Latest news with #schoolchoice
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lt. Gov. Patrick calls legislative session most productive ever for Republicans
AUSTIN - The 89th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature is set to end on Monday after a frantic final push for big votes to meet critical deadlines. FOX 7's Rudy Koski talked to Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick about the sprint to the finish line and an assessment of what was and wasn't accomplished this session. What they're saying "We're on the verge of the best, productive session ever for conservatives and for Republicans, but for all Texans. With school choice, the biggest amount of money ever put into public education, the biggest pay raises, a $200,000 homestead exemption for seniors, meaning almost all seniors in the state will never have to pay school property taxes again for as long as they own their home. We'll put the Ten Commandments back in the classrooms, prayer back in their classroom. And just a litany of bills that are going to change the face of Texas," said Patrick. The clock did run out on some of Patrick's priorities. A crackdown on mail order abortion pills, proof of citizenship for voting and bail bans for undocumented immigrants and violent repeat offenders did not pass this session. Patrick says there will always be some bills that don't make it through. "School choice alone would be a session. The public financing for public education and how we're redoing that and focusing on teachers and students really for the first time, that would be session bill. All of these big issues alone would be a session if you just pass one of them, and we're passing all of them," he said. What they're saying The lieutenant governor did partake in the political arm-twisting and made the occasional threat to force a special session if some of his priority bills failed in the House. "There's been less arm-twisting this session than ever. Better communication than ever. The relationship between the speaker's office and the lieutenant governor's office is light years ahead of where it's been the last four years, where there was no communication, quite frankly. The relationship between the senators and the house members, Republican and Democrats: better than it's ever been. You're always going to bump your head along the way somewhere and someone says something you're not happy with. I mean that's been almost non-existent," Patrick said. You can watch Texas: The Issue Is on FOX on Sunday nights or anytime on FOX LOCAL and the Texas: The Issue Is Podcast The Source Information in this article comes from an interview with Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Greg Abbott's moment: Key triumphs emerging from 2025 Texas legislative session
Gov. Greg Abbott, now in the second half of his third term, is barreling toward the June 2 closing of the 2025 legislative session with his most impressive list of victories of his long political career. This session has turned on its head the long-running truism that Texas is a weak-governor state. A Republican who was first elected in 2014 and twice comfortably reelected after that, Abbott was able to push to, and perhaps even stretch past, the constitutional limits of his executive office with his responses to the COVID-19 emergency of 2020 and an unprecedented surge of unauthorized immigration beginning early in 2021. But the legislative sessions, both regular and special, of 2023 demonstrated that executive muscle alone was insufficient for Abbott to fully implement his vision for Texas. Most notably, for all of his cajoling and arm-twisting, the governor was not able to cobble together a majority in the Texas House to enact a plan to offset the cost of private K-12 education. Abbott's critics labeled such a system "school vouchers." The governor and his supporters called it "school choice." Regardless of what it was called, the issue laid the groundwork for the legislative success that Abbott has enjoyed since lawmakers convened in Austin beginning Jan. 14. Because Democratic opposition to his school choice aim was deep-rooted and immovable, the governor proved he was not afraid to shed Republican blood to get his way. Abbott targeted several Republican House members, many of them dependable allies over a broad swath of conservative priorities but who voted against school vouchers, in the 2024 GOP primaries. Most of them went down to defeat. Others opted not to seek reelection. When the Legislature convened early this year, back-of-the-envelope math suggested school choice would pass, especially since the new House speaker, Dustin Burrows, was open to such proposal. And for some Republican members from rural districts who were still kind of squishy, all they had to do was look at what Abbott (and the millions in campaign funding he spent in the primary) was able to do with their now-departed colleagues. More: As heat turns up in Texas Legislature, here's how a senior Houston lawmaker keeps the House cool While Abbott earlier this month signed his coveted school choice legislation into law, the voucher program is not the only item in his 2025 win column. Less than two weeks after the voucher signing ceremony, Abbott made a show of signing legislation to further protect publicly traded corporations from lawsuits and shield corporate officers from most shareholder claims brought in the state's new business courts, except in extreme