Voucher Victory For Senate Republicans, But House Showdown Awaits

Dan Patrick’s voucher scheme crusade advances, but House obstacles remain.

https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/day-22-voucher-victory-for-senate




It shouldn’t surprise you that the voucher scheme passed in the Senate last night after an eight-hour debate. As Lt. Governor Dan Patrick pointed out, this was the sixth time vouchers have made it out of the Senate.

The bill, SB2, as it stands, is awful. Senator Brandon Creighton (R-SD04) refused to take any Democratic amendments to the bill that would have given it more transparency and fairness. Listen to Senator Sarah Eckhardt’s (D-SD14) closing statement pointing out how SB2 primarily benefits white, wealthier families and exacerbates segregation in education and how private schools receiving public funds will not be held to the same standards as public schools.

Knowing they were outnumbered and couldn’t stop the bill, Senate Democrats genuinely tried to soften it and make it less harmful to Texas families. For example, Senator José Menéndez (D-SD26) introduced an amendment to provide accommodations for students with disabilities. Republicans voted against it straight down party lines: