This week we welcome back to the program Texas Impact’s Advocacy Director, Joshua Houston, to wrap up what is hopefully the last special session of the 88th Texas Legislature for 2023. One of the main issues the legislature has tried to address is public school funding. In a year with an historic budget surplus, the Texas Legislature should have been able to better fund our underfunded public schools and give Texas public school teachers a well-deserved raise–both issues Texans of faith consistently tell us they care about. However, both have been tied up all year because they have been “held hostage” to state leaders insisting that those priorities would only be funded in exchange for diverting dollars from public schools to private school vouchers. The last moments of the fourth special session left many questions unanswered. Josh helps us understand what happened and what comes next.
The work to stop vouchers in Texas is not over yet! Consider joining our Public School Defenders team, signing the letter to your legislator telling them to keep public dollars in public schools, and becoming a member of Texas Impact.