Texas House Speaker says school vouchers are still in play

Palestine Herald-Press
Ali Linan CNHI Texas statehouse reporter
February 19, 2023

AUSTIN — Texas Speaker of the House Dade Phelan previously said he did not believe school choice legislation would be successful this legislative session. On Wednesday, he appeared to walk that back.

In a one-on-one interview with Austin-based news organization KXAN, Phelan, a Beaumont Republican, said school voucher legislation is not “dead upon arrival” once making it to the Texas House floor.

Phelan, who previously said he was against the measure, shied away from expressing outward support for school choice on Wednesday, adding that it is up to lawmakers and whether the measure can garner enough votes..

“There's going to be a very meaningful discussion on school vouchers,” Phelan promised. “But ultimately it is going to come down to whether or not it has the votes in the Texas House, and in the past, it has not.”

The school choice program would allow state tax dollars typically allotted for public school funding to follow a student wherever they are educated — be that a private, charter or home school setting.

In September, Phelan cast doubt on the success of such legislation saying then that he did not believe the measure had enough votes this session to make it far in the legislative process.

In the interim, the topic has gained traction among lawmakers with backing from Republicans Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who each named school choice as a priority item this session.

Phelan has been accused of appointing members to the House Public Education Committee who were not favorable to the measure.

Phelan said that was not the case.

“The appointment of that committee was not reflective of that. There are members who are interested in having those discussions (on school vouchers), so I would say that it's gonna be a very interesting, long session not just on school choice but on anything that comes before the Texas House, because we, at the end of the day, represent 30 million people,” he said.

During the interview, Phelan also gave insights on border security, adding that the Texas House is working on an “innovative solution” to the high number of crossings, but refused to give further details.

Phelan also highlighted his desire to improve school safety, following the Uvalde tragedy.

Neither Abbott nor Patrick mentioned the tragedy during their inaugural speeches, however Phelan did upon being elected Speaker for the second time.

“School safety, as a parent myself, is something at the forefront of everyone's mind,” Phelan said.

He added that in speaking with Uvalde families, he also sees mental health access and cracking down on technology algorithms that are harmful to children as other potential legislation he is looking into.

As far as raising the minimum age to purchase an assault rifle from 18 to 21 — another request by the Uvalde families — Phelan said he is doubtful there are enough votes in either chamber to see any legislation on that front move forward.

“I don't think the votes are there in the House and the Senate to raise the age, but there are other meaningful things we can do that could certainly improve school safety and improve the mental health of our children,” he said.

During his state of the state speech Thursday, Abbott again did not mention Uvalde or gun reform, instead pointing to mental health solutions.

Texas Democrats have criticized state Republican leaders for not even budging on “common sense gun reform.”

“Abbott did not mention a damn thing about how we can prevent school shootings by reducing gun violence, by having common sense gun reforms, by raising the age to purchase assault rifles from 18 to 21,” said state Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City. “He said nothing about this, yet, we just saw another shooting in El Paso.”