(C) Texas Tribune
This story was originally published by Texas Tribune and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
The Blast: Who’s in and who’s on the fence on ESAs [1]
[]
Date: 2025-03
Gov. Greg Abbott can now see the light at the end of the voucher tunnel.
Today, Texas House Public Education Committee Chair Brad Buckley, R-Salado, came out with a list of 75 co-authors to the bill to implement education savings accounts, House Bill 3. With Buckley and Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, that makes 77 supporters, more than the 76 needed to pass the House.
In a statement, Abbott commended those who are a part of the “team effort” and called it a remarkable achievement.
“For the first time in our great state’s history, the Texas House has the votes to pass a universal school choice program,” the governor said.
Abbott and Buckley picked up one Republican holdout from the final ESA vote of 2023, Rep. Keith Bell of Forney. Reps. Drew Darby of San Angelo, Jay Dean of Longview, Charlie Geren of Fort Worth, Ken King of Canadian, Stan Lambert of Abilene and Gary VanDeaver of New Boston are holding the line against ESAs. Freshman Rep. Jeff Barry of Pearland is also holding out, as anticipated.
However, the list is missing three members who voted in favor of ESAs in 2023: Reps. Ryan Guillen of Rio Grande City, Sam Harless of Spring and Brian Harrison of Midlothian. And notably, the list is missing former Speaker Dade Phelan of Beaumont.
As speaker, Phelan let the House’s education bill go to the floor in the fourth and final special session of 2023. However, Democrats and a group of Republicans voted to remove the ESA program from the bill, killing hopes at a legislative solution to the deadlock. Although Abbott did not wade into Phelan’s primary, his opponent was supported by Club for Growth, which otherwise was aligned with Abbott in his war against anti-voucher members. That triggered questions about whether Abbott saw Phelan as part of his voucher problem.
Today, Phelan told the Tribune’s Jasper Scherer that he’s still undecided on HB 3.
“I’ve always said transparency and accountability are true conservative values, especially when using taxpayer money,” Phelan said, adding that his constituents will have the final say.
Harrison, who has opposed Burrows and House leadership at every step of the way this session, posted on Sunday that “a bill that only gives ESAs to about 1% of Texas students… is NOT ‘universal’ school choice.” He also shared the perspective of Vance Ginn, formerly of the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the Trump 45 White House.
HB 3 is a start, Ginn wrote in a Substack post today, but there’s only enough in the pot for about 1.5% of Texas students, meaning it will be up for future Legislatures to expand the program. Additionally, he argued that the House should kill the second part of its plan, House Bill 2, which includes increased teacher pay and other education spending increases.
“With HB 2 dumping more than $8 billion into public education, it will be far more challenging, if not impossible, to garner enough support for additional ESA funding later,” Ginn wrote. He also figured it would hurt the chances of eliminating school district maintenance and operations property taxes, a goal of TPPF and staunch fiscal conservatives.
Meanwhile, Americans for Prosperity-Texas today launched a six-figure campaign to try to show members that, hey, the silent majority is with you in favor of ESAs.
Those opposing ESAs have been the loudest side of the public debate, and AFP fears that some members are concerned that they’re going against their district’s desires. So, the six-figure campaign includes mail ads, digital ads, phone banking, doorknocking and letters to lawmakers, all encouraging constituents to tell their lawmakers that they support the effort. They’re trying to generate a groundswell to counter the anti-voucher movement and show members “the true picture of their districts,” AFP Texas Director Genevieve Collins told The Blast.
The campaign is beginning with mail ads arriving today in 16 districts represented by pro-voucher members, all Republicans. Ultimately, they plan to reach 55 such districts. However, the list does not include Phelan’s district.
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://mailchi.mp/texastribune.org/the-blast-whos-in-and-whos-on-the-fence-on-esas
Published and (C) by Texas Tribune
Content appears here under this condition or license: Used with Permission:
https://www.texastribune.org/republishing-guidelines/.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/texastribune/
