By State Rep. Brooks Landgraf
In June, I wrote a column about my signing of the Texas Conservative Commitment — a promise to my constituents that I will fight to uphold our values as both conservatives and Texans. This commitment, signed by 42 of my fellow legislators, is more than a symbolic gesture; it’s a roadmap of policies designed to ensure Texas remains the best state to live, work, and raise a family. In my previous statement, I highlighted three key policy pillars of the commitment: securing our border, cutting property taxes, and ensuring our grid is reliable at all times and in all conditions. Now, I’ll turn my attention to three more pillars that focus on the most important people in our society — our children.
The education of our future generations is the foundation on which Texas’ prosperity rests. I firmly believe that every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential through quality education, including access to well-funded public schools in their community. That’s why I proudly co-authored House Bill 100 in 2023, which aimed to increase education funding, raise teacher salaries, and provide greater stability for school district budgets. As a product of Ector County ISD and the father of a current ECISD student, I will always fight for our public schools. And I also understand that public schooling is not always the best fit for every child’s unique educational needs. The Texas Conservative Commitment recognizes this by calling on legislators to empower parents to choose the educational path that best suits their child.
Progress has already been made in pursuing this goal with the consideration of House Bill 1 during last year’s final special session. I supported this bill because it proposed a balanced approach: providing a much-needed increase in funding for our public schools and raising teacher pay here in West Texas (and throughout the state), while also creating new, viable school options for Texas students who have been mired in failing schools in places like Houston. This “education savings account” program was limited, prioritizing funds for children with disabilities and those from low-income families, and would have empowered parents to choose the school that best serves their child, whether public or private. Although House Bill 1 did not pass in the House, my support remains steadfast for our West Texas public schools as well as those students who most need help to attain a quality education.
If a parent chooses to send their child to public school, as I and the vast majority of Texas parents have, they rightfully expect their child to receive an education grounded in our shared American values, one that prepares them to be productive and think critically. Unfortunately, this expectation is not always met in other parts of the country. My signing of the Texas Conservative Commitment, which emphasizes the need to return to a classical education rooted in our shared history, reaffirms my commitment to eliminating political indoctrination from our schools. I have already supported various measures to protect our children’s education, such as House Bill 3979 in 2021, which required all public schools in our state to adopt a social studies curriculum that discusses the moral foundation of our nation, history, and founding documents.
In addition to ensuring our children receive a quality education free from political bias, it is equally important that we safeguard them from dangers beyond the classroom. The Texas Conservative Commitment emphasizes the need to fully protect our children from predatory threats, both online and throughout our communities. Last year, I co-authored House Bill 18, also known as the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act. This bill requires digital service providers to receive parental consent before a child creates an account with them, providing a way for parents to protect their children from the dangers of uninhibited access to other individuals online.
Through these principles outlined in the Texas Conservative Commitment, we are laying the groundwork for a future where our children can thrive in a safe, values-driven environment. I remain dedicated to these commitments and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that Texas remains the greatest state in the nation for the next generation.
God bless Texas!