Texas lawmakers are currently taking part in a fourth special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott, who has yet to indicate whether he will be calling a fifth special session to accomplish priorities set for the legislature months ago.
On Monday, Abbott went skydiving with 106-year-old World War II veteran Al Blaschke, saying after the event that Texas residents would have to “stay tuned” about whether he will be calling a fifth special session, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Prior to the start of the fourth special session, Abbott outlined his priorities for Texas lawmakers, stating that bills focusing on border security and education should be the priorities.
Once the session started, the Senate and House of Representatives worked together to pass Senate Bill 4, making unlawful entry into the state a crime.
When listing his priorities, Abbott stated in a news release that an education savings account would “empower Texas parents to choose the best education pathway for their child while providing billions more in funding for Texas public schools and continuing to boost safety measures in schools.”
However, the legislature has been unable to agree on bills that include an education savings account.
One bill passed by the Senate was SB 1, which would have established a $500 million education savings account allowing families to apply for and receive up to $8,000 for school expenses.
Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), who authored SB 1, said it would ensure that “students win, and when students win, Texas wins.”
However, Sen. Borris Miles (D-Houston) called the bill “unsustainable,” claiming that it would be a “fiscally irresponsible voucher plan.”
“If we start going down this path of using public resources to fund private schools, it’ll be the first step in a death of our public school education and our great state as we know it,” he said, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
While it is still unclear whether Abbott will call lawmakers back for a fifth special session, he previously said he is “in it to win it.”
“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 said, as reported by The Dallas Express.
