'This was supposed to be the Texas two-step, but right now I'm just seeing one step, and that's defunding our neighborhood public schools across the state.' The last day for the Texas Senate to consider all bills on second and third reading is May 28, according to the Legislature's Deadline Action calendar. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
