A day through the eyes of Texas lawmakers of the historic vote for controversial school choice bill
Under Senate Bill 2, students will receive $10,000 each year if they attend a private school. Disabled students would receive up to $30,000 a year and home-schooled students would get $2,000. The vote marks the first time since 1957 that the Texas House has approved legislation making state money available for families to use on their children's private schooling, according to the Texas Tribune.
CBS News Texas photojournalist Manuel Villela and Eye on Politics reporter Jack Fink arrived at the Texas Capitol Wednesday to cover the Texas House discuss and vote on SB2. They followed various lawmakers throughout the day and nearly 11 hours of debate over the bill.
Opponents and supporters make their voices heard
Shortly after the team arrived at the Texas Capitol, opponents of the school choice-education savings accounts bill made their voices heard. It was 8:30 in the morning, and their chants in the rotunda reverberated through the corridors and chambers as they hoped to influence the Texas House hours before they considered SB 2, the bill to spend $1 billion in taxpayer money to send students to private school. As their numbers increased, so did the volume.
At 9:05 a.m. on the west side of the Capitol, Gov. Greg Abbott joined House Republicans for a planned meeting about their pending debate and vote.
Nearly an hour later, Jack asked Abbott what his message was to Republicans.
"We just talked about everything they've been doing is just common sense," Abbott replied. "It's common sense for Texas to be among the two-thirds of the states in the United States that support school choice. We are working to make sure that we use this pathway of creating school choice to put Texas on a pathway to becoming the number one state in the United States for educating our kids. That begins right here, right now, today in the Texas Capitol."
Another reporter asked the governor how confident he was. He replied, "Very confident."
Back in the rotunda at 10 a.m., Democratic House members joined the rally held by those opposed to the governor's school choice bill. Among those who spoke was Rep. Mihaela Plesa, D-Dallas. Jack interviewed her as the rally went on.
"This is the big day. I think that Texans are ready. Texans have shown up and they've kept saying they want to have their voices heard." Plesa said she and other Democrats supported the idea of proposing an amendment requiring a statewide voter referendum on this issue before an education savings account program could become law. "This vote is about choice. Let the people choose, and let them vote."
At 11:40 a.m., a half hour after the first live report about the school choice bill, Jack spoke with Rep. Jared Patterson of Frisco, who was among the Republicans who met with the governor. Patterson had posted on the platform "X" about the meeting that turned this debate into a national story.
"Remarkable live phone call between Governor Abbott, Texas House Republican Caucus Members and the President of the United States this morning in support of our upcoming vote on empowering parents through school choice."
The president called into the meeting. Abbott posted a part of the phone call on "X." The president said, "This is a big vote today and I hope you are able to vote in a positive manner."
"It was an honor to hear from President Trump about the great work we're doing here in Texas, Patterson said. "He named our Speaker, our Lt. Governor, our governor by name, Chairman Buckley by name."
The debate over SB2 begins
At 3:33 p.m., after lawmakers in the House approved a bill to increase funding for Texas public schools, they began debating SB 2.
At 5:28 p.m., Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, who has become one of the Democrats' leading voices against the governor's school choice bill, proposed the amendment to require Texas voters to approve taxpayer-funded education savings accounts before they could become law.
"The governor has said private school vouchers are widely popular, and so, if he's telling the truth, I would think this referendum would have no trouble passing," Talarico said. "I would also think the Governor would welcome the opportunity to finally have a mandate on this controversial topic."
Rep. Mitch Little, R-Lewisville, rejected that.
"Rep. Talerico, if we're going to delegate our lawmaking authority directly to the people, why do we need to be here at all? Why don't we just do that with everything? Is there a good reason to do that?" Little said.
Talerico responded, "I think this body is justified in sending this issue to the voters for their approval because of its impact on public education because of its impact on taxes."
But the amendment, which Democrats really banked on, went nowhere. It was tabled by the Republican majority.
Under the legislation, students who go to an accredited private school will receive about $10,000 a year through an education savings account. Those with disabilities will get up to $30,000 a year, while homeschooled students will get $2,000 a year. While a universal program, students with disabilities and those from low-income families will be prioritized.
Tense moments during the debate on SB2
At 8:36 p.m., tense moments as Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, raised his voice while debating the measure with Rep. Brent Money, R-Greenville. That tension turned to levity when Republican Brooks Landgraf, R-Odessa, who was presiding over the session at that point, slammed the gavel so hard that it broke and shattered the glass on the dais.
At 10:45 p.m., 40 minutes after the team's last live report on Wednesday, the Texas House had been debating Abbott's school choice bill for seven hours. At this point, it had been a long day for lawmakers and the debate would continue into the early morning hours.
At midnight, lawmakers were still debating eight and a half hours after they began. Democrats filed dozens of bills to try to kill the bill, but without any luck thus far.
Just about an hour later, the Democrats' 43rd and final amendment was tabled by Republicans.
Then came the final speeches by lawmakers before they cast their vote, including Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez Ramos, D-Dallas, who spoke against the bill at 1:09 a.m.
"Please know we've fought to the very end, and we're still fighting but the fight is not over tonight," said Rodriguez Ramos. "Elections matter and that's why we need to continue to fight."
At 1:20 a.m., Rep. Helen Kerwin, R-Glen Rose, a supporter of the bill, is one of various Republicans who challenged and defeated incumbents from the same party who opposed school choice.
"What we're really doing is yes, we're delivering positive improvements in the lives, in the education of our school children," Rose said.
A historic vote by the House passes Education Savings Accounts
At 2:06 a.m., more than 10.5 hours after all the speeches and debates began, finally, the moment of truth: time to vote on the education savings account bill. SB 2 passed by a margin of 85-63, and Republicans cheered the outcome.
Records show 85 of the 88 Republicans in the House approved while two Republicans, Rep. Dade Pheland of Beaumont, a former Speaker of the House, and Rep. Gary VanDeaver of New Boston, joined all Democrats in voting against the measure.
Abbott issued a statement praising House Republicans, calling their vote an "extraordinary victory."
The new Chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, Kendall Scudder, issued a statement condemning the vote.
"Working families are going to be the ones who will foot the bill for this voucher scam," said Scudder. "We're deeply disappointed in the lawmakers who chose to fall in line instead of standing up for their communities."
The bill will now head over to the Texas Senate, where lawmakers will decide whether to go along with the House's changes or make their own.
