Texas House rejects school vouchers

AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas House handed Texas Governor Greg Abbott's key priority for the fourth special session of the Texas Legislature a major defeat, killing a proposal to use taxpayer dollars to help people pay for private school.

The coalition of mostly rural Republicans and Democrats has been the biggest hurdle for voucher supporters.

Gov. Abbott has spent the last several months trying to push the program along. He has threatened to keep calling lawmakers back until they give him what he wants. He’s been silent since Friday’s defeat, but previously signaled he’s going to keep pushing.

The day finally came for the Texas House to hash it out over a school voucher plan to let families use taxpayers’ dollars to help pay tuition for private and religious schools, a plan supporters argue fosters competition and gives students more choices.

"There are Texas families, to no fault of anyone, who things just aren’t working. Maybe a child with special needs, they may be a child who is being bullied, or maybe a child for some reason that experience is just not serving them well," said State Rep. Brad Buckley/(R) Salado.

But critics have argued it would hurt public schools and direct public monies to unaccountable private entities.

Rural Republicans also say it wouldn’t benefit their districts where there are few or no private options.

"Is this the conservative thing to do, to create another entitlement program, in effect to create a third education system?" said State Rep. Drew Darby/(R) San Angelo.

With the governor’s past efforts to squeeze the so-called education savings plans (ESA) through the House unsuccessful, lawmakers lumped them and school funding together for this fourth special session.

Abbott's plan for ESAs was rejected following a contentious debate among Republicans who are divided over the idea of using taxpayer money for private school tuition.

There was bipartisan opposition in the House to the tuition accounts. The vote was 84 to 63 for an amendment that took the ESA provision out of House Bill 1. 

There were 21 Republicans, mainly representing rural districts, who joined all of House Democrats in voting for the amendment.

Increases in school funding and teacher pay raises are tethered to the bill.

Six-term Republican John Raney (R-Bryan) proposed the amendment, signed by other hold out Republicans, to strike ESA's from the school funding bill.

"I believe in my heart that using taxpayer dollars to fund an entitlement program is not conservative, and it's bad public policy," said Rep. Raney.

Those words sparked terse exchanges with other Republicans.

"What would you tell the parent that is not as fortunate as people in this room, what their options are if the only option they have is right there?" asked State Rep. James Frank (R-Archer County).

"I feel for them 100%, but we can't pay for the program. It is going to break the State of Texas when this reaches its maximum use," Rep. Raney replied.

State Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco) peppered Raney with questions about whether sexual assault victims and their siblings should have an ESA to have a choice to go to another school.

"Some of these are going to be tough, tough situations," said Rep. Patterson.

Raney responded that ESAs don't help his district and don't help 5.4 million public school students.

"I'm opposed to ESAs and I will continue to be opposed to ESAs and that's how I'm going to answer your question," he said.

"So if a school district has boys in the girl's locker room, which they can do and I disagree with that policy, then you're telling me that those parents are locked into that school district?" replied Rep. Patterson to a chorus of boos from the gallery.

Not only did state representatives remove vouchers from consideration, they also voted not to include vouchers in any further discussion about a school funding bill.

House Bill 1 was sent back to committee and the Texas House adjourned until Tuesday at 10 a.m.

The Texas Senate already approved vouchers.

It leaves the school funding bill, as a whole, essentially dead.

Any legislation would have to clear the Senate, which has been on the governor's side of the issue.

Earlier this month, Gov. Abbott threatened to veto legislation if it didn’t include his priority, saying he would just bring lawmakers back again and again.

"We’d be spending December here, maybe January here, maybe February here, and I know one thing about the House and Senate, they want to get out of here," Gov. Abbott said back on November 10.

Democrats, late Friday, said they’ll keep blocking any school bill that includes vouchers.

"We’ll come back whether it’s the fourth special, or the 40th special session to fight for our kids," said State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, House Democratic Caucus Chair.

Gov. Abbott's office has not responded to FOX 4’s request for comment.

The Association of Professional Educators said in a statement that it's time to stop wasting taxpayer dollars in special sessions, and instead wants lawmakers to focus on public school funding.