Texas House Dems' Voter Approval Push
Throws Major Curve into Vouchers Fight
Capitol Inside
April 15, 2025
Governor Greg Abbott's fear of a statewide vote on school choice could give some Republicans an added incentive to oppose the vouchers bill that the Texas House is set to debate on Wednesday amid concerns he hasn't been honest with them about the proposal having widespread support across the state.
Abbott has been working furiously behind the scenes to try to prevent a Democratic amendment that would give voters the final say on a measure that would put state government in the business of regulating private education for the first time in Texas history.
More than four dozen House Democrats have signed on to the amendment that would make a vouchers program contingent on voter approval in an election that would be held in November. The Democrats are threatening to withhold their support for all of the constitutional amendments that Republicans have proposed if the election amendment isn't tacked on the school choice bill on the floor this week.
The governor has been livid since learning on Monday about the Democrats' proposed revision to the school choice plan that the House plans to take up on Wednesday. Abbott has called a private meeting before the vote with the House's GOP members for the sake of shoring up support for the vouchers proposal in Senate Bill 2 and demanding that Republicans kill the amendment that would let voters decide the fate of the plan.
While House Republicans can expect threats of revenge from the governor based on his recent history on the issue, those who may still be wavering could get the impression that the proposal isn't as popular with base voters as Abbott has been claiming if he's doing everything in his power to head off an election. The governor would have nothing to worry about if the people make the last call on school choice as long as he hasn't been exaggerating its support in polling on the subject.
A revision with a statewide election requirement could disappear in a conference committee that would be controlled by Republicans and tasked with finding a compromise between the House and Senate vouchers plans. But an election mandate would increase the chances for a meltdown in conference committee. Abbott and GOP lawmakers could face could face a significant backlash for depriving the people the right to weigh in on school vouchers at the polls.
Abbott has claimed to have the votes to pass school choice in the House since he helped defeat a number of House Republicans in the 2024 primary election as payback for their defiance on a vouchers bill that failed on the floor in special session the year before.
But the school choice plan has encountered heated resistance from a growing number of MAGA loyalists despite endorsements that Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick secured from President Donald Trump and Elon Musk in February. The resistance to vouchers has been most intense in rural areas.
Abbott continued to portray school choice in glowing generalities
that could lead some to believe that every single kid in Texas could get payments from the state to attend private schools if a bill passes. That would not be true based on the language in the House and Senate versions of SB 2.
"School choice will help create endless opportunities for young Texans," Abbott said in a post on X on Monday. "Every student will be able to reach their unique potential. A brighter future for our great state begins with guaranteeing education freedom."
more to come ...
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