Gov. Greg Abbott (R) made a huge production of signing his signature voucher plan into law May 3, holding a big invitation-only signing ceremony. Select members of the Texas House and Senate as well as children stood behind him as he signed the bill. Invited guests included Jeff Yass, who gave Abbott $12 million last year as he campaigned against pro-public education conservatives; Corey DeAngelis, a so-called “school choice evangelist” who was disgraced last year due to a personal scandal; and Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) Campaign Director Mandy Drogin, who hosted Abbott’s rallies at private schools across the state over the past two years. 

“I am about to sign into law the largest day-one school choice program in the United States of America,” Abbott said. “Today is the culmination of a movement that has swept across our state and across the country. 

“Today it is time that we put our children on the path to having the No. 1 ranked education system in the United States of America knowing that school choice is part of the formula in achieving that mission.” 

Abbott criticized public schools in his address, attacking them for shutting down during COVID-19 (a move he himself mandated) and for “forcing” a “woke agenda” on children such as the daughter of Rep. Hillary Hickland (R–Belton), a former school choice activist at the Texas Public Policy Foundation-turned-state rep. Additionally, he cited the story of a young autistic boy from Bell County whom he claimed was not getting the attention he needed from a public school. It’s interesting to note that children with significant special education needs rarely find private schools that are willing or able to serve them. This is because private schools are not required to follow federal special education laws nor provide services to children with special needs. During his comments at the ceremony, Abbott did not mention school finance or teacher pay, despite declaring the latter one of his emergency items in his February State of the State address.  

Meanwhile, in the Senate led by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), House Bill (HB) 2, the school finance bill, sits in the Senate Education K-16 Committee, where it has sat since April 23. There has been no movement on this bill despite the promises of the Big Three—Abbott, Patrick, and House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R–Lubbock)—that the voucher plan and school finance would move together. In February, Burrows said:  

"I believe we can fully fund public education while recognizing that one size does not fit all. Families deserve options. Schools deserve resources. One without the other leaves Texas short.” 

Rumors are flying as the session nears a close that the Senate considers HB 2 to be “bloated” and that the bill, if heard at all, would be “gutted.”  The Senate would have to pass the bill through committee and the Senate floor no later than Wednesday, May 28. That means there is still plenty of time, especially in the fast-moving Senate, but the bill not moving is an ominous sign. Additionally, it is likely that due to significant differences between the House and Senate versions, the bill would need to head to a conference committee, which only further increases the likelihood of it dying before reaching the governor’s desk.  

ATPE members are encouraged to use Advocacy Central to send messages to your state senator encouraging them to push HB 2 forward. Advocacy Central is a quick and simple tool to make your teacher voice heard, and using it does not even require logging into the member-only portion of the ATPE website.  

Keep following Teach the Vote for updates on HB 2 and other important bills as the session begins to draw to a close.