Michael Karlis
Gov. Greg Abbott shows he's serious during San Antonio appearance earlier this year to push his voucher plan.
During a tele-town hall Tuesday, Abbott announced that a special session to pass his plan will begin next month, the Texas Tribune reports. The Republican governor also offered a not-so-veiled threat to lawmakers who don't play along.
“If we do not win in that first special session, we will have another special special session and we’ll come back again,” Abbott said, according to the Tribune. “And then if we don’t win that time, I think it’s time to send this to the voters themselves.”
Vouchers were one Abbott's priorities for this year's regular session, and he toured the state trying to drum up support. Despite the push, Abbott's allies couldn't win over enough support from Democrats or rural Republicans to make progress during the session.
Abbott's plan, touted as a "school choice" initiative, would let parents pull their kids out of public schools and use state money to pay for private educations.
Education experts argue similar programs tried by other states result in lower test scores, a deterioration of public schools and a rise in non-accredited private ones. Meanwhile, the state's rural Republicans worry the plan would decimate their constituents' already underfunded public schools.
Abbott's ability to win over skeptics in the Lege appears questionable with members of his own party, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan, now sniping at each other over the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton.
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