circumstances. Abbott has also promised more property tax cuts, generous pay increases for public school teachers and to expand judges' discretion to deny bail for suspects charged with such violent crimes as murder, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated kidnapping and other serious offenses. All are tantalizingly close to the finish line. Abbott is also poised to continue his streak of victories, unchecked, even after the session ends. But it won't be limited to taking victory laps as he signs his priority bills into law. Because so much legislation tends to hit the governor's desk in the waning days of the session, and having until June 22 to sign or veto bills, Abbott can kill any of the measures he doesn't like without fear that the Legislature will override him. That's because the session will have ended, and only he has the power to call lawmakers back to work for a special session. Lawmakers filed two measures this session to trim the governor's veto power. One passed the Senate but appears stuck in the muck in the House; the other never got off the ground. More: Why dysfunction is necessary for the Texas Legislature to actually function Perhaps the biggest measure of Abbott's success this year will come after all the bills are either signed or vetoed. And that's because the finger on the campaign money-raising pause button comes off. Abbott, who has made clear that he intends to run for an unprecedented fourth four-year term in 2026, is one of the nation's most prodigious fundraisers, excepting major-party nominees for president. By way of example, Abbott was not on any ballot in 2024 and yet he still managed to rake in $50 million into his well-stocked campaign account. So, when that pause button was pressed in January, he was sitting on a bankroll of $70 million. There's no reason to believe that his donors have grown tired of funding his political future. And because money is the main propellant of any campaign, Abbott will start the 2026 cycle in earnest with a strong wind at his back. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Gov. Greg Abbott is sealing key victories in Texas legislative session
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vermont Senate finally passes education reform bill, but governor says he won't sign
MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – Vermont lawmakers spent the better part of three months finding a compromise on education reform. Now their 415-page bill looks to be sent back to the legislature for more work. Governor Phil Scott agreed Friday that reform is needed, but says he 'still cannot accept' House Bill 454 (H. 454) in its current form. H. 454 has faced criticism from both the right and the left, with Scott and other Vermont Republicans pointing at its impact on taxpayers while Vermont's progressives are concerned about school consolidation and effects on lower-income Vermonters. Scott wrote Friday, 'As I've said since the beginning of this process, I will only accept a final product that costs less than it does today, sets us on a clear path to achieve scale, reduces administrative overhead, and eliminates inefficiencies that prevent money from flowing towards more opportunities for students.' Scott proposed his own education reform bill in January, which would have put in place a single statewide property tax rate to fund schools. He also proposed dividing the state into five school districts and allowing students the option of entering a lottery to attend nearby private schools. Gov. Scott school choice plan receiving mixed reviews He said he still expects the legislature to pass education reform before it adjourns for the summer, and called the Senate passage of H. 454 'an important procedural step'. Earlier this week when he signed Vermont's $9.1 billion budget for next year, he wrote that Vermont policymakers 'must complete the work to transform our education system, starting with H.454'. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signs $9.1 billion FY26 state budget An open letter signed by 19 former Vermont legislators including former Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman, who ran against Scott for governor in 2020 as a Progressive, says the continued reliance on property taxes to fund schools is regressive. 'We hope you will fulfill the promise of Act 60, which we helped pass in 1997, and ask Vermont homeowners with the most income to contribute their fair share to the cost of education by paying based on income.' The Education Justice Coalition of Vermont, an activist organization, led a student walkout on May 21 based on what it said was the bill's failure to address the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the state as well as the risk of school consolidation. However, Vermont House Speaker Jill Krowinski said she voted for the bill in April because the 'status quo is unacceptable'. Vermont House approves school-funding reform bill The Vermont Senate amended the House bill several times over the past six weeks before eventually deciding to vote on a version close to that passed by the House. The bill passed in concurrence without a floor vote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Supreme Court upholds Oklahoma decision, in blow to religious charter schools
