Texas House Democrats push back against Senate Bill 2, school choice plan

Texas House Democrats are pushing back against Senate Bill 2, the latest attempt at school choice in Texas.

What we know:

The arrival of SB 2, a billion-dollar Education Savings Account bill, is what House Democrats are preparing for. 

It’s expected to clear the GOP-controlled state Senate this week, even though it's not a true universal school choice plan like the idea touted by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott during his State of the State address on Sunday.

READ MORE: Gov. Greg Abbott outlines emergency items in annual State of the State address

"Government-mandated schools cannot meet the unique needs of every student. But Texas can provide families with choices to meet those needs. The majority of Texans support school choice. More than 30 states already have a form of school choice. We will continue to fully fund public schools and raise teacher pay, while also giving parents the choice they deserve," Abbott said Sunday night.

The governor said he wants education to be a priority for state lawmakers, also calling for an increase in teacher pay and more money to expand career training programs.

What they're saying:

"The legislature is not going to stop this. The Democrats or Republicans are not going to stop this. It's going to be you. It's going to be the parents and teachers and students and neighbors and friends, who give a crap about our education," said state Rep. Gene Wu (D-Houston).

"Voucher programs are a false promise that leave all our students behind. Instead of funding a broken system that benefits a select few. We must invest in the public schools that serve all our children," said state Rep. Rhetta Bowers (D-Rowlett).

State Rep. Ramon Romero (D-Fort Worth) also issued his own call for action to the Governor.

"Go into a struggling school. Has he been to Southeast Fort Worth? Has he been to the Fifth Ward in Houston? I really doubt it. Those are the teachers he needs to talk to. Those are the kids that need solutions. Those are the kids that need to find hope and say, ‘Yeah, you believe in me, Governor. Thank you.' I don't believe he's doing it, he's out of touch," said Rep. Romero.

By the numbers:

SB 2 promises $10,000 per student and $11,500 for those with a disability.

That money can be used to pay tuition at a private school. A home-school student could also get $2,000 for supplies & tutoring.

SB 2 is financed with a billion dollars from the state budget surplus, but it's estimated that less than 100,000 students would be able to tap into the special fund.

The backstory:

Monday's House Democrat press conference took place at Parmer Lane Elementary School, part of Pflugerville ISD. 

In 2019, Parmer Lane was the site of another event, where Gov. Abbott signed House Bill 3. The landmark school finance bill totaled $11.6 billion, providing more than $6 billion in new spending to help lower property tax bills. 

"Six years ago, Greg Abbott showed up at the school behind me, Parmer Lane Elementary. He held a press conference with lots of cameras and promised to invest in public schools like this one. Now, this school behind me is at risk of closing because Greg Abbott has refused to invest a penny of new funding into our public schools, since 2019," said state Rep. James Talarico (D-Round Rock).

What's next:

Abbott has said he believes there are enough votes now in the house to pass SB 2.

However, Democrats said on Monday that some of those votes could become No votes as details are discussed in committee and later debated on the floor.

SB 2 has been passed out of the Education K-16 committee and placed on the intent calendar for Feb. 4.

The Source: Information in this report comes from reporting by FOX 7 Austin's chief political reporter Rudy Koski.

Texas PoliticsEducationGreg AbbottTexas