Lawmakers in Austin debated Tuesday into the night on one of the most controversial bills going through the legislature this year. Senate Bill 2 would allow families to use public school tax dollars on private and home schools.
Similar ideas have passed the upper chamber many times but a coalition of rural Republicans and Democrats have rejected the idea so far.
Governor Abbott has said he has the numbers to pass it through the lower chamber this time. Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are. Creighton, "Too many families find themselves trapped by their zip code. There are 5. Some of the details were debated Tuesday afternoon in front of education advocates and the press. To cut down on fraud, the bill's sponsor, Sen. Brandon Creighton, R - Conroe, designed the program to be managed by the Texas Comptroller and state-approved vendors.
So you can't go to Rooms-To-Go and buy furniture if you have a thousand bucks left over," said Sen. Other than a testing requirement, there are few strings attached so parents can send students to religious schools or home-schooling their students. This bill will not allow government interference in religious beliefs would it? Angela Paxton, R - McKinney. Some Democrats on the committee were concerned the program did not prioritize low-income families enough.
To qualify for the lottery to obtain an education savings account, a family needs to make percent of the poverty line, which according to Sen. Twenty percent of the accounts will be available to any income through a lottery. Royce West, D-Dallas. Jose Menendez, D - San Antonio. Even if the proposal passes the Texas House and Senate, it will likely be challenged in court by public school advocates who fear it will divert resources away from the current system. They'll likely argue the program violates the state constitution, which requires lawmakers an "efficient system of public free schools.
