Texas Senate approves the school selection bill – The Dallas Morning News

Austin – by moving quickly on a Central Republican priority, the Texas Senate approved the bill “School Choice” on Wednesday, which will put dollars on taxpayers to private education at school.

The 19-12 vote was largely on the guerrilla lines with senator Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, the only Republican to vote against against Senate Bill 2S All 11 Democrats also opposed the bill.

Although the passage seemed inevitable, the Democrats did not give up without wrestling, offering dozens of changes that were voted in quickly, largely on party lines. The final approval came at 8:00 pm, despite the earlier rating of Lieutenant Dan Patrick that the debate on the hot button could continue in the early morning on Thursday.

“We are now looking for the house, which is the sixth time we have passed a school choice to get together at last and give this opportunity to every child in Texas,” said Patrick, who chairs the Senate after the vote.

Throughout the debate, the author of SB 2, Senator Brandon Creyton, R-Conroe, faced difficult questions from the Democrats, but rejected his objections as bordering on “hypothetical hypothetics.”

“Who are we fighting for? We are fighting for those students who need help the most, “Creeton said.

Republican budget writers have offered to spend $ 4 billion out of nearly $ 24 billion in surplus to create savings bills for education for children in Texas at school. Each student can apply for a savings account for education that can award $ 10,000 for private school spending or $ 2,000 for home students. Those in special education would be eligible for $ 11,500 for a savings account for education, and the bill was amended on Wednesday to allow $ 2500 for students, school students with disabilities.

If the number of students applying for education savings accounts exceeds $ 1 billion, participants will be selected through a lottery system that allocates 80% of the Student Fund who previously attended a public school and are or from low -income households, or have a disability.

The remaining 20% ​​will be open to each student, including those who attend a private school.

Governor Greg Abat made the bill to choose a school, his main political goal for this year’s legislative session, and the senators were wasting a little time, moving SB 2 through the committee and on the debate floor.

SB 2, the first bill to come out to vote in the Senate in the regular session, which began on January 14, is one of the most appreciated proposals passing through the Capitol this year.

Republicans sought to dumb damage caused by a government analysis This showed the annual ballooning of the $ 1 billion account to approximately $ 3.75 billion after four years. Before the debate began, the Texas State Teachers Association released a statement that emphasizes cost forecasts.

“The simple truth is that Taxpayers in Texas cannot afford two separate education systems, one public and one private,” said the Association of Teachers. “And they cannot afford to give tax subsidies to wealthy families with children who are already in a private school, many of whom will receive vouchers on this bill.”

Faced with friendly investigations by Senator Joan Huffman, R-Houston, Creeton said there is no context in the budget analysis, as legislators control the size of the fund and it cannot grow without the approval of the legislature.

“It is very important that you have the facts of fiscal meaning,” Huffman said.

Similar proposals were accepted by the Senate -dominated Senate in 2023 to a large extent on party lines. Each of them was defeated in the House of Coalition of Democrats and Rural Republicans.

Senator Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, told Creighton that the bill is unfair to rural communities that do not have access to private schools.

“Rural Texas is screwing in this matter,” Gutierrez said.

During the hearing of a committee last week, Creyton said he would make amendment to disqualify undocumented students from the program if the Supreme Court annulled a previous decision requiring public schools to train undocumented immigrants. However, this change did not come.

Failed democratic amendments would set new provisions for participating private schools, including requirements related to violations of the laws of antidiscitation and provisions that would require the curriculum and budgets to be subordinate to the laws of public information.

“If we are going to invest a billion dollar dollars in taxpayers in this program, we need to mitigate the risk without accountability,” said Senator Jose Menedes, D-san Antonio, offering a change to increase transparency and changing low-income requirements to be more In accordance with federal poverty standards.

As it is written, the bill determines the low-income instructions at five times the federal poverty level of about $ 160,000 a year for four family.

Creeton opposed the amendment, causing a sarcastic outburst by Senator Carol Alvarado, D-Houston. The change failed after all Republicans voted against.

Shortly before the final vote of SB 2, Creeton said he had prepared to pronounce a festive speech, but instead unbuttoned democratic senators, calling their arguments against him “a bunch of fake junk” and a “story that ultimately harms the possibilities For children. “

“I’m good to be sent home forever if my area is not interested in this bill,” he said. “I know what I’m doing here. I know why I was sent and I know I was in peace if I was on the front porch instead of another session. But this will not be so. “