If the number of Republican coauthors is a sign, the bill is headed toward passage
PLANO, Texas — If the number of Republican co-sponsors who signed onto the school voucher bill in the Texas House is any indication, they will barely have enough votes to pass the legislation out of the lower chamber.
House Bill 3 would create education savings accounts for parents to use public funds to send their children to private schools.
75 Republicans are coauthors of the legislation, which along with the bill’s author, would provide 76 votes, a slim majority in the 150-seat body.
None of the 62 Democrats in the Texas House signed on as a co-author.
And state Representative Mihaela Plesa, D-Plano, says the bill has a long way to go.
“The Senate version of this voucher bill and the House version of the voucher bill look very, very different. So, anybody that’s saying this is a done deal is either lying or doesn’t know what they’re talking about,” the Democrat told us on Inside Texas Politics.
Rep. Plesa says as the bill moves forward, Democrats, and even some Republicans who may still oppose school vouchers, will work to influence the legislation through amendments.
And she says she’s heard from teachers and coaches who fear school vouchers will negatively impact the funding for public schools, resulting in cuts that could gut everything from fine arts to the age-old Texas tradition of Friday Night Lights.
“And it’s not just to our football teams. It’s going to be in career and technology courses. It’s going to be in robotics courses. FFA, right? And football isn’t the only sport that is gonna get cut. We’re gonna see cuts to basketball,” Rep. Plesa argued.
House Bill 3 is currently in the House Committee on Public Education with a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, March 11, 2025.
