The Texas House approved school choice vouchers. What comes next?

Governor Greg Abbott's top priority cleared a key hurdle after 2 a.m. Thursday morning. The Texas House approved a $1 billion school choice voucher program which would allow roughly 100,000 families to use public school dollars on private and home schooling.

But it's not a done deal yet. First, the Texas House needs to make a final procedural approval on Thursday. Since House lawmakers made several changes to the Senate's version, the upper chamber will need to decide whether to send the changed Senate Bill 2 to Governor Abbott to sign into law, or whether to appoint negotiators and work out key differences in a conference committee before approving a final product.

The House, however, was the main hurdle. Two years ago, the lower chamber rejected a similar idea. Since then, Governor Abbott campaigned against some fellow Republicans, helping defeat several anti-voucher incumbents with no lawmakers who support school choice programs. That political pressure continued into Thursday night.

Before the vote, Governor Abbott dialed up President Donald Trump at a Republican caucus meeting.

“If you want me to come in, I’ll also come in. But this is a big vote today," said President Trump.

Some Republican lawmakers also claim the Governor strong-armed them, threatening to campaign against them and veto their priority bills for their districts if they voted against the Governor.

Abbott's been holding events around the state, rallying supporters and reminding House lawmakers of the stakes of voting against him.

After Thursday's vote, he wrote 온라인카지노사이트 5, "For the first time in Texas history, our state has passed a universal school choice bill out of both chambers in the Texas Legislature."

"When it reaches my desk, I will swiftly sign this bill into law, creating the largest day-one school choice program in the nation," said Abbott.

The House approved Abbott's priority 86 to 63, with only two Republicans voting against the bill and all the Democrats. Before the vote, some tried to amend the bill to require statewide voters to approve the program this November.

“The last time I checked, this was still the people’s house, not the governor’s house," said Rep. James Talarico, D - Austin, carrying the amendment.

That amendment was rejected largely along party lines.

The Senate passed a similar proposal earlier this spring but the chambers will need to work out differences between their version. The House's plan requires a yearly audit, residency requirements, a hard cap dedicating most of the money to low-income students, and has a different amount of the education savings account tied directly to per-student public school funding.

On those differences, 온라인카지노사이트 5 has not yet heard back from Senate Education Chair Brandon Creighton, R - Conroe, and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, the leader of the Texas Senate and key driver of school choice efforts in Texas.

But both celebrated the House vote online.

"This vote is a breakthrough, and the momentum is finally where it needs to be. The Senate is ready to get this across the finish line and deliver school choice to every Texas student," wrote Sen. Creighton.

"Most importantly, I thank President Trump, who helped us defeat anti-school-choice Republican members last year, and for making school choice one of his major policy initiatives this year," wrote Lt. Governor Patrick.

Even if this proposal becomes law, some of the most strident anti-voucher advocates could file a lawsuit claiming it violates the Texas Constitution.

In Article VII, Section 1 of the , founders required lawmakers to support and maintain "an efficient system of public free schools.” Many Democrats and public school advocates argue that private schools charging tuition goes directly counter to the requirement for public free schools.

All that, however, will come in the weeks and months ahead. If all goes Governor Abbott's way, he will sign the bill this spring in order for the program to be rolled out by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts by September 1, in time for the fall school year.