Gov. Abbott signs $1 billion school voucher bill into law

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Gov. Greg Abbott has signed the $1 cardinal arguable schoolhouse prime measure into law, allowing for payer wealth to beryllium utilized to assistance qualifying students wage for backstage schoolhouse tuition.

"Today is the culmination of a question that has swept crossed the authorities and our country," Abbott said Saturday.

President Trump threw his enactment down the ballot past month, posting connected Truth Social, "Congratulations to my friends, Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Speaker Dustin Burrows, on with Texas Legislators, for yet passing SCHOOL CHOICE, which I powerfully endorsed – this is simply a gigantic Victory for students and parents successful the Great State of Texas!

He added, "We volition precise soon beryllium sending Education BACK TO ALL THE STATES, wherever it belongs." In January, President Trump issued an enforcement order that frees up national backing for schoolhouse prime programs.

The politician besides said Saturday that it wouldn't person been imaginable without the "fearless committedness of the members of the House and Senate who enactment families first."

Bill signing ceremonial astatine the Governor's Mansion

At the Governor's Mansion for the signing of the bill, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Speaker Dustin Burrows, authorities Sen. Brandon Creighton and authorities Rep. Brad Bickley, who helped get the measure passed successful the Texas House and Senate, spoke to the crowd. A root acquainted said 1,400 radical were expected.

"Today, Texas parents and schoolhouse children secured a large victory. This cosmopolitan schoolhouse prime measure is simply a historical measurement successful ensuring that students volition person the state to question the acquisition enactment that is close for them, not beryllium trapped successful schools that neglect to conscionable their world needs," Attorney General Ken Paxton said successful a statement.

Texas lawmakers beforehand schoolhouse prime bill

Texas lawmakers passed the authorities connected April 24 with a ballot of 19-12. It was approved astir a week agone by the Texas House successful a historical vote.

It was the archetypal clip the Texas House gave the greenish airy to a measure connected backstage schoolhouse vouchers. The Senate approved akin authorities aggregate times, including earlier this year, by a akin borderline of 19-12.

How the Texas backstage schoolhouse vouchers programme works

As portion of the $1 cardinal bill, astir students who be an accredited backstage schoolhouse volition person $10,000 per year. Students with disabilities volition person up to $30,000 per year, and home-schooled students volition get $2,000 a year.

Texas Democrats accidental the authorities hurts nationalist schools

Democrats said they judge astatine the extremity of the day, astir of the students who instrumentality portion successful the programme volition beryllium wealthier students who be backstage schoolhouse now.

"We are looking astatine siphoning $1 cardinal retired of our already underfunded strategy to assistance a tiny percent of Texas schoolhouse children who are mostly already successful backstage school," authorities Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, said.

State Sen. Jolanda "Jo" Brown, who opposed the measure said successful a connection that the measure "is not astir choice."

"With Governor Greg Abbott's signing of Senate Bill 2—the voucher bill—Texas has officially sold retired its students," Brown's connection reads. "This is not schoolhouse reform—it's payment for the wealthy. A private-school payday astatine the disbursal of public-school children. A backroom betrayal dressed up successful buzzwords."

Gov. Abbott has said repeatedly helium was assured the measure would pass this legislative season.

Briauna Brown

Briauna Brown is simply a integer contented shaper for CBS Texas. A longtime and versatile journalist, Briauna writes, edits and produces societal media contented for each CBS Texas integer platforms.

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