Texas House votes to prohibit using state money for school vouchers

AUSTIN — Texas House members voted Thursday to prohibit any use of state funds in the next two years for school voucher-like efforts that would send taxpayer dollars to private schools.

In a session in which “parental empowerment” is the mantra of top GOP leaders, 24 House Republicans joined virtually every Democrat in the chamber to approve a budget provision by Robstown Democratic Rep. Abel Herrero.

The voucher discussion highlighted the House’s nearly 10-hour debate of the two-year state budget.

By 136-10, members approved and sent the Senate a budget that would buy down local school property taxes, freeze state college tuition for two years, give retired teachers their first cost of living adjustment in 19 years and begin installing air conditioning in 30 prisons. Voting against were a smattering of liberal Democrats and staunchly conservative Republicans.

Other spirited debates were over a Republican-backed proposal to cut off funds for diversity, equity and inclusion programs at state colleges and universities and a successful push by a Houston-area GOP state representative for a 67% increase in spending on Alternatives to Abortion programs.

The day was largely free of rancor, though. Rep. Bryan Slaton, a Royse City Republican and staunch conservative who had pre-filed many controversial proposals, was absent. Not debating his amendments on abortion, guns and LGBTQ issues saved the chamber considerable time, members said.

On vouchers, for most of the past two decades, several Republicans in statewide offices and many GOP state senators have supported giving parents financial help if they’re frustrated with their local public school. But the House, where urban Democrats and rural Republicans were skeptical, has refused to join the “school choice” parade.

This year, there’s more support. Gov. Greg Abbott has been crisscrossing the state, encouraging families to get behind a bill to create education savings accounts. The program would provide families $8,000 to use for private school tuition or other educational expenses.

Last session, Herrero offered a similar budget amendment, which passed, 115-29. Though the budget prohibition on use of state funds has been largely symbolic, Thursday’s vote was eagerly anticipated as a possible glimpse of what the House’s current mood is.

“Members, please stick with our public school teachers, our neighborhood schools, our charter schools and vote yes for this amendment,” Herrero pleaded.

House Public Education Committee Chairman Brad Buckley of Killeen sought to table, or kill, Herrero’s amendment.

Buckley, whose mother taught in Killeen schools and whose wife is the assistant superintendent there, said he’s devoted to public schools but believes the budget prohibition short-circuits attempts to explore whether parents can be empowered, even as traditional public schools are strengthened.

“Our kids are behind,” said Buckley, noting student achievement suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He urged members to let the Public Education Committee on Tuesday sift through a half-dozen bills that include “a list of ideas” for possible changes that would “move our kids forward.”

‘Competition’ or status quo?

Several Republicans urged colleagues to reject Herrero’s proposal.

“You can be for all parents in your district,” said Rep. James Frank, a Wichita Falls Republican who has home-schooled his children.

Children have varying needs, and parents should “have available options,” Frank said. “No school can be all things to all people.”

“We have never seen any type of competition harm an industry,” said Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth. “Our public schools are no different.”

Herrero said public education is the biggest part of the budget because lawmakers have a constitutional requirement to provide a good system of free schools.

“These are public funds for public schools, as outlined specifically in the Texas Constitution,” he said.

Only one Democrat, Sergio Muñoz Jr. of Mission, voted against Herrero’s amendment. Among the two dozen Republicans who supported it were Justin Holland of Rockwall and Charlie Geren of Fort Worth.

Abbott still hopes lawmakers pass a “school choice” bill this session, spokeswoman Renae Eze said Friday.

Citing a January poll by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston, which found majority support for some form of vouchers, Eze said the issue isn’t settled.

“The Herrero amendment received the least support ever,” she said in a written statement. “This vote shows the Legislature remains open to school choice,”

Alternatives to abortion

On abortion, members voted largely along party lines, 88-59, to increase spending on Alternatives to Abortion to $100 million a year, up from $60 million granted by House budget writers.

Rep. Cody Vasut, R-Angleton, said the Legislature should prove it’s “pro-life” by beefing up pregnancy crisis centers and other agencies that discourage women from having abortions. Several Democrats spoke against, saying the programs are loosely regulated and probably waste dollars that could be spent on women’s health.

Anti-DEI provision

Dallas Democratic Rep. Victoria Neave Criado sought to strike a budget rider added by the Appropriations Committee last month that would declare the Legislature’s intent that no money be used for diversity, equity and inclusion “practices or similar programs, including personnel, training or activities” on state college and university campuses.