The Supreme Court on Thursday voted in a 4-4 vote to uphold the Oklahoma State Supreme Court's decision in a landmark school choice case. Justices issued a one-sentence ruling upholding the lower court's decision, saying only: "The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court." The state had ruled that providing state funds for a religious charter school violated the First Amendment. Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the ruling, resulting in the 4-4 split. The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved St. Isidore's contract request in June 2023, making them eligible to receive public funds. But its ability to receive it was later blocked by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which ruled that using public funds for the school was in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. That argument was appealed to the Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case last October. During oral arguments, the justices focused on two major questions. The first is whether charter schools should be treated as public schools, which are considered extensions of the state, and therefore subject to the Establishment Cause and its ban establishing or endorsing a religion, or whether it should be considered a private entities or contractor. The case is the first of its kind to involve religious charter schools. This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Forbes
21-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
2025 Could Be The Year Texas Ends Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
View of the Texas Capitol from outside the ornate iron fence With two weeks to go in the biennial session of the Texas Legislature, lawmakers in Austin still have much remaining business to tend to. Governor Greg Abbott (R) and many legislators, however, have already accomplished their top priority for the session by enacting legislation, which Governor Abbott signed last week, creating an education savings account (ESA) program that will provide an estimated 100,000 children with school choice next year. The Texas Senate has passed school choice legislation multiple times over the past six years, only to see it die in the House. School choice, however, isn't the only marquee conservative reform that might finally get to Governor Abbott's desk this year after being stymied in the Texas House for the better part of a decade, but that depends on whether Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) and his colleagues can get Senate Bill 19 to Governor Abbott's desk before adjourning session on June 2. Senate Bill 19, which the Texas Senate passed in March and is now awaiting consideration in the House State Affairs Committee, would bar local governments from using taxpayer dollars to hire contract lobbyists. According to research from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, an Austin-based think tank, local governments across the state spent $98.6 million on lobbyists in 2023, up from $75 million in 2021. 'Up to $100 million per year of Texan's tax dollars are used to hire Austin lobbyists that then lobby against taxpayers and parents,' says Senator Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston), author of SB 19. 'This is waste, fraud, and abuse.' Beyond the considerable sum of local tax dollars going toward lobbyists, SB 19 proponents point out that taxpayer-funded lobbyists frequently advocate against the interests of taxpayers. Contract lobbyists for local governments, for example, have been some of the most vocal opponents of property tax relief and legislation that would require more conservative budgeting at the local level. Senator Middleton notes that opposition to tax relief and government spending restraint are not the only ways in which taxpayer dollars are used to lobby against taxpayer interests. Middleton points out how local governments also pay contract lobbyists to oppose school choice, defeat proposals to enhance border security, and stop legislation that seeks to remove woke ideology from government-run schools. In addition to highlighting how local governments hire lobbyists to advocate against the interests of taxpayers, SB 19 proponents also challenge their opposition to name a single instance in which local governments hired a firm to lobby in favor of a tax cut. This author contacted the Texas Municipal League and the Texas Association of Counties, the top opponents of SB 19, asking if they could point to an example of when local government-hired lobbyists advocated for a tax cut. They have yet to provide such an example, but this article will be updated if that changes. Polling shows that SB 19 would prove to be a politically popular policy change. A poll released by Texas Public Policy Foundation in February found that more than 80% support prohibition of taxpayer-funded lobbying. 'The overwhelming majority of Texans oppose using tax dollars to fund lobbyists,' TPPF noted in its release on the findings of the February poll. 'More than four out of five registered voters oppose it with just 7% saying they approve.' 'We don't need an Austin lobbyist middleman between state and local elected officials,' Senator Middleton adds. 'We are elected to represent our constituents directly.' Though it doesn't match the amounts spent in Texas, local tax dollars are spent on contract lobbyists in many other states, both blue and red. Lawmakers in Tennessee and Florida have also expressed interest in stamping out taxpayer-funded lobbying. Should Texas become the first state to do so, it likely won't be long before legislation like SB 19 is filed in other state capitals.
