School Vouchers

The Legislature doesn’t reconvene for another five months, but the battle over creating a school voucher-like program in the state is already well underway. A Texas House committee meeting on Monday may provide a preview of what to expect in the battle ahead.

Support for abortion rights and public schools will be major themes of the three-day gathering that kicks off Thursday. But the gathering comes on the heels of a controversial executive order on immigration many Democrats oppose.

Six of eight GOP incumbents lost their races. Gov. Greg Abbott declared he “now has enough votes to pass school choice.”

Abbott endorsed the primary opponents of Texas Republican House incumbents who voted against his proposal last year to allow taxpayer dollars to pay for private school tuition of students.

Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton disagree on who should win two dozen GOP primary races for the Texas House. Abbott has spent big in these races, while Paxton had relied on his endorsement and campaign appearances.

Abbott, a Republican, called the contribution from Pennsylvania's Jeff Yass the “largest single donation in Texas history.”

Some Texas public school teachers say they have to do side jobs in order to be able to live.

House Bill 1 includes funding for school safety and salary raises for teachers. But the measure’s most controversial provision, one creating a school voucher-like program, was stripped from the bill on Friday afternoon.

The bill has brought together an unlikely coalition of Republicans and Democrats and may keep lawmakers in Austin even longer.

A version of the bill that would send public money to private schools passed through a Senate committee on Thursday. Gov. Greg Abbott made such legislation one of his top priorities in this fourth special legislative session.