ROY MAYNARD: The Story Behind Bare-Knuckled Fight To Pass School Choice In Lone Star State

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he now has the votes—76 in the Texas House—to pass a universal school choice bill, a goal of Lone Star State governors since Rick Perry.The Senate has already passed one.

Why did it take so long to get this far?

It should be no surprise that Friday night lights played a part. So did money, of course, with Texas billionaires pitting their wealth against each other in the fight over school choice. The teachers unions have been engaged from the outset, as have the Catholics, the Baptists and the homeschoolers.

But it was bare-knuckled Texas politicking that has brought it so tantalizingly close to fulfilment. When Abbott and Republican Texas Sen.Ted Cruz pledged to support the primary challengers of opponents of school choice in 2023, they weren’t bluffing. 

Let’s start with Friday night lights. I once asked my own state representative, in my rural district, about the issue; he answered with a simple question: “Do you know how much campaigning I do at Friday night football games every other October?”

There’s a lot of truth in his response. Public school districts are often among the largest employers in rural Texas. And football remains a cherished tradition—so much so that opponents of school choice have seized on the issue: “As a school voucher program edges close to law, one potential victim could be the proud Texas tradition of high school football … Scholarships are a major source of opportunity for teenagers, local restaurants depend on the post-game boom to stay afloat, and football events knit communities together across social divides.”

The competition argument is easily dismissed; private schools aren’t stealing talent and posing a threat to the football dynasties of Texas.They can’t even boast the multi-million dollar stadiums in Texas public school districts.

And as Abbott tweeted recently, “Florida and Arizona have the largest school choice programs and among the best high school football programs in the country.”

The money argument is easily dismissed, too; funding for public schools in Texas is at an all-time high and a Texas House bill that accompanies the school choice bill includes even more funding—and raises for teachers.

Money isn’t just at the heart of the debate, it’s also driving it. Deep-pocketed supporters and opponents of school choice have poured their wealth into the fight. On parents’ side are financiers including Tim Dunn and Farris and Dan Wilks, while Charles Butt (of the H-E-B Grocery family) is backing the unions.

But for the amount of money that has been spent, public opinion hasn’t moved very much; most Texas parents support school choice, and if anything, that support has only strengthened.

Last week, in fact, Texas Southern University, an HBCU institution, with its Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center, released a poll showing that nearly two-thirds of Texans support school choice.

In light of those numbers, Abbott and his longtime ally on this issue, Cruz, announced in 2023 that they’d campaign against any Republican who opposed what both say is the No. 1 education issue in America—the ability of parents to choose what’s best for their children.

They both were true to their word, and Republican lawmakers who masquerade as conservatives while in their districts suddenly found themselves called out by their sitting governor and U.S. senator.

“In 2023, 21 House Republicans opposed a school choice bill the Senate repeatedly passed,” the Center Square reported. “After the legislative session was over, five retired and 16 ran for reelection.” 

With the help of Abbott and Cruz, all but seven of those were defeated by supporters of school choice. The message was “unmistakable,” Abbott declared. 

But as any fan of those Friday night lights will tell you, those last five yards to the goal can be the toughest. Abbott and other supporters can expect strong resistance—and likely shenanigans—in their final push. 

That shouldn’t deter them. Families in Texas have waited long enough.

Roy Maynard, a 30-year veteran of the news industry, is senior writer for the Texas Public Policy Foundation and executive editor of the Associated News Service.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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