Report: Texas House mulls giving school choice decision to voters

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Texas House of Representatives is set to vote on Senate Bill 2, which would establish Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), on Wednesday. Less than 48 hours before the vote, a report from Scott Braddock in Quorum Report said lawmakers are heavily considering giving the final say to Texas voters.

ESA legislation has been a top priority of Gov. Greg Abbott since early 2023 when he declared ESA legislation an “emergency item,” allowing lawmakers to take up the issue quicker than normal. However, the Texas House of Representatives repeatedly thwarted ESA legislation, even after Abbott called lawmakers back for multiple special sessions in late 2023 to start an ESA program. In the end, 21 House Republicans joined Democrats to stop the establishment of an ESA program.

Despite a majority of those Republicans losing their primaries to Abbott-backed challengers, Braddock’s reporting suggests there are still enough hesitant House Republicans to pass the buck to the voters, rather than establish ESAs outright. 

“There are Republicans and Democrats right now who are interested in having Texans vote on this,” Braddock told Nexstar. “Members of both parties do believe that it might be time for Texans to just take a public vote and settle the deal.”

In a special report on Nexstar's Texas stations, Abbott took a hard line against turning ESA legislation into a public referendum.

“That's the way California is run. They have ballot initiatives on so many laws, hundreds of laws,” Abbott said. “Let me tell you something. One thing I will achieve as governor is to make sure Texas never becomes California.”

According to Ballotpedia, there have been 48 statewide ballot measures since Abbott took office in 2015.

According to the Texas Tribune, over 50 House Democrats have agreed to not vote for any proposed constitutional amendments if ESA legislation isn’t sent to the voters. Constitutional amendments, including high-profile and high-priority bail reform proposals, require a two-thirds majority to pass in the House, meaning 51 Democrats could kill those proposals without any Republican support.

“The Governor keeps saying this is what Texans want,” Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, posted on X. “But that’s not what we’re hearing. We should be putting this to a vote of all Texans.”

In response, Gov. Abbott’s press team doubled down on their opposition to referendums. They also say voters made their choice last November.

"“This is just another desperate distraction from out-of-touch Texas Democrats," Abbott's Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris said in a statement. "School choice was on the ballot last November, and Texans elected a school choice majority in the Texas Legislature. When it comes to education, parents matter, and families deserve the ability to choose the best education opportunities for their children.”