Texas State Capitol
Gov. Greg Abbott called a special session that begins today, Oct. 9, to deal with school vouchers and border security issues.
A coalition of Democrats and rural Republicans oppose vouchers. Democrats do not believe in government funding of private schools and rural Republicans have few, if any, private schools in their districts and understand vouchers will take money from their local public schools. Private schools may exclude any student they choose, which is another reason why the members of the LGBTQ Caucus oppose funding private schools.
Dallas state Rep. Jessica Gonzalez tweeted, “Vouchers are a scam that threaten everything we love about our public schools. We must all come together — Democrats and Republicans, parents and teachers, rural Texans and urban Texans — to protect our neighborhood schools.”
Houston state Rep. Ann Johnson, who is a member of the LGBTQ Caucus tweeted, “I vehemently oppose any school voucher legislation and will do everything in my power to stop it in its tracks — and ensure all Texas kids are able to receive the education they deserve.”
And El Paso state Rep. and LGBTQ Caucus founder Mary Gonzalez tweeted, “Our public schools need to be fully funded each and every year. Students in public schools shouldn’t lose opportunities because of vouchers. Let’s prioritize funding and ensuring the best for our students, not private schools.”
— David Taffet
