More education funding, teacher pay raises in doubt after Texas House rejects education savings accounts
AUSTIN (CBS News Texas) - Additional funding for the state's public schools and teacher pay raises remain in doubt after the Texas House rejected a provision that included taxpayer-financed education savings accounts.
The author of the nearly 200-page bill sent the bill back to committee, where it will likely die.
The Texas Senate passed two separate education bills last week, and they may be dead on arrival in the House as well.
21 Republicans voted with all 63 Democrats in the House to strip the policy that would have provided $10,000 per student per year to attend private or religious school.
Lower income and disabled students would have been favored in the program.
The measure would have also included a $4,000 bonus for full-time educators and additional pay raises afterwards.
It would have also raised the amount of money school districts would receive per student, from $6,160 to $6,700.
All of the debate on this bill focused on the education savings accounts and most of it was between Republicans who remain divided.
Rep. Glenn Rogers, R-Graford said, "I have nothing against private schools or home schools. I just have a problem with taking taxpayer dollars and sending it to private schools with no accountability and basically there's only two ways you can have a voucher system ultimately. Either defund public schools or you raise taxes."
Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Waxahachie said, "Poll after poll after poll make it unambiguously clear that an overwhelming majority of Texas and especially Texas parents want the chance to take their unique beautiful and individual child and put them in the education setting that is best for their child, absolutely."
It is a big political defeat for Gov. Greg Abbott, who's pushed hard for education savings accounts all year.
He said most Texans and Republicans in the House support this.
In a statement Friday night, Abbott said, "I will continue advancing school choice in the Texas Legislature and at the ballot box, and will maintain the fight for parent empowerment until all parents can choose the best education path for their child."
He went onto say, "I am in it to win it. The small minority of pro-union Republicans in the Texas House who voted with Democrats will not derail the outcome that their voters demand."
Abbott said last week that if school choice policy didn't pass, he may bring lawmakers back for a fifth special session in December, and if necessary, more sessions in January and February.
Lawmakers are facing primaries in March, and would rather be back in their home districts so they can campaign than be in the Texas Capitol.