In committee, Republicans accused DEI programs of spreading left-wing ideology, though they offered no specific example of that occurring on the campus of a Texas public university.

In Thursday’s floor debate, Democrat after Democrat likened the anti-DEI backlash to attempts to promote what they called a discredited narrative of reverse discrimination against whites.

“We are now looking at turning the clock back,” said Rep. Yvonne Davis, D-Dallas. “Diversity has been our strength.”

The House rejected Neave Criado’s amendment, mostly along party lines, 83-64.

Toddlers with disabilities

Democrats had some victories, but they involved relatively small amounts of money.

In early childhood intervention, a program that provides screening and therapies for toddlers with disabilities, freshman Collin County Democratic Rep. Mihaela Plesa wanted to take $60 million away from Alternatives to Abortion in the next budget cycle. Instead, she settled for swiping $6 million from the state lottery’s marketing budget.

While the Appropriations panel increased state funding of the program to $152.4 million, from $83.3 million in the current cycle, advocates have said Texas spent far more per child a decade ago.

“Rep. Plesa’s amendment brings us one step closer to restoring per-child ECI funding after years of underfunding,” said Alec Mendoza, a health policy analyst with the advocacy group Texans Care for Children. “We are hopeful this will be a priority in the [budget] conference committee between the House and the Senate.”

Fentanyl education

On the scourge of fentanyl-overdose deaths of students, Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood, won funds to start educational programs in public schools.

From Texas’ share of opioid-lawsuit settlements, Zwiener wrested more than $3 million to create “evidence-based curriculum” that would teach students about dangers of fentanyl contamination.

Teacher pay raises

Democrats such as Reps. John Bryant of Dallas and Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio sought to divert some of the budget’s $12 billion for new property tax cuts into items such as higher teacher pay, increased “basic allotment” funding of school districts and beefed-up special education for students with disabilities.

Each time, though, they were rebuffed.

Taking $4 billion from the tax cut plan, to raise salaries of teachers, counselors and librarians by $10,000, made Republicans uncomfortable. Top House school budget and policy writers went to the front mic to assure teachers they will see more help in other bills that are trailing the budget.

The $10,000 pay raise plan of Martinez Fischer died, 79-66.

Counting federal funds and income from sources other than state taxes, House Bill 1 as passed out by the Appropriations Committee last month would spend $302.7 billion. That includes $136.9 billion of state discretionary funds known as general revenue. The House panel used the last $5.4 billion of federal COVID-19 relief money for states that was sent to Texas to pay for prison system salaries.

Because of a “calendar rule” the House usually adopts, members couldn’t propose additional spending from the state’s revenue surplus or its swollen rainy day fund. They had to propose cuts equal to any new spending they urged.

The state is enjoying a record-breaking $32.7 billion revenue surplus in the current two-year cycle, which ends Aug. 31. Comptroller Glenn Hegar has forecast continued, robust growth in state revenues in 2024-2025.

Money for schools, retired educators and mental health

The House’s budget would add $5 billion for public schools. Whether that eventually winds up increasing the basic allotment or teacher pay, school safety or transportation hasn’t been decided.

Appropriations Committee Chairman Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, accepted an amendment that says some of the $5 billion could be used to sidestep increased contributions by active teachers to the Teacher Retirement System’s pension fund. It was offered by freshman Rep. Salman Bhojani, D-Euless.

Bonnen, who praised the budget’s “historic investments,” said it would add more than $5 billion to current spending, across multiple agencies, on mental health and behavioral health. Part of that is completion of a new state mental hospital in Dallas.

Also late Thursday, the House passed a nearly $14 billion “supplemental” spending bill that would plug holes in the budget lawmakers passed in 2021. The vote was 147-1, with Arlington GOP Rep. Tony Tinderholt the only dissenter.

Retired teachers would benefit from Senate Bill 30′s $3.5 billion for cost of living increases, ranging from 2% to 6%, and for a one-time payment of $5,000 to about 290,000 retired educators who are 70 years old or older. They would be contingent on voter passage this November of a constitutional amendment.

Highlights of Texas House budget

$17.3 billion for school property tax cuts ($5.3 billion of it maintains cuts passed in 2019)

$1 billion to freeze college tuition and fees for two years

5% raises each year for state workers

First cost of living adjustments for retired teachers in 19 years

$700 million for community care attendants making $8.11 an hour ($2.6 billion more needed to pay them $17 an hour by 2025)

$1.6 billion for school safety and security upgrades

No money for customer rate relief for costs incurred in the 2021 winter storm (Senate has $3.9 billion)

$5 billion more for mental and behavioral health programs