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Texas lawmakers are returning house for Thanksgiving as uncertainty looms over Gov. Greg Abbott’s yearlong push for college vouchers, which the House rejected Friday in its maximum direct vote on the problem but.
Both chambers briefly gaveled out and in Tuesday, pronouncing they’d reconvene once more Monday. But it’s unclear what occurs next on the Capitol after the House voted 84-63 on Friday to strip a voucher program out of a large training invoice.
Abbott replied to the defeat through promising to “continue advancing school choice in the Texas Legislature and at the ballot box.” He has now not mentioned whether or not he needs legislators to stay making an attempt within the present particular consultation — which nonetheless can pass till Dec. 6 — or whether or not he would name a 5th particular consultation to push once more for vouchers.
“Texas parents deserve the freedom to choose the education path that’s best for their child to succeed,” Abbott spokesperson Renae Eze said in a statement for this story. “Governor Abbott has made it clear that he will do whatever it takes — however long it takes — to deliver that freedom for all Texas families through school choice.”
On Monday, Abbott began turning his attention to the primary season, announcing reelection endorsements for 58 House Republicans who opposed the amendment by state Rep. John Raney, R-Bryan, that removed vouchers from House Bill 1. Other allies of Abbott on the issue, like U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, have also signaled since Friday their focus is shifting to campaigns.
Voucher opponents in both parties hoped that Friday’s vote was decisive enough to put an end to Abbott’s crusade, which dates back to his 2022 reelection campaign. To drive home the message, anti-voucher state Rep. Four Price, R-Amarillo, led the House in passing a motion to prohibit any reconsideration of Raney’s amendment.
“It’s time to shift the focus,” Raney tweeted afterward.
Other House Republicans lamented Friday’s outcome, especially because the amendment’s passage likely doomed the entire bill, which includes increased public school funding and teacher pay raises. Abbott had made clear he would veto the bill if it did not include the voucher provision.
“I don’t know whether the Governor will call us back for a 5th special session or not,” state Rep. Cody Harris, R-Palestine, said in a Facebook post Sunday. “Either way, I look forward to the next time I have the opportunity to provide much needed teacher pay raises, increased funding for our local schools, and parents with the opportunity to choose the system of education they believe is best for their child.”
Prior to the amendment vote, Abbott raised the prospect he would summon lawmakers back for another special session if they removed the voucher provision. He said that even if the Senate accepted the change, he “would just have to veto it and we would start all over again.”
“We’d be spending December right here, possibly January right here, possibly February right here,” Abbott mentioned.
Yet Abbott has now not repeated that risk since Friday, and each chamber leaders have stayed quiet on their plans for the remainder of the particular consultation. The Senate’s presiding officer, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, issued a protracted remark Tuesday bashing the House and its chief, House Speaker Dade Phelan, for “killing school choice,” signaling he sees little hope for a revival of the proposal within the close to long term.
In its temporary assembly Tuesday morning, the Senate referred two House proposals comparable to university protection to its Education Committee. But the committee didn’t straight away time table hearings on the law, and it is still observed if the proposals will advance any more.
The Senate is ready to go back 12:30 p.m. Monday, whilst the House is slated to return again at 4 p.m. that day.
Even earlier than HB 1 reached the ground, the House used to be suffering to persistently take care of quorum. By all appearances, lawmakers had been beginning to transfer on with their lives and tired of touring to Austin except they knew main law could be up for debate.
The fourth particular consultation has additionally overlapped with the candidate submitting duration for the March number one, which began Nov. 11 and ends Dec. 11. Lawmakers are busy toning up their political plans as colleagues announce retirements and different elected places of work change into open.
Abbott has lengthy advised he would politically goal GOP lawmakers who block his voucher campaign. The endorsements he introduced Monday had been observed as the primary transfer in that course.
Some of Abbott’s fellow Republicans agree it’s time for number one electorate to have their say. State Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, mentioned he needs to peer a vital turnover within the House because of the Raney modification.
“Many of us are so resolute on this, that we’re going to break caucus rules, and we’re gonna support primary challengers,” Toth mentioned.
Brian Lopez and Zach Despart contributed reporting.